We talk about collectible dreams in this space. Perhaps you’re hoping to put the Paris flea market on your calendar? Or wondering what kind of Americana is still out there waiting for you this summer on the country’s deep backroads? Or imagining Tokyo as the exotic intersection of all things ancient and anime?
Well, we have an additional idea that’s authentically high on the antiques-and-vintage fun meter: Have you considered Owings Mills in the sweetness of early autumn? We’d like to specifically mention October 5th and October 6th.
Those are the dates when Chesapeake Collectibles will film segments for its Season 12 episodes slated for 2025. And whether you’ve followed the show long term or short term, you’ve probably thought about having your own beloved “stuff” — from heirlooms to online finds — assessed by experts. If you register for the event that takes place at MPT’s Owings Mills campus, then it’s goal attained.
Paid registration is required to attend. Your registration includes verbal evaluations of up to three items by a team of expert appraisers. Some items and their owners may be chosen to appear in the series. Information, including attendance details, is available HERE. The registration period continues through September 20, 2024.
The Season 12 filming event was postponed this year from June because of MPT’s collaborating aid on the upcoming Antiques Roadshow tour stop in Baltimore. But that only heightens the anticipation for when Chesapeake Collectibles will turn on its cameras because that’s its own kind of party for the fans who may have bid against each other in auctions or competed in marathon haggling at flea markets all over the Mid-Atlantic region.
When you arrive at MPT’s Irene and Edward H. Kaplan Production Studio, you’ll enter the world of community-focused TV production along with hundreds of fellow treasure bearers from throughout the multi-state area.
Then you start swapping — not items, but stories. As you wait for your moment with the show’s appraisers, you trade “oohs” and “aahs” about the baseball cards, mid-modern furniture, and vintage car ornaments you scooped up in the pursuit of anything from riches to nostalgic decor. Choosing what goes on camera is decision-making of both craft and art.
“So many of the items we see have incredible stories, and our appraisers hear them all,” says Executive Producer Patrick Keegan. “Deciding which of those stories to share with our audience is a difficult task, but I hope our viewers have enjoyed the items we selected.”
One thing the Chesapeake Collectibles staff may have heard the most from attendees: Their most commonly shared sentiment is that once wasn’t enough and that coming to the taping every year could be the only thing that’ll do.
Be sure to watch Chesapeake Collectibles: Behind the Scenes, a special look at the making of the beloved series, on MPT-HD on Monday, June 10 at 7:30 pm and on MPT2 on Saturday, June 15 at 7:30 pm.
Series fans can also catch a replay of the entire 11th season on Mondays at 7:30 pm, on the free PBS App, and online at video.mpt.tv/show/chesapeake-collectibles/.