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| Some of the new vinyl arriving at the shop. |
PICKING UP ONE COLLECTABLE AT A TIME - A HAND-PICKED INVENTORY OF VINTAGE VINYL ETC.
RECORDS AND BAND RELICS FOUND IN THE STRANGEST PLACES
ON A BRIGHT JULY MORNING, WITH NARY A CARE IN THE WORLD, (USUALLY THE WAY IT IS, JUST BEFORE GETTING BLIND-SIDED), AT A LOCAL FLEA MARKET, AN ASSOCIATE ANTIQUE DEALER, COMMENTED IN AN OFF-HAND, MARGINALLY RUDE MANNER, TO SON ANDREW, (SOON AFTER HE AND BROTHER ROBERT HAD OPENED THEIR GRAVENHURST MUSIC SHOP), THAT IT MUST BE NICE TO HAVE RICH PARENTS. SHE WASN'T THE FIRST PERSON TO MAKE THIS COMMENT, TO BOTH OF OUR SONS, BUT IT WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAD BEEN UTTERED AS A STATEMENT, NOT PRESENTED AS A QUESTION. SHE LIKED TO SPREAD THE WORD, SO TO SPEAK, AND JUST IN CASE SHE WAS PLANNING TO CIRCULATE HER TAINTED OPINION, AMONGST OUR DEALER COLLEAGUES, IT HAD TO BE DEALT WITH PROMPTLY. THE FACT I HAVE BEEN WRITING ANTIQUE AND COLLECTING COLUMNS, SINCE 1978, HAS ALWAYS MADE ME A TARGET, BECAUSE I OFTEN REFUTE OPINIONS OF OTHER DEALERS. THEY DON'T THINK I PLAY FAIR. SO I DIDN'T WANT THIS FOCUS ON THE COLUMNIST, TO SPIN-OFF ONTO THE BOYS' BUSINESS START-UP.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN," HE ASKED. "WELL, YOU'RE JUST OUT OF SCHOOL, AND ALREADY YOU'VE GOT YOUR OWN SHOP," SHE REPLIED. "OBVIOUSLY YOUR PARENTS CAME UP WITH A LOT OF MONEY TO GET YOU STARTED."
"NO, THAT'S NOT THE CASE AT ALL," RESPONDED ANDREW, STILL STARTLED BY THE ORIGINAL STATEMENT, AND THE FACT IT HAPPENED IN THE LINE-UP FOR THE MARKET'S OPENING. "MY BROTHER AND I HAD TO SAVE UP FOR MANY YEARS TO BE ABLE TO OPEN THE SHOP....AND IT'S TRUE THAT OUR PARENTS SUPPORT WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT THEY NEVER GAVE US THE MONEY TO OPEN THE BUSINESS."
"IS THAT RIGHT," SAID THE DEALER. "SO THEY DIDN'T HELP YOU FINANCE ALL THE GUITARS YOU OWN?" "MY BROTHER AND I HAVE BEEN HELPING WITH THEIR ANTIQUE BUSINESS SINCE WE WERE KIDS, SO WE WERE PAID......OR TRADED FOR THINGS WE WANTED, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON INVENTORY TO START WITH.....BECAUSE WE ALREADY OWNED WHAT WE NEEDED," CONCLUDED ANDREW, WALKING AWAY FROM THE STILL MUMBLING DEALER. SHE DIDN'T BELIEVE HIM, AND I COULD SEE IT ON HER FACE. I WAS STILL SITTING IN THE CAR, AND COULD SEE THEM IN CONVERSATION, BUT I COULDN'T HEAR ANY OF THE CONTENT. WHICH WAS GOOD IN SO MANY WAYS, BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE HAD A MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE RETORT, AND THAT WAS NO WAY TO START AN OTHERWISE CHEERFUL MORNING, AT A NEAT SALE. AS FOR BEIG RICH! WOULDN'T THAT BE NICE.
