OPENING UP OUR ANTIQUE AND COLLECTABLE BUSINESS IN GRAVENHURST?
WORKS FOR US!
WE ARE COMING UP TO THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF A NEW BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR BOYS, AND THEIR VINTAGE MUSIC SHOP, ON MUSKOKA ROAD, IN GRAVENHURST. THEY ARRIVED AS TENANTS IN THE FORMER MUSKOKA THEATRE BUILDING, NINE YEARS AGO, IN JULY, AND RENTED ONE LARGE ROOM ON THE SECOND FLOOR…..FORMERLY THE SHOW'S WASHROOM AND LOUNGE AREA. IT WAS TINY AND CRAMPED WITH VINTAGE GUITARS, AND RELATED ACCESSORIES, BUT PEOPLE FOUND THEM, AND SOME HAVE BEEN REGULAR PATRONS EVER SINCE. THEY EXPANDED IN SOME WAY, SOME HOW, IN SOME PLACE, EACH YEAR, AND THIS YEAR ALONE, WE HAVE EXPANDED TWICE MORE, NOW OCCUPYING THE ENTIRE BUILDING WITH A RATHER ECLECTIC COLLECTION OF ANTIQUES AND MUSIC HEIRLOOMS; AND OF COURSE ITEMS THAT ARE HARD TO DESCRIBE. WE'VE GOT OLD BOOKS (MANY SIGNED COPIES), ORIGINAL ART, NOSTALGIA LIGHTING, EPHEMERA (PAPER HERITAGE), OLD GUITARS, MANDOLINS, BANJOS, VICTROLAS, MUSKOKA COLLECTABLES, AND OF COURSE, COOKBOOKS. LOTS OF COOKBOOKS, NOW BELONGING TO "SUZANNE CURRIE'S COOKERY NOOKERY," WHICH WILL COMBINE SALES WITH HISTORIC COOKERY RESOURCES…..AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF KITCHEN GADGETS FROM THE AGES, AS PART OF HER COLLECTION. JULY IST IS HER OFFICIAL LAUNCH, AND FREEDOM DAY FROM A LONG, LONG TOUR OF DUTY IN THE TEACHING PROFESSION.
IT'S SEEMS LIKE I'M ALWAYS PLUGGING OUR FAMILY BUSINESS, IN THIS BLOG, BUT HONESTLY, AS MY LONG-DELAYED BIOGRAPHY, THESE CURRENT OBSERVATIONS ARE NECESSARY AFTER ALL. IT HAS BEEN A SLOW, INTERESTING CRAWL TO THIS STAGE, HOPING THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD EVENTUALLY EMBRACE THE IDEA OF A VINTAGE RETAIL SHOP, FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; AS WELL AS SIGN UP THEIR YOUNGSTERS FOR GUITAR AND DRUM LESSONS, THE PROPRIETORS BEGAN PROVIDING IN THE EVENING, ONCE THE STORE WAS SHUT FOR THE DAY. THEY WORK ALL DAY IN RETAIL, AND SOMETIMES PUT IN THREE TO FOUR HOURS AFTER THIS, TO COVER THEIR LESSONS. IT HELPS PAY THE RENT. NOW AS NEWLY ESTABLISHED FREELANCE SOUND TECHNICIANS, FOR LOCAL VENUES, THEY OFTEN HAVE COMPROMISED HOURS, WORKING AWAY FROM THE SHOP. I'M PROUD OF THE LADS, AND THEIR SUCCESS ISN'T JUST THE RESULT OF BUSINESS SAVVY, OR HARD WORK……BUT IT IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO THE WAY THEY HAVE ALWAYS TREATED THEIR CUSTOMERS. THE RULE, BORROWED FROM MANY OTHER SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES……THAT THEY TREAT CUSTOMERS, AS THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED AS CUSTOMERS THEMSELVES. A SIMPLE EQUATION. THEY DIDN'T START THEIR RESPECTIVE BUSINESSES, WITH A MITT-FULL OF CASH, AND THEY ONLY ACCEPTED ADVANCES FROM THEIR PARENTS, BUT NEVER ONCE ASKING FOR A BUSINESS LOAN AT A BANK. THEY OPERATE SIMPLY AND WITHOUT FRILLS, EXCEPT THEIR MOTHER'S FRESHLY BAKED COOKIES, FOR THE REGULAR SATURDAY MORNING CROWD…..SOME WHO HAVE BEEN COMING TO HANG-OUT SINCE THE SHOP OPENED. WE'RE NOT A BAR, OR A CLUB, BUT WE'VE GOT OUR REGULARS, JUST LIKE "CHEERS."
