"The afterthought is good, but forethought is better." Norwegian proverb

A good friend told me about a pseudo antiques roadshow to be held in her town in a nearby assisted living residence, according to an advertisement she came across in a local store. The flier stipulated bringing no more than two items per person and the antique appraiser would give the estimated value of your treasures. Willing to try anything at this point, I arose early on Saturday morning ready to make the 45-minute trek.

I had my Hubert packed up and ready to roll and as I ran out the door I grabbed an old cast iron bank off the bookshelf as an afterthought for my second item. It was a beautiful day and after meeting up with my friends we rushed over to the residence. We were anxious to beat out the throngs of collectors and be among among the first in line when they opened the door hoping to meet the appraisers while they were still in fresh form and not beaten down by the hordes of money-hungry treasure seekers. Not that we had anything to worry about - we were the only ones to show up for the event.

I waited patiently as my two friends had their JFK inauguration program and tickets, their Charles Lindbergh commemorative plate complete with vintage chip, and their signed children's book illustration, authenticated and appraised. I pulled out my Hubert etchings (yes, I cheated and brought more than one) and cast iron pilot's head bank for examination. Everything was appraised at the $50 mark except for my bank which surprisingly was valued at approximately $150. Ironically, my afterthought took the prize for the item of greatest value. Not a windfall but certainly a bonus for an afterthought. I came anticipating a Hubert revelation but as the saying goes, you can plan a pretty picnic but you can't predict the weather.

When it was my turn to take the floor I proceeded to give a detailed history of my Hubert search as I handed over my Chasing Hubert business card and proudly displayed my etchings. The appraiser was warm and friendly and gave me some background on the history of etching, however, had nothing new to add about Hubert although she did say the name sparked a note of recognition. She took my phone number and promised to do a little digging into her antique resources to see if she could turn up any new information. Hopefully, she'll get back to me one way or another and my Chasing Hubert business card won't wind up in the bottom of a collectible vintage trash receptacle...