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| Our favourite keepsake given to us by well known Canadian writer and sleuth of the paranormal, John Robert Colombo. The tiny book seen above is about UFOS. |
WHAT'S IN THE FRAME NOW? WHAT WILL BE IN THE FRAME TOMORROW, AND THE DAY AFTER THAT?
IF THE INTERIM PRESIDENT OF THE UKRAINE IS RIGHT, WORLD WAR THREE IS CLOSER TODAY, THAN IT WAS YESTERDAY!
ON THE NEWS, LAST EVENING, I WATCHED A SHORT FILM CLIP, SHOWING THE LAST MOMENTS OF A MILITARY HELICOPTER'S FLIGHT, ALONG THE BORDER AREA OF EASTERN UKRAINE; BEING VAPORIZED IN LESS TIME THAN A HUMAN HEARTBEAT, FOLLOWING A SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE ATTACK.
OBVIOUSLY, SEEING THE EXTENT OF THE EXPLOSION, THOSE ON BOARD WERE KILLED INSTANTLY. A REALITY OF WAR, OR JUST ANOTHER DAY LIVING IN