Published: October 03, 2007
Rudy Schafer - a Man for All Seasons
By Carole Berry 
Rudy Schafer appraises antique guns for Evaluation Day
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Rudy Shafer, well known in the antiques community, passed away peacefully at home in September, 2007 with his family present.
The following article resulted from an interview with Mr. Shafer last Fall in anticipation of the Folsom History Museum's Annual Evaluation Day.
Rudy Schafer served as a volunteer appraiser for the Folsom History Museum's Annual Antique Evaluation Day since its inception in 1997.
Specializing in pre 20th century guns, swords, post cards and documents, Mr. Schafer and wife Natalie have owned and operated the popular Folsom Mercantile Exchange on Sutter Street for the past twenty five years. In addition, for the past twenty years they promoted a biannual post card and paper (ephemera) show at Scottish Rite Masonic Center in Sacramento. While still residing in Southern California in their earlier years, the Schafers promoted gun shows.
"I was always a collector of antiques and interesting things," said Mr. Schafer. For many years, he collected antique guns* and repaired them for others. "Natalie's mother was a collector of fine antique furniture so we have always been antique people and now we are antique people!"
Nearing eighty years of age, the Schafers recently looked to their daughter and son-in-law to take over promotion of their show at Scottish Rite. Reflecting back on his career, Mr. Schafer fondly stated: "I am most proud of having played an important role in producing programs and materials helping kids understand the nature of our earth system and making informed decisions concerning the land and the things we do with it.
I had a big role in that and that makes me proud." A classroom teacher and park ranger in his earlier years, Mr. Schafer developed a feeling for nature and conservation.
An invitation from the State of California to work in Sacramento led to his establishment of a statewide program for teachers.
After obtaining a federal grant for his project, a nonprofit corporation was formed. Mr. Schafer's stewardship "brought people from other states together to produce three teaching material guides that have been cited as the best available. Now [we] are working in every state and in several foreign countries, including Japan, Sweden, Canada, India and Mexico.
Although "slowing down," until recently, Mr. Schafer still served on the board of directors for the organization he founded and nurtured. "I've had a very productive and interesting life, serving millions of kids through our program. When you think you do something that affects millions it makes you feel proud."
On the History Museum's Antique Evaluation Day, Mr. Schafer could always be found at his antique collective, the Folsom Mercantile, located at 724-726 Sutter Street near the intersection of Wool and Sutter.
The Mercantile currently houses forty antiques' dealers (when the Schafers purchased the building in 1981, part of the top floor housed a candy factory while the downstairs was Rumsey's Storage.) Before long, the top floor was turned into an antique collective and the downstairs became Yeager's.
One of the oldest buildings in town, the Mercantile is known to old-timers as the Rumsey Building. Built in the 1860's, the building contains some charming reminders of days gone by in Folsom's Historic District. Among the most interesting surviving antiquities is a safe which says "Rumsey" on it. "When the Rumseys moved out," said Mr. Schafer, "they sold the safe to someone but they couldn't get it out. It was too heavy and there was no way to move it, so it is still sitting there and still in use. Rumsey used to buy gold way back circa 1913 when [he] opened up. That's why he needed the safe. There is a picture in the Museum's archives [from] when Rumsey was there."
The downstairs of the Mercantile contains yet another fascinating reminder of Folsom's early days. "You can see rock work that was involved," said Mr. Schafer. "[In] one place, a boulder of some size was there and they built it right into the wall. [We] have a sign indicating that what is now Yeager's dining room was Folsom's air raid shelter during World War II. Fortunately the Japanese didn't get this far!"
Participating as a volunteer appraiser for Evaluation Day in past years, Mr. Schafer recalled a man coming in with an autograph of Abraham Lincoln which was "pretty remarkable." [I've] looked at a lot of antique guns, some worth thousands of dollars and some worth $10-$20. It's always interesting to see what comes out of the woodwork. People have things in the closet. I always try to keep reference books on hand to give people information. Someone came in with a gun, a little pistol made in the 1870's and said it was given by President James Monroe to her great great-grandfather."
Since Monroe died in the 1820's, Mr. Schafer had the delicate task of informing the woman that she was mistaken. "The woman was huffy, she said, 'that's what my grandmother told me!'" He showed her a reference book, date, value (approximately $500), but she was still in denial. "Sometimes people have family stories handed down. Occasionally someone comes in with a 1910 shot gun and says that their grandfather carried it in the Civil War. Sometimes you have to deflate people in a polite way. It has been an enjoyable experience, and I' ve looked at a lot of guns. I've seen an old colt revolver from the 1870's in pretty good condition valued at approximately $2000. The owner was happy to get this information!", said Mr. Schafer.
Collectors over the years have brought interesting old paper collectibles to Evaluation Day. Mr. Schafer explained soldiers during the Civil War and World War II did a lot of letter writing.
"If there is a reference to a battle, action, etc., it is helpful in dating. I found a letter once [in which] someone had referred to seeing the parade when Lincoln's casket was carried to the train carrying the President to Springfield where he was buried. That historic reference makes the document more desirable. [They] have to have some content that makes them stand out."
Other examples of paper collectibles that individuals may wish to bring for evaluation are "old stock certificates, [which] are very pretty with fancy work on them. Sometimes they have important signatures, i.e., Nevada Gold Mine stocks, Railroad memorabilia, old pony express envelopes are quite valuable, Central Pacific Railroad is very popular, old paperwork about railroads is quite salable... Post cards, [for example], can range in value from 25 cents to $500 or more. You name it and somebody collects it! I'm sure somewhere somebody has the world' most beautiful toilet seat collection!"
*Guns made on or before 1898 are no longer considered firearms. Guns made after 1898 are subjected to a process which includes registration. Although Mr. Schafer can appraise post-1898 guns, his expertise lies in older guns. His personal collection of antique guns was on display at the Folsom History Museum in 2005.
Carole Berry is a member of the Evaluation Day Committee and Folsom Historical Society.
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