ABOUT SIX MONTHS LATER, THE SAME DEALER MADE A SOMEWHAT SIMILAR OBSERVATION, TO ME, THAT SHE HAD FORMERLY DIRECTED AT ANDREW, AND I WAS IN SUCH A GOOD MOOD, I JUST REPLIED THAT, "YOU CAN THINK WHAT YOU WANT, BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE IT FACT." MY GREATEST PLEASURE, WAS IN TURNING MY BACK AND WALKING AWAY.....WITH A REALLY NICE PAINTING IN MY HAND; AND THAT DIDN'T SIT WELL WITH HER EITHER. I'M PRETTY SURE SHE HAS NEVER CHANGED HER MIND ABOUT US, WHICH IS FINE, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONTACT ANYWAY. AS FOR THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE, OF HER PASSING-ON THIS FALSEHOOD TO OUR COLLEAGUES, WELL, THEY KNOW THE BOYS AND THEIR WORK WELL ENOUGH NOW, SO THE MATTER NEVER GOES ANY FURTHER. SHE WASN'T THE ONLY ONE TO MAKE THESE COMMENTS, AND ALTHOUGH IT HURT THAT ANY ONE WOULD DENY THE BOYS THE RIGHT TO THEIR OWN SUCCESSES, WE ALL RECOGNIZED THAT IT WAS THE PRICE OF PROFILE. I DON'T WANT THIS TO READ AS ARROGANT, AS IT MIGHT SEEM AT FIRST GLANCE. AS A CAREER WRITER, PUBLISHED FOR MORE THAN THIRTY-FIVE YEARS, IN A SPARSELY POPULATED AREA, YOU DO DEVELOP A COMMUNITY PROFILE THAT'S A LITTLE MORE OBVIOUS, THAN OTHER CITIZENS, WHO HAPPILY PREFER TO STAY OUT OF THE PUBLIC EYE. FOR ROBERT, ANDREW, AND MY WIFE SUZANNE, THEIR MISFORTUNE, IN MANY WAYS, HAS BEEN THE REALITY, DAD HAS BEEN WRITING ABOUT THEM FOR A LONG, LONG TIME. IT HAS HAD ITS ADVANTAGES, AND A LOT OF DISADVANTAGES, ESPECIALLY WHEN I TREND A LITTLE MORE CONTROVERSIAL THAN CONSERVATIVE. A LADY CAME UP TO ME ONE DAY, WHEN I WAS STANDING WITH BOTH BOYS, THEN IN THEIR EARLY TWENTIES, AND SHE SAID..."TED, I FEEL I'VE KNOWN YOUR BOYS FROM THE DAY THEY WERE BORN...AND YET THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE MET THEM IN PERSON." IF YOU READ MY NEWSPAPER COLUMNS BACK THEN, THIS WOULD BE TRUE ENOUGH. BUT THIS IS HOW MUCH SCRUTINY I'VE INFLICTED UPON THEM, WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION.
IT'S BEEN SUCH A LONG-STANDING PART OF OUR LIVES, THAT I HAVE, IN THEIR EYES, A MUCH REDUCED PROFILE IN AND AROUND THE HOUSE.....AND THEY CERTAINLY HAVE LEARNED HOW TO DEAL WITH THE PUBLIC; AND HOW TO SEND BACK CRITIQUES TO ME, WITH NARY A BEAD OF SWEAT ON THEIR PART. "BY THE WAY DAD, THAT GUY YOU CALLED A BUM, WANTS TO RIP YOUR HEAD OFF, TO USE AS A URINAL." I RESPOND, WITH A BEAD OF SWEAT ON MY OWN BROW, "OKAY SON. MESSAGE RECEIVED. GOT TO RUN!" THEY'RE QUITE USED TO THE KIND OF COMMENTS, YOU CAN GET, WHEN ONE OF THEIR KIN-FOLK HOGS THE INK. IN MORE RECENT YEARS, THEY HAVE PASSED ME BY A MUSKOKA MILE, IN TERMS OF PUBLIC RECOGNITION, DUE TO THE MANY PUBLIC CONCERT PERFORMANCES, THEY HAVE BEEN PART OF IN SOUTH MUSKOKA.
WHAT YOU MAY FIND INTERESTING, IS THAT, AS A COLUMNIST FOR MUSKOKA PUBLICATIONS, BACK IN THE 1980'S, I WROTE EXTENSIVELY ABOUT MY FAMILY, INCLUDING BEING WITH SUZANNE, AT THE TIME BOTH BOYS WERE DELIVERED BY DR. LYNCH, A SWEETHEART OF A MAN, WHO ENCOURAGED ME TO BE A PART OF THIS BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE. (WHILE WARNING ME AT THE SAME TIME, THAT IF I HIT THE FLOOR, FAINTING, I WOULD HAVE TO STAY THERE UNTIL THE DELIVERY WAS COMPLETE) BUT I'D BEEN WRITING ABOUT THIS FOR WEEKS IN ADVANCE, SO ACTUALLY, THE BOYS WERE IN THE MEDIA BEFORE THEY WERE BORN, AND HAVE NEVER CEASED BEING PART OF IT, EVER SINCE....THANKS TO POP AND HIS DESIRE TO SHARE. THE POINT OF THIS BACKGROUND, IS TO VALIDATE, WHY THIS BIASED ANTIQUE DEALER....WHO READ MY COLUMNS, MAY HAVE FELT A NEWSPAPER WRITER WOULD HAVE HAD SO MUCH MONEY, THAT HE COULD BUY HIS BOYS THE BUSINESS OF THEIR DREAMS. NOW THAT SHOWS A CLEAR IGNORANCE ABOUT HOW MUCH WRITERS EARN. EVEN ON SUZANNE'S SALARY, AS A TEACHER, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO FUND THEIR NEW SHOP. BUT WHAT CONTINUED, HOWEVER, WAS THAT THE LADS WORKED WITH US IN THE ANTIQUE BUSINESS, AND WERE ABLE TO DRAW SOME BENEFITS FROM LONG HOURS AT SALES, AND SHOWS, WHICH TOOK US ALL OVER THE REGION; EVEN AFTER THEIR SHOP WAS OPENED. AT THE TIME THE DEALER WAS MAKING HER FORAY INTO OUR BUSINESS LIVES, ANDREW HAD TWO THEATRE TECHNICIAN GIGS ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE, INCLUDING A DOZEN MUSIC STUDENTS, HE WAS TEACHING GUITAR. ROBERT HAD SIX STUDENTS. I CAN GUARANTEE YOU, BECAUSE, AS FRIENDS, YOU MAY ALSO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW IT ALL BEGAN....THEIR BUSINESSES WERE LAUNCHED, TEN YEARS BEFORE THE SHINGLE WENT OUT IN FRONT OF THE SHOP. THEN IT WAS A ROOM AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS, AND A LOT OF WISHFUL THINKING, ABOUT THE DAY, THEY COULD AFFORD MORE SPACE.
