Reading, MA — The Friends of Reading Seniors 60 Plus held their first two official fundraisers on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at the St Agnes Parish Hall: Treasures from Your Attic (an antique road-show type of event).
Many residents from Reading and surrounding communities came with all kinds of treasures to be appraised, including a silver tea service, a baseball signed by John F Kennedy, a tiny Victorian locket, Japanese porcelain, furniture, cuckoo clocks, and even a Russian Army helmet!
Both sessions were conducted by Douglas Stinson of The Stinson Auction House. Mr. Stinson, who grew up in Reading, has over 40 years of Fine Art auction, appraisal, and proprietary knowledge of the antique and auction business. He educated, entertained, and impressed the participants in both sessions with his encyclopedic knowledge of the treasures they brought for appraisal. Some items he described as “very sweet” but maybe not worth too much, other items he said were “amazing” and worth thousands of dollars. He also provided the crowds with many resources they could use to determine the current market value of precious items.
People leaving the event offered rave reviews and some of the following comments:
“I’ve never attended and event like this. I had so much fun and learned so much about trends in Victorian furniture”.
“I was very impressed with Mr. Stinson’s depth of knowledge and showmanship”.
“I hope this will be an annual event”.
“The next time I’m bringing my sisters! They have even more stuff in their attic than I do”.
“Loved that the appraiser was so generous with his time, even after the session ended”.
The proceeds from the fundraisers will support Reading Elder Services. Now that Reading will have a new Reading Center for Active Living with a dedicated senior center, it will be imperative for us to help the Town of Reading financially support the needs of the growing number of seniors at the Reading Senior Hub.
The Friends of Reading Seniors 60 Plus are grateful to all who participated, but especially indebted to Mr. Stinson for his time and support of the event and of “The Friends of Reading Seniors 60 Plus”.