ANDREW AND ROBERT OPENED THEIR "MUSKOKA JAM RECREATION ROOM," LAST SATURDAY, AS A COMBINATION "RETAIL - GAMES ROOM - MINI THEATRE," FOR WAYWARD MUSICIANS TO PERFORM……WITH ROOM FOR CUSTOMERS TO SIT AND LISTEN FOR A WHILE. WE'VE ALREADY HAD A COUPLE OF TABLE-TOP HOCKEY TOURNAMENTS, SOME BREAK-OUT JAM SESSIONS, WITH LOCAL MUSICIANS, AND SOME BEWILDERED PATRONS, WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK. IF I COULD READ THEIR THOUGHTS, I'M SURE THEY WOULD BE THINKING, "THESE PEOPLE ARE TRULY NUTS." I KNOW WE'RE ECCENTRIC ON A BUDGET, BUT WE KNOW WHAT WE WANT OUT OF LIFE……AND THAT'S TO HAVE A FEW LAUGHS, MAKE A FEW BUCKS, AND SPEND OUR DAYS IN GOOD COMPANY, IN A COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT, DOING EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT TO DO. WE'VE ALL WORKED FOR OTHER PEOPLE, AND FOLLOWED THEIR RULES. THESE ARE NOW OUR RULES, AND WE LIKE TO KEEP THINGS LOOSE. SO IF A CUSTOMER HAS A DISPUTE WITH US, WE SUGGEST THAT A TWO OUT OF THREE TABLE HOCKEY PLAYOFF SHOULD DECIDE WHO IS RIGHT, AND WHO IS WRONG.
SUZANNE HAS JUST OVER A WEEK LEFT OF HER 31 YEAR TEACHING CAREER, AND IS LOOKING FORWARD TO HER NEW RETAIL ROLE, AS PROPRIETOR OF THE OLD "COOKERY NOOKERY," AND CHASING AWAY ALL THE CHICKS THAT LOVE TO HANG OUT WITH ME……IN MY ANTIQUE DOMINION. I'VE BEEN RUNNING THE SHOP DAILY SINCE LAST SEPTEMBER, AND SUZANNE IS STARTING TO WONDER WHY I'M HAVING SO MUCH FUN IN THE FRONT LINE. I USED TO HATE WAITING ON CUSTOMERS. I THINK SHE WORRIES ABOUT ALL THE WOMEN I HAVE AS CUSTOMERS, AND IF I MAY BE GETTING TOO FAMILIAR……TALKING ABOUT VINTAGE CLOTHING, JEWELRY, VINTAGE PERFUME BOTTLES, KNITTING, FABRIC, AND CHINA PATTERNS. I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS WITH MY CUSTOMERS, FROM THE DAYS OF MY FIRST SHOP, IN BRACEBRIDGE, BACK IN THE FALL OF 1977. IT'S CERTAINLY TRUE, THAT A MAJORITY OF OUR CUSTOMERS ARE FEMALE, AND THIS HAS BEEN CONSISTENT IN EACH OF THE SHOP LOCATIONS WE'VE HAD, OVER THE YEARS. WHEN WE SOLD EXCLUSIVELY ON THE INTERNET, MOST OF OUR CUSTOMERS WERE MALE…..ESPECIALLY WHEN SELLING OLD BOOKS, AND MUSKOKA MEMORABILIA. I ACTUALLY ENJOY TALKING TO THE LADIES, WHO ARE ALL PRETTY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT COLLECTING. WE'VE BEEN KNOWN TO SWAP RECIPES, WHICH RAISES SUZANNE'S EYEBROW A TAD. THE ONLY TIME I GET REALLY EMBARRASSED WITH A LADY CUSTOMER, IS WHEN I HAVE TO WRAP SOMETHING, AND LOOK LIKE A TOOL, TRYING TO COVER ALL THE BREAKABLE EDGES WITH TISSUE. FROM MY GOALTENDING DAYS, IN HOCKEY, HAVING TAKEN MANY STICKS AND SLAPSHOTS TO VULNERABLE AREAS, BOTH MY THUMBS ARE BASICALLY USELESS NOW, WHICH CAN BE DANGEROUS, OBVIOUSLY WHEN HANDLING CHINA.