IF THERE WAS ONE THING, ABOVE ALL ELSE, THAT WE DID HELP THE BOYS WITH, OTHER THAN TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES, AND QUICKIE LOANS WHEN SOMETHING INTERESTING WAS FOUND, ALONG THE WAY, RESTED IN THE FACT, WE KEPT THEM AWAY FROM BUSINESS LOANS AND ANY TITHE WHATSOEVER FROM LENDING INSTITUTIONS. WE OFFERED PADDING WHERE AND WHEN IT WAS NEEDED, AND THEY BOTH PAID BACK EVERY NICKLE THAT WAS LOANED TO THEM. EVEN THEN, WE WERE ONLY TALKING ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS OF FLEXIBILITY, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES.....AND AS ANTIQUE PICKERS, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS OUT THERE ON THE HUSTINGS. SO YOU HAVE TO BE READY TO REACT FAST, AND WITH CASH. SO IF THIS, TO THAT DEALER LADY, REPRESENTS "BUYING" OUR SONS A BUSINESS, THEN I GUESS SHE WAS RIGHT.
APPRECIATING THE MANY MILES TRAVELLED - AND THE FACT THEY COULD NEVER GET IT ALL FROM A SUPPLIER
It hasn't been until recently, that Andrew and Robert have been able to buy "lots" (collections) of records over the counter. A majority of our acquisitions, are found, piece by piece, located over many miles of travel throughout our region and beyond.
The only hardship of living the "picker's existence" is that you have to be prepared for business surges. In an seasonal economy, there is always one huge accepted condition. From the Easter holiday, until Thanksgiving weekend, Muskoka will play host to thousands of seasonal residents, visitors and day travellers, which means, we will lose money if we have less inventory than the market demands. Robert, more so than Andrew, has taken over a majority of record purchases, including the lots over the counter. His popularity, and connection with hundreds of collectors, has created a new pressure in the so-called off-season, to keep a bigger stock in the shop. With online sales, the pressure has been mounting, to do the impossible. Acquire more and more and more! It's great for his new vinyl, which has been going gangbusters as well, because he can re-order daily if need-be. If we had to perform these acquisition miracles, that we used to in the past, there wouldn't be any time spent at the shop, because we'd be on the road all the time. It's the reason I had to help out a few days ago, by writing a blog specifically about his dilemma, of too much business, too few records. Now this can change, quickly and profitably, the very next person to walk through the shop door. But it's not a sure thing, so as far as vintage vinyl goes, we still have to rely on the fusion of old ways and new, to get what is shop-worthy. When he gets worried about this shortfall (which is always minor in nature), I remind him how great it really is, in the grand scheme of small business, to be thusly worried, because you've attained this level of public acceptance.
From their first days of life, even before their birth dates, they have been immersed in the collectable world. They have witnessed thousands of antique and collectable venues, all over our region, and Simcoe county, and learned by immersion, just how fascinating the profession can be, if you happen to like quests and adventures. Travelling with dad, occupants of the family truckster, understand the excesses of the antique dealer. They have experienced all kinds of chance encounters, with all types of folks, having unusual pieces for sale. It might be a beautifully preserved antique canoe, a huge oil painting, vintage gumball machines, all sizes and shapes of steamer trunks, wooden boxes, preserved critters, from foxes to loons, and a wide variety of musical instruments, including pump organs. We currently own three, and another one is coming for the shop this spring. The old organ will be used for recording purposes in our new recording and lesson studio, where our little musical venue was situated only two weeks ago. We don't miss a beat, and it comes from being antique dealers first. You can't afford to be unprepared for the very next strange acquisition, or whatever change of pace evolves in every work week. The change over, from small entertainment venue, for our musical sessions program, to studio facility, took two hours of re-arranging. In the antique and collectable trade, we know how to shift focus, and how to work within a tight time frame. Here's why!
