Safford House Antiques' booth exemplified dealers who brought Americana - including Southern furniture.

Tom Pierce had done his homework, but was looking for more information when he came to Discovery Day at the Civic Center.

The wooden box Pierce carried contained a dozen Canadian goose decoys, which was remarkable enough. However, these decoys were out of the ordinary - these were canvas, inflatable decoys made around the turn of the 20th century. "I found them when I was cleaning out my mother-in-law's garage and just hung on to them because I liked them," Pierce said.

But, since his discovery of the decoys in the mid-1980s, Pierce has researched the decoys, calling several experts in the collectible field. They've been excited - and one such call resulted in a sight-unseen offer of five figures. According to Pierce, the box of decoys was manufactured by the Canvas Decoy Co. of Union City, Tenn. The decoys themselves were finely crafted and fairly detailed. A resin or pitch material was used to cover the decoys, making them oily to the touch and sealing the canvas.

The Savannah man's treasure caught the eye of appraiser Donna Terzian, one of four area appraisers who evaluated items during the last day of the Georgia Historical Society's Antiques Show and Sale at the Savannah Civic Center.

In the end, Terzian was reluctant to assign value, citing roller coaster collector markets and the unique nature of Pierce's decoys, but did provide him with names of auction houses that could better assess his garage find.

Kim Iocovozzi assessed an embroidery painting brought to Discovery Day by Chica Arndt. Her daughter Eva Elmer watches.

Art dealer Kim Iocovozzi did fill in some blanks for Elizabeth Arndt of Savannah.
Arndt had brought in a framed picture that Iocovozzi, a Savannah art dealer, identified as an embroidery painting, probably done in silk and originating in Italy between 1850-1890.

Other appraisers included Beth Kintsler, of Avalon Antiques and Appraisal of Savannah, and Frank O. Walsh III, of Yesteryear Book Shop of Atlanta.

But the heart of the show was more than 40 dealers who showed an impressive array of objects, ranging from Asian art and Oriental rugs to fine silver, antique prints and paintings and exquisite American furniture.

Final gate numbers were not available at press time, but Georgia Historical Society Executive Director Todd Groce said feedback had been good and the gate Friday and Sunday was at least double the previous year's total.

The Friday increase could have been due, in part, to a new event - an early buyer's party - that attracted nearly 200 area collectors who got first shot at the more unique pieces.

The show is the primary fundraiser for the GHS. Although it is managed by Zita Waters Bell of Boca Raton, Fla., a local committee of more than 40 volunteers staff events and coordinate various aspects of the show - including a speaker series and house tour.

"We had a full house at both the brunch and the tea," Show Chairman Jenny Pierce said. "And we had rave reviews for the luncheon Friday."

That event featured a presentation by Betty Monkman, curator of The White House.