Casual Corner

What outfit goes with a tea table circa 1718? How about a vintage carousel horse? A Tiffany lamp? A copy of a Van Gogh?

The answer is: just about anything. And that’s how people dressed when “Chubb’s Antiques Roadshow” came to town earlier this month. The hit PBS show, which has a rabid following, drew some 10,000 people to the Los Angeles Convention Center who wanted to have their antiques appraised.

Die-hards started lining up well before sunrise and waited patiently in snakey, Disneyland-esque lines for good or bad news. The greatest finds--and greatest fakes--are taped for television. (This segment was being taped for the third season, which kicks off in early 1999.)

A mahogany tea table from the 1700s was appraised at $45,000, a Tiffany lamp from the early 1900s was thought to be worth $30,000 to $40,000, and a miniature folk art portrait was valued at $25,000 to $35,000.

Although the show uncovers such rare and costly antiques, there is no snob appeal here, which accounts for the fact that most people showed up in the most casual of outfits, from shorts and T-shirts to khakis and polo shirts to leggings, long sun dresses, cowboy hats and jeans, and, of course, those ubiquitous fanny packs.

Even the longshot prospect of being on television wasn’t enough to make most people dress up. Of course, the informal nature of the show is one of its greatest appeals.

The must-have accessory, however, was a little red wagon. It’s the most practical thing for hauling pottery, sculptures, paintings, small cabinets and other assorted treasures. In lieu of wagons, people also brought their prized possessions in tote bags, grocery bags, buckets, dollies and picnic baskets. One woman even dragged hers on a lawn chair.

One determined man summed up his dedication on a handmade cardboard sign that read: Antiques Roadshow or Bust.