We get a lot of comments about the way we can make change happen, in only a matter of hours. We all have lots of experience in staging, in both the antique trade, and for the boys, working at local theatre venues. Patrons might have observed a big cupboard coming through the door of the shop, and then, when they arrive to check it out, it seems almost impossible to find. This capability to splice-in where necessary, comes from not just having an antique shop, and knowing how to decorate for efficiency and presentation, but from the experience we all gained from doing antique shows, and open air markets for many years. You have to be incredibly well organized and work well on a slim allowance of time. It's difficult to explain in detail, because for years, it was so natural to set these booths up, that we just did what worked event after event, without feeling any need for analysis. It's only when I think about it now, for the purpose of this blog, that I realize the degree of difficulty we had to deal with, in so many ways, and especially on account of inclement weather. There were times, for example, at the Antique and Classic Boat Show, here in Gravenhurst, that we would take a thousand or more pieces, to fill a ten by ten canopy-booth at lakeside. A majority of the material was of a paper quantity and quality, so at the first sign of a dark cloud, we'd have to begin emergency preparations, to have our water-tight plastic bins ready to roll out, to house the vintage books and documents. The indoor venues were much easier to deal with, but much less profitable. There were no shortcuts. Not one. We often had to carry, or "cart" our inventory, fifty to a hundred yards, from the furthest point we could reach with the car. So it was always a physical endurance contest, to see if we could survive yet another show and sale.
The advantage of doing these sales, although it will anger those of you who attend, as customers, is that vendors buy off vendors long before the events open. From antique shows to flea markets, dealers are active even before their booths are fully set-up. So taking advantage of this, Andrew and Robert, would hurry to finish up their responsibilities with us, and then travel the sale, still an hour or more before opening, and ask vendors if they would mind, if they looked over their articles for sale. As it is all about profit, and very little about show, we never ran into a dealer or flea market vendor, who wasn't interested in a few advanced sales. I remember on one occasion, a vendor tapping me on the shoulder, a few minutes before opening, to tell me Andrew had purchased all her Beatles records and memorabilia......and that he had left his phone number where he could be reached, should she find any more. "He's awfully young to be doing this, isn't he," she asked, while looking at him walking behind our counter, with a heavy arm-full of vintage vinyl. "He's been doing it all his life, I said," laughing at the same time. "How old is he," she asked. "Ten but going on thirty," I replied, acknowledging that he over-shoots, what his age might dictate to the contrary. Another lady, taking part in the sale, commented to me, about how much business savy Andrew had. "He wanted that "Apple" record sleeve," she said. "He said he had to have it for another Beatles record he bought, and he wouldn't stop bugging me about it." Sounded correct. He has never backed away from a challenge. "I finally gave it to him for fifty cents, and you know, he shook my hand before he left." So as far as preparation work for his present business, it does go that far back. He's even more intense today, but he laughs a lot more, which is what I like to hear. Afterall, it's now his lifestyle and profession rolled into one. If he's consumed by the problems of business, his social life becomes contaminated as well. So we all have to play our part, in bringing things down a tad.....and in the antique profession, it means taking a slow, meandering road trip, to places unknown when we leave the driveway. So if you were to find a note taped to the door one day, that says "We're off on the road to (Like Hope and Crosby's movies)," it means, we've become weary and frustrated by all work and no play. There's nothing like a road trip to help us re-discover our roots. Many antique dealers are, by character, vagabonds and adventurers, who can't stand to be confined for long. That's why so many become "halfers," being mall booth vendors, which doesn't require daily staffing, and pickers, most of the time, because it's so much more fun than being stationary.
Many antique dealers know the importance of an open road, a few bucks to blow on good finds, and that connection with the environment, that inspires us over so many beautiful miles. I will offer a few insights about this connectedness to nature and travel, in tomorrow's blog. Till then, please accept my heartfelt gratitude, for your support of this blog. I'm coming up to a milestone number, of 200,000 views, achieved over several years; the most gain being achieved since the first day of this new year, after changing the blog's name and stuffy local format, from "Hometown Advantage," to simply "Ted Currie." There were some other set-up changes, content overhaul, and a new association with our boys' business "facebook" page. Robert is now my official ace photographer, and he's got a lot of great ideas for the coming months. He likes to experiment with his camera, and I like that! So I hope you will continue dropping by, to see what kind of wild and crazy things we can get up to.....here in the snowy wilds of South Muskoka....in a profession that knows no bounds. We are characters who are a little bit fiction, and a little bit rock 'n roll, and some might say, the kind of folks, only Charles Dickens could have dreamed-up, for his historical sketches.
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