IN THE PAST YEAR, SINCE WE JOINED FORCES WITH ROBERT AND ANDREW, TO EXPAND OUR RETAIL MINI-EMPIRE, I'VE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME WORKING SIDE BY SIDE THE WEE LADS; AND WITH SUZANNE JOINING US FULL-TIME, IN A WEEK, WE'LL BE THE GRAVENHURST VERSION OF "THE WALTONS." I LIKE THAT. WE GET ALONG PRETTY WELL, DESPITE SOME HEAD-BUTTING DURING HIGH INTENSITY MOMENTS, AND WE AGREE ON ONE IMPORTANT COMMON OBJECTIVE. WE WANT THE SHOP AND STUDIO ENVIRONMENT, TO BE A SECOND HOME…….AND FUN AND COMFORTABLE TO WORK WITHIN. WE INSIST ON THIS OF OURSELVES. WE NEVER GET TOO SERIOUS, AND WE ASSUME DAILY (BEFORE WE HAVE OUR DUST-UPS), THAT "THE RESPECTIVE MANAGER IS AN ARSE!" EACH OF US, YOU SEE, HAS OUR OWN BUSINESS, IN THE ANTIQUE AND COLLECTABLE TRADE, AND THEREFORE, IT'S OUR PRIVILEGE TO BE THE "BOSSES FROM HELL" IF WE SO DESIRE. AND IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING, WE DON'T HAVE ANY STAFF. THE RULE IS, OF COURSE, THAT WE MUST BE ANGELS TO EVERYONE ELSE……FRIEND OR FOE. WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE INVITING CUSTOMERS INTO OUR HOME, INSTEAD OF A PREDICTABLE RETAIL ENVIRONMENT. IF YOU'VE BEEN IN OUR SHOP, YOU KNOW THEN, IT'S NEITHER ORDINARY OR OF A PREDICTABLE NATURE. WE HAVE LOTS OF TRAVELLING-THROUGH LEGENDS OF MUSIC, WHO HAVE TAKEN TO THE STAGE IN OUR BACK ROOM, TO WORK OUT SOME KINKS, AND IN THE PROCESS, ENTERTAIN CUSTOMERS LOOKING-ABOUT. WELL SIR, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME PRETTY BIG NAMES IN THIS GROUPING, AND SOME OF THEM ARE VISIBLE, IN OUR FOYER HALL OF FAME, WHERE YOU CAN VIEW THEIR SIGNED POSTERS, FROM LOCAL VENUES. IT IS PRETTY EXCITING WITH SO MANY BROWSING CELEBRITIES, BUT WE NEVER MAKE A FUSS, OR IDENTIFY THEM TO OUR OTHER CUSTOMERS. IF THEY WANT TO BE ANONYMOUS, WE HAVE A PRIVATE ROOM THEY CAN ACCESS, TO JAM WITHOUT SPECTATORS. SOME DON'T CARE, AND ARE GLAD TO BE RECOGNIZED ON OUR SMALL STAGE. WE OFTEN HEAR PATRONS ASKING, "WHO IS THAT PLAYING IN THE ROOM," AND WHILE IT HAS NEVER BEEN A ROLLING STONE, AS OF YET, WE WILL TELL THEM IF IT'S COOL WITH THE PERFORMER.
WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY, THIS MONTH, DUE TO UNSCHEDULED MUSICIAN VISITS, TO DEAL WITH CELEBRITY GUESTS, BECAUSE WE FEEL IT IS INCUMBENT UPON US, TO ALLOW THEM TO ENJOY THE DIGS, WITHOUT BEING FOLLOWED, SHADOWED, OR HOUNDED FOR AUTOGRAPHS AND PHOTOGRAPHS. WE CAN CLOSE UP SECTIONS OF THE SHOP OR THE WHOLE STORE, TO PROTECT THEIR PRIVACY. THE PROBLEM IS, SOME CELEBRITIES CAN RAISE A CROWD PRETTY FAST, VIA TEXTING AND TWITTER, AND THAT'S NOT GOOD FOR US AT ALL. IT'S A BIG SHOP BUT IT HAS TELL-TALE CLUTTER, AND A BIG CROWD COULD BE A PROBLEM. IT'S JUST GREAT THOUGH, TO ALL OF A SUDDEN, LOOK UP, AND FIND A MUSICIAN WE HAVE LONG ADORED, ASKING THE PRICE OF A CROWN SEALER JAR, OR A PRESSED GLASS BOWL…..OR A PAIR OF OLD BINOCULARS; MAYBE EVEN A VINTAGE MOVIE PROJECTOR. I LIKE MY JOB. I MIGHT STILL BE A MILLION BUCKS SHY OF BEING A MILLIONAIRE, BUT I GO TO WORK, LIKE THE REST OF THIS CURRIE CLAN, WITH A SONG IN OUR COLLECTIVE HEART, AND GREAT EXPECTATION FOR THE HOURS AHEAD, AND ALL THE ADVENTURES OF THE DAY. I LOVE THE ANTIQUE BUSINESS, AND I'M FINALLY ABLE TO ENJOY IT……AS I HOPE EVERYONE WHO VISITS WILL, AS WELL.
THE PROBLEM FOR THE COLUMNIST, (BUT NOT INTENTIONAL) WHO IS ALSO WRITING HIS BIOGRAPHY AT THE SAME TIME, IS THE OVERBURDEN OF NEPOTISM AND EGOMANIA, THAT CREEP IN TO THE STORIES, THE BOLDLY IMPRINTED HALLMARKS OF A GRADE "A" ASS, AND THE CLEAR SHOW OF THE NARCISSIST IN FULL BLOOM. HONESTLY, MY FAMILY WOULD RATHER I WROTE ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE BUT THEM, AND YOU MUST SURELY KNOW BY NOW, IF YOU READ THIS BLOG REGULARLY, THAT I HAVE NO PROBLEM HIGHLIGHTING MY FOLLIES, DISASTERS, SHORT-FALLS, AND MISCUES, OF WHICH THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF EXAMPLES. A CUSTOMER RECENTLY CALLED ME A RECLUSE BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE ANSWERING THE PHONE, AND ANOTHER CALLED ME ECCENTRIC, BECAUSE I WRITE ABOUT GHOSTS. TOWN COUNCIL HERE LOOKS UPON ME AS THE ANTI-CHRIST, AND MY FAMILY OFTEN WALKS AHEAD OF ME IN STORES, TO PUT SOME SPACE BETWEEN US, SHOULD I MEET UP WITH AN OLD COLLECTING BUDDY, OR NEWSPAPER CRONIE, AND START LAUGHING ABOUT THE OLD DAYS OR WORKING FOR A COUPLE OF HOURSE, AND THEN DRINKING FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. NO, I'M NOT A NARCISSIST BY DEFINITION. JUST A TAD ODD, THAT'S ALL. HEY, MY HERO AND UNOFFICIAL MENTOR, WAS TORONTO SUN COLUMNIST, PAUL RIMSTEAD…..AND I KEEP BOTH HIS BOOKS JUST ABOVE THE COUNTER, IN CASE I HAVE TO GRAB A QUICK QUOTE OR A PASSAGE FOR INSPIRATION. ALREADY, HALF THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM HAVE TIPPED THEIR BALL CAPS, TO THE FRONT COVER PHOTO, OF RIMMER, ON THE JACKET OF "COCKTAILS AND JOCKSTRAPS." IT'S PART OF OUR CULTURE AND RECREATION, TO HAVE AS MUCH FUN AS RIMSTEAD HAD……AND WE'RE LIVING UP TO THE STANDARD, JUST NOT WITH BOOZE.
I HAVE PUBLISHED BELOW, ANOTHER PART, OF THE SERIES ON BRACEBRIDGE'S WOODCHESTER VILLA, AND OUR FAMILY'S ROLE IN ITS OPERATION, BACK IN THE LATE 1980'S. IN MANY WAYS, IT WAS THE TRAINING GROUND, FOR WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING EVER SINCE. MY HOPE IS THAT WOODCHESTER GETS ITS FUNDING, FOR RESTORATION, AND IS ONCE AGAIN RETURNED TO ACTIVE SERVICE, REPRESENTING THE HISTORY, OF THIS MUSKOKA COMMUNITY……MY HOMETOWN FOR MANY YEARS. THANKS FOR JOINING ME TODAY, FOR THIS MODEST EDITORIAL OFFERING. LOTS MORE TO COME.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
ARRIVAL OF MUSEUM.....A GLOWING ACHIEVEMENT
WOODCHESTER HAD IT ALL - OR SO IT APPEARED
When Wayland Drew called me one evening, and asked if I had time to meet with him, regarding the idea I had recently proposed (in the local press) for a Bracebridge Historical Society (circa 1978 I believe), I was thrilled to have a potential partner. The initial response had been slow. I didn’t really know who Wayland (Buster) was, at that point, until my girlfriend at the time, Gail Smith, told me about the book he wrote on Lake Superior. I found out quite a bit about the good Mr. Drew, before I attended the meeting at his Bracebridge house. Here I was, a snotty nosed recent university graduate, with the ink still wet on the diploma, and I’m having an intimate meeting about Canadian and regional history, with an author of considerable national acclaim.
I wasn’t in that meeting five minutes, before I knew we would come to be good friends, and something terrific would happen up on that Woodchester Villa hillside. He had such a gentle, calming influence over a scared kid, who had just then, been happily, but politely put in his place. I was delighted to be his underling. And that never changed through many years and quite a few challenges. We didn’t always agree. Wayland and I got into a terrible fight over the removal of huge trees, that lined the steep lane up to the Bird house. He was trying to protect the century old pines and I advocated cutting them down. I was wrong. I told him so later. By then some of those trees had been removed. I won the initial argument, siding with the town, but it was no victory when I realized I’d crushed my partner.....a keen environmentalist who cared so much about the heritage of nature.....
Wayland may never have known this, because I certainly gave the appearance of being an unflinchingly independent, arrogant son-of-a-bitch, but he became one of the only mentors I’ve ever had. I read everything he’d put his pen to, and I thoroughly enjoyed his company for those early Historical Society evenings. He was an important man but you’d never know it, being in his company. It’s at Woodchester now that I see him so clearly. Every time I visit the site, I think about our first tour up to the Bird House, all boarded-up and desolate in early 1978. Gail and I walked around the property with him.....and despite how desperate the situation to reclaim the building, he had confidence something construction could happen here. And it did. He called his friends. Those friends called others, and it kept going and going, until there was a battalion of volunteers. I spent a lot of time in Wayland’s company, usually with my chin stuck against my chest, in absolute awe how he did what he did!
