If hunting for antiques is your thing, you should know that you may not need to search further than your own home for treasures.

In an effort to help folks look at their own belongings more critically, the Northeast Georgia History Center staff decided to host a "reViving Your Classics" event.

It will take place at the history center, 322 Academy St. NE, Gainesville from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 27.

During the event, restoration specialists from around the country will be on hand to show attendees how they can give their existing treasures new life.

"Traditionally, we have an antique and estate sale, where we would have vendors selling antiques and we would sell estate items donated by the community. With the economy being the way it is, we haven’t been seeing as many donations as we have in the past," said Cathy Herdener, event chairwoman.

"Two years ago, we brought in a couple who does crystal and glass restoration and we had so many people saying they’d like to see more vendors like that. These days, it’s hard to find people who restore antiques. You really have to rely on word of mouth.

"So we decided to change our usual event into a day where we brought all of these hard-to-find restoration specialists together under one roof."

The restorers in attendance will specialize in porcelain, ceramics, crystal, glass, silver, frames, books and clocks. An artisan will also be there offering hand engraving services.

"The best thing to do is to bring your items with you," Herdener said.

"They can tell you how long it would take to fix it and how much it would cost."

Since many of the vendors travel from place to place for different antique shows, they’re used to collecting pieces on site and then shipping the finished products back to their customers, Herdener says.

An appraiser will be on hand from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the day of the event if anyone is interested in finding out the value of their treasures.

There will also be a number of workshops throughout the day for individuals who are interested in learning how to do things like plant a fall victory garden, organize family slides and pictures, start a family genealogy search or restore furniture.

Tickets for the restoration event are available in advance, or at the door. Admission is $5 per person. The workshops are also $5 per person and appraisals are $15 each.

"We have such a throw-away society that it has become very difficult to find people these days to do quality work on the antiques that have been handed down through your family or that you find at a sale," Herdener said.

"The whole idea of our event is to bring all of these people together under one roof, for one day. If you have a frame that needs fixing or a piece of silver that you’d like to have duplicated, here’s an opportunity for you to get that done."

On Friday, Aug. 26 from 6 to 8 p.m., the history center will be hosting a "reViving Your Classics" preview party. The tickets for the preview event are $25 per person. The cost includes wine, heavy Hors d’oeuvres, live music and a complimentary appraisal.

Attendees must RSVP for the preview party by Wednesday.