The Interview with Fr. Leon--Appraiser of Antiques & Collectibles

Give us a quick introduction. You have quite a lot going on, don’t you?
Father Leon: Here’s a quick introduction: I’m a Certified professional appraiser of personal property, an author, teacher, auctioneer, father, grandfather, and priest. I’ve had my own radio show, been a professor, speaker, book editor, columnist, expert witness, and even been on ABC’s 20-20.OB: How did you get interested in Orthodoxy?
Father Leon: I was ordained into the priesthood in June of this year. That culminated a long and windy road that started when I was nine years old, a time and date when God called me both as a Christian and into ministry.
Growing up in an evangelical Protestant church certainly limited my exposure to certain aspects of our faith, particularly the liturgy and historical roots. Even though I studied certain aspects of early Christian faith and the founding fathers, it wasn’t until after I graduated from seminary that I began to see and understand God’s work in a more universal and catholic way.
Part of this came from my personal relationship to the Lord and Baptism in the Holy Spirit and part came from my connections to the 1970’s Jesus movement and the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. I know that sounds strange, but I felt a real connection to the early church of Acts. As a non-Catholic pastor to a Catholic Charismatic Community, I soon learned to appreciate many things about tradition, historical roots, and sacramental liturgy. Little did I know that 35 years later I would be a priest in the Orthodox Church.OB: Where did you attend seminary, and where are you currently serving?
Father Leon: I attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts and graduated in 1972. This stronghold of Evangelical Christianity was at least open to discussions with the more liturgical denominations, if not to the “charismatics”. I served as a Youth Minister in a local Congregational Church.
After graduation I came back home and served in my own church and then branched out to the NY/NJ/PA area with a ministry called “Jesus Peace,” a “hippie-Jesus movement” that included involvement with coffeehouses, concerts, prayer groups, and large rallies. This eventually led to working with St. Francis Prayer Community.
At the same time, I met a wonderful woman, Monica, a widow with 4 small girls. Our marriage led to a new dimension-and a need for a paying job. Since my father was an auctioneer and I had worked with him in high school and college, it was almost inevitable that I would join. That I did and was asked to be the “appraiser.”
This entailed more schooling but I was on my way. I became the 17th Certified Appraiser of Personal Property in the ISA (International Society of Appraisers) and the first auctioneer to receive that designation. In the meantime our family grew to 7 children.
I became pastor of a small church that met in homes and continued to do double duty in my callings. To make the long story short, about four years ago I sold the auction business and we left NJ for Wilmington, NC. Part of the reason was the renewed and ever present call for full time ministry. Wilmington had a CEC (Charismatic Episcopal Church) and we joined. I became involved in the deaconate and attended seminary once again. Through a series of God-led events, I was directed to the Community of the Holy Spirit in Cleveland, Ohio, a western rite UAOC (Ukrainian Autocephalis Orthodox Church), and became a candidate for ordination that occurred this past June.
We have moved to PA and are currently establishing a CHS church there, just north of Philadelphia. OB: As an appraiser, do you specialize in a particular type of collectible?
Father Leon: As an appraiser, I am considered a “generalist,” meaning I do everything. This includes furniture, silver, china and glass, textiles and toys - you name it. My official designation reads “Appreciable Residential Contents” - a fancy phrase meaning antiques and collectibles.OB: Have you ever been on Antiques Roadshow?
Father Leon: Although I have not appeared on the PBS Antiques Roadshow, many of my students and colleagues have. I have gone the other road, many smaller shows and appraisal days including a nationwide event called “The Basic Antiques Show” produced by Philip Morris. I have probably done more than 500 appraisal days.OB: Tell us about some of the interesting pieces that you've appraised.
The most famous property I have ever done was the Nixon Watergate/Presidential Papers confiscated by the government in 1974. I was part of a team that valued them for compensation in the 1990’s (it took 25 years for a court decision). They might have been the most valuable, but it was a group of 40 million documents. I’ve done significant paintings (I discovered a very nice Theodore Robinson worth .5 million, at the time), Stickley furniture, and even a Declaration of Independence, but the bread and butter of my work was the normal Victorian furniture, country folk art and Americana, collectible toys and items from the 20th century, and glassware and ceramics.
When you see so much you kind of forget the individual items.
I did find a glass “doorstop” a poor lady had filled with dried flowers that we sold for $27,500.OB: How did you become an appraiser? What does the training look like for this career?
Father Leon: Almost anyone can attempt to be a personal property appraiser since there are currently no license laws. That’s why designation is so important. It gives you credentials. I teach the credentialing course for ISA. It involves a “core” course that covers methodology, principles, techniques, and ethics.
Then one seeks a specialty, whether it is gems and jewelry, fine art, or general antiques. (The specialty areas can get very narrow and precise - just like the medical profession.) This is combined with personal market experience and other courses and then, finally, an all-encompassing exam like the BAR. There are levels of designation and the CAPP is the top. I also have an AAA from the Appraisers Association of America-equivalent to the CAPP.OB: Give us an introduction to your new book. What’s it about, and who published it for you?
Father Leon: My new book is called Betcha Didn’t Know That and it’s not about Orthodoxy, although it could be (catchy title). It’s about tidbits and historical information surrounding the world of antiques and collectibles.
For example, which date is the clear winner in the world of Indian head pennies? It’s worth more than all the others combined. (I’m not going to tell you.)
Who invented baseball and baseball cards and what’s the most valuable one? Why? Who was Barbie modeled after? Which signor of the Declaration of Independence is worth much more than all the others and why? (His housed burned down shortly after signing it.)
We had a radio show for many years called Value This with Brian and Leon. It was a call in radio show about antiques (Abbott and Costello meet the Antiques Roadshow). Brian and I did promos for the show in one minute teasers called “Betchas.” The book came from those spots. It’s highly entertaining, educational, and financially worthwhile - and only $14.95 (guaranteed to be a future collectible).OB: How do you manage to balance your priestly duties with your appraisal work and writing?
Father Leon: I’m in a transition period. Fortunately I can do my appraisal, teaching, and writing work alongside my priestly duties. That may change. By the way, did you know the first appraisers were priests of the Old Testament? The priests were assigned under Moses and the Old Covenant to assess property values-both for sacrificial obligations and community responsibilities. Working with “value” can be both spiritual and physical.
OB: Give some advice to antique collectors - what kinds of collectibles make great investments? Which ones should they avoid?
My advice to collectors - especially Christians is the following:
Don’t buy something labeled or sold as a “collectible.” It probably isn’t.
Be very wary of “labels of authenticity.” They mean almost nothing.
Buy what you like and what you can use.
Buy the best you can for the money you have (you don’t have to be made of money).
Beware! Anything can go up and down in price-even antiques. Buying them is no hedge against inflation, economic woes, or financial instability.
But the most important tip is one you will never hear from normal appraisers and here it is:
Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven-not on earth.
I’ve seen too many people weighed down by ties and attachments to “things.”
Nice things have their place-but only in perspective. If you keep it in perspective - fine, but when God says so, sell it or give it away and move on!
Believe me, it’s harder for a rich man, collector, or lover of antiques to enter heaven than it is for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.
Betcha Didn’t Know That!