While to many Bracebridge citizens today, Woodchester Villa isn’t even a blip on the community radar. Why would it be? It’s just a museum. It has become largely a tourist-only venue, in its own thirty year history, although that was never the intent by those who faithfully tended the restoration. There is something important here that has been lost....just as much in need of refurbishing as the building itself. It’s the attitude we nursed along for that first decade, trying to make Bracebridge citizens as proud of the museum as we were. It was the exceptional show of citizen action, the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of folks who worked on that restoration......, and set-up the museum, that inspires me even today about the power of a hometown to attain incredible milestones. I think now about the thousands of hours spent on paper work issues, negotiations for the Alvin Kaye collection, gardening, decorating, painting and trimming.....not to mention work spent on so many elaborate fundraising events in those early years. To many weary folks, exhausted from exquisite Empire Dinners, and both Blueberry and Strawberry Socials, that took so many, many hours away from family, home and business responsibilities. It did result in family stresses. I was threatened with divorce many times during my years of near-residence on-site. Yet, at the end of every event, at closing time every day, sitting on those steps of the front verandah, it all seemed worth the effort. It seemed so very relevant to Bracebridge.....and it’s true that all the work, and blind faith in what we were doing, tended to blind us to the reality many citizens still had no interest in visiting.....even when we suspended admission charges. We just didn’t have the money to invest in promotion and counted on the generosity of two local newspapers to help us out. But that was running into opposition as well, by the late 1980's, as their publishers decided the free-ride was over. It was a back breaker but they were right. We should have been able to pay for and profit from promotions. It didn’t happen that way. Then came the recession. Change was imminent.
When it comes to a thorough examination of Woodchester’s future, I will have no hesitation whatsoever, barking out in a loud, clear, and arrogant voice, about my very great pleasure in life, to have been associated with the grand effort of the Bracebridge Historical Society, the Bracebridge Rotary Club and the Town of Bracebridge, in a hometown partnership that produced a really fine museum. What might now be considered a nuisance expense, and a civic burden, was once considered the hallmark of citizen action. It was not just the “who’s who” of Bracebridge who rebuilt Woodchester, but a mixture of casual acquaintances who became friends; good and lasting friends.
The last time I spoke with Wayland Drew, it was at an outdoor literary event, sponsored by “Muskoka Ink,” held at Woodchester, long after we had both retired from the Historical Society. Quite ill, by this time, I remember him walking across the lawn to shake my hand, after I’d read a short paper about former Toronto Sun columnist, Paul Rimstead, a former Bracebridge lad. I didn’t know it prior to this, but Wayland and I were both Rimstead fans. He let me know I’d written an excellent tribute piece. From him, it was a moment to be cherished. The fact that he acknowledged my writing at all, was a great honor. We stood for awhile talking about the old days at Woodchester, all the work, the frustrations, anxious moments, and successes we both felt had been achieved on this beautiful hillside, overlooking the Muskoka River. It was such a perfect, warm and memorable evening. We shook hands, made the same trustful eye contact, we had on our first meeting, and wished each other well. And I knew this would probably be our last meeting. It was.
When it comes to making a decision about the property, there are many who should be consulted about its fate. There’s a lot more to this old building than what appears to the eye. It is very much a monument to so many people, who had the best intentions for the site.......but if they can be at fault for anything, it was a general misunderstanding of grants and revenues, long past those first five years of operation. The fact so many of these people were elderly at the beginning, meant an ongoing need to bring aboard enthusiastic young folks to carry the burden. It didn’t happen with the same vigor as it had begun. As the town debates this site’s future, I hope it will consider its history with some sensitivity and compassion......because to dismiss it casually, or disregard its storied past, would be unforgivable to all hometown values.
Let Town Council know what you think. They know my opinion!
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