Antique Appraisals & Marketplace: Hosted by the JWR Museum Home

Learn about the hidden treasures in your own home!

The James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home is excited to host our first ever Antiques Appraisals and Marketplace.

Join us for day of antiques and fun as the James Whitcomb Riley Musuem Home welcomes professional antique appraisers and vendors. Bring your favortite antique from home to learn more about it's history and value, then step into our gardens to peruse through more historic treasures!

Antique weapons and extra-large items will not be allowed on site, but can be appraised via photograph. Please see the FAQ section for more details.

Reserve an appraisal time

To have an object appraised, please purchase a timed ticket. Head over to the Visitor Center during your appointed time to redeem your ticket. Then one of the three professional appraisers will appraise your item. The JWR Museum Home has limited the number available tickets per half-hour to reduce wait time and ensure ample time for each appraisal. Limited to one item or small set of items per-appraisal. See the FAQ for details.

The appraisers have generously donated their expertise for the day, so all ticket proceeds will directly benefit Riley Children's Foundation and the JWR Museum Home.

No ticket needed to shop or listen

No ticket required to enter the Museum Home grounds that day. Come on down to shop for antiques and art on the lawn or hang-out in the Visitor Center to listen to the appraisals in real time. Food trucks will be on site the whole afternoon!

The appraisers like J. Scott Keller below rely on decades of experience to uncover the historic stories embedded in antiques like the tea set in the Museum Home's family dining room. Reserve an appraisal time to learn about the antques in your home, and remember - no ticket needed to listen to the appraisals in real time in the Visitor Center!

In the preview video below, one of the appraisers, Dave Ripley , explains his methodolgy for appraising works of art like the albaster lamp in the historic parlor of the Museum Home. He reveals the hidden signature of the artist using a flashlight, and now can start researching the Itlaian artist, G. Mascagni, who made lamps between 1890 and 1920.

Meet the Appraiser: Dave Ripley

Dave holds a B.S. in Business Management and Finance from the Indiana University School of Business. He is an Accredited Member of the International Society of Appraisers, an Active Candidate Member of the American Society of Appraisers, and has completed the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) of The Appraisal Foundation.

With a family history steeped in fine art, antiques, and collectibles, Dave has gained 45 years of hands-on experience in personal property appraising. As co-founder of BGR Appraisals, he has completed appraisals for a wide range of clients, including museums, foundations, universities, estates, law firms, insurance companies and avid collectors.

Meet the Appraiser: J.Scott Keller

Scott is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Business, the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies, and the University of Oxford. He is a past member of the American Society of Appraisers and has completed USPAP.

Over 35 years ago, Scott founded Blackard and Geiger, LTD., a national appraisal business with a loyal client base. Dave and Kristen joined him to form BGR Appraisals, where Scott now serves as Appraiser of Counsel. Scott's extensive appraisal experience includes photographic inventories, planning for downsizing, fair market value for estates, guardianships, and trusteeships, as well as retail replacement value for insurance scheduling and charitable donation and expert witness testimony.

Meet the Appraiser: Kristen Hein

Kristen has a Masters of Education Administration and EPPSP from Butler University, a B.A. in English Literature from Indiana University, and a B.S. in Elementary Education with a Literacy Minor from Indiana University. She is an Accredited Member of the International Society of Appraisers and has completed USPAP.

Kristen previously served as Director of Business Development at Ripley Auctions and Appraisals, where she honed her expertise in appraising and managing collections for international clients. As co-founder of BGR Appraisals, she has completed accredited appraisals for a diverse clientele, including private individuals, attorneys, accountants, insurance agents, museum curators, and college administrators, estate executors, trust officers, individual clients and others.