Following are biographical sketches of the appraisers who will appear at Riddick’s Folly’s Hidden Treasures Antiques Appraisal event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 26.

Robert Archer

Dolls & Linens

Robert Archer, costume designer and pattern maker, acquired his skill at the University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, The Traphagen School of Fashion Design, New York, and as a graduate of Ringling School of Art, Sarasota, Fla., majoring in Fashion Design. He has designed fabrics and has served as both designer and costume master for ballet and theatrical companies. He has designed and constructed couture clothing and wedding gowns for one of the most prestigious bridal companies in the country and designed ballroom dance competition costumes. He is active in a number of doll and miniature organizations and received “Artisan” status in the International Guild of Miniature Artisans in March, 1991. His individual figures for the consummate collector have been featured in Dolls in Miniature, Doll Reader, Nutshell News and Miniature Collector. He serves on the Board of Directors of Riddick’s Folly House Museum as chair of the Events and Exhibits Committee.

Richard Cupp

Books & Publications

Richard Cupp works at Main Street Antiques, located at 1138 Myrtle St. in Suffolk. He will appraise books and publications, as well as miscellaneous items and toys and games, at the Hidden Treasures event.

Sue Draper

Linens & Textiles

Sue G. Draper, owner of Fine Threads/Fine Linens in Hertford, N.C., conducts seminars and linen shows throughout the southeast U. S. Her extensive collection of antique linens has been built over a lifetime and includes many family pieces. Her time is spent researching and collecting rare textiles as she travels. She lives in Suffolk, where she retired from teaching biology in the Suffolk Public Schools, and at present continues her teaching through the adult education program at Pruden Technical and Industrial Center. She served on the founding board of he Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. She is on the board of Young Audiences of Virginia and Main Street United Methodist Church administrative board and day care board. She also serves on the Genieve Shelter Board.

Ray Felton

Paintings & Prints

Ray Felton has been in the antique and collectible business for the last 30 years, and focuses on American pottery, glass decorative accessories, paintings and arts and crafts era design. He is currently located in the multi-dealer shop, High Street Antiques, in Portsmouth. He has assisted Riddick’s Folly as an appraiser at Hidden Treasures Appraisal Show since it began. He has always thought that people should be aware of the value of their antiques and heirlooms.

Ed Forlines

Furniture

A Norfolk native and Portsmouth resident, Ed Forlines founded Way Back Yonder Antiques with partner Ken Woolard in 1991. They have participated in hundreds of shows throughout the eastern United States. A general-line dealer of high-quality antiques with a special focus on period furniture and silver, Way Back Yonder Antiques is located on High Street in Portsmouth.

Bettye House

Jewelry

Bettye House represents Jems from Jennie, which has been in business for 26 years. The company specializes in estate jewelry and carries fine karat gold, sterling silver and costume jewelry. The store offers jewelry repair and expert antique jewelry restoration. It offers onsite jewelry appraisals by House, a GIA gemologist. She specializes in the antique jewelry identification and pricing, being a passionate and avid collector. Her knowledge comes from books, research and learning many dating tools from the old master jewelers of pieces coming in for appraisals and repair. She has been aboard with her mom, Jennie House, for 21 years.

Lee King

Paintings & Prints, Primitives & Folk Art

Lee King is the curator of Riddick’s Folly House Museum. He has worked in the Riddick House for the past 18 years and with the board of directors has helped to bring the museum to a grand historical site. He is now a certified licensed appraiser. He will be appraising paintings, prints, primitives, folk art and Native American artifacts. Lee and his wife, Henrietta, have been avid collectors for more than 25 years. In 1998 they had the opportunity to go to the Antiques Road Show in Richmond, Virginia. The well-known PBS series filmed Lee with one of the items that he carried to the show. That visit inspired him to start such a program as a fundraiser for Riddick’s Folly. It is now one of the longest running appraisal shows of its kind in this area. All proceeds from this event benefit the further restoration of Riddick’s Folly, Suffolk’s only house museum.

Nick Leshkow

Coins & Currency

Nick Leshkow is a dealer in and appraiser of United States coins and currency, Confederate and obsolete currency, world coins and currency and tokens/script. He also collects some special coins and currency. His logo is Mountaineer Coins and Currency. He has been collecting and/or dealing for 50 years. My retail sales are primarily at coin shows in the eastern U.S.

Hidden Treasures is always a lot of fun for me. While performing appraisals at Hidden Treasures, he has seen a very wide and fascinating variety of items including coins worth anywhere from 5 cents to $5,000 each. People have brought in anything form a single coin to a large collection of coins.

Shannon Pritchard

Civil War & Firearms

Shannon Pritchard is a full-time Confederate antiques dealer and author of numerous works relating to the authentication, care and conservation of Confederate antiques, including Collecting the Confederacy, Artifacts and Antiques from the War Between the States. He is also founder of Old South Military Antiques LLC and www.OldSouthAntiques.com.

Other appraisers on hand for the event will include Richard Robinson of Robinson’s Antique Clocks in Carrollton, clocks; and Cookie Little of High Street Antiques in Portsmouth, glass.