By JULIE REPPERT
Antiques columnist, Dr. Lori Verderame will be featured on the season premiere of the Discovery Channel's show "Auction Kings" at 9 p.m. Thursday.
Verderame will be the expert appraiser on the show and said she just finished production on season four, which is taped on location in Atlanda, Ga.
"During the months of production, I regularly travel to Atlanta from my home in Pennsylvania (and any other location where my stage show has me booked in the world) to share my expertise with the Gallery 63 staff," said Verderame.
Verderame first app-eared on the show in season three in 2011-12.
"I was invited to audition for 'Auction Kings' after the production company discovered my TV work and live antiques appraisal stage show," she said.
"I actually did the audition with the California-based production company, Authentic Entertainment and the Discovery channel, while presenting my stage show, 'Dr. Lori's Antique Appraisal Comedy Show', on a cruise ship.
She said the producers of the show were looking for an experienced television appraiser with a vast knowledge base, since the items featured on the show can tend to be unusual and rare.
Verderame also has been featured on NBC's "The Tonight Show," "Anderson Cooper Live" and Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."
She is known in the Williamsport area from her appearances on WNEP-TV and from her internationally syndicated column.
She said that her father, a World War II veteran, first got her into antiques at a young age. "He taught me about objects that were typically suited to boys like fishing gear, sports collectibles, tools, military memorabilia, etc. I am grateful for the education that I received tagging along with my dad to yard sales, flea markets and estate sales," Verderame said. "Those memories are precious to me now as he suffers with alzheimer's disease."
Verderame said her parents encouraged her to continue my education. She has three degrees: history, art history and antiques, including a Ph.D. from Penn State University.
Before becoming an appraiser, she worked as a university professor, museum director and curator.
"Our cast and crew of 'Auction Kings' are real people working at a real job," she said. "The show follows a busy auction house staff doing a job and having fun in the process. All in all their job is to sell interesting antiques for top dollar. My role is to authenticate and evaluate an antique's true market value before it goes up on the auction block."
On the show, Verderame will share the historical background of items with the viewers with on-the-spot appr-aisals.
"I have met many fans of the show as I tour the country and they are just as spirited and fun loving as our cast," Verderame said. "Every week 'Auction Kings' is a wild ride and I am happy to have a front row seat on the rollercoaster."
For more information about "Auction Kings," visit dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/auction-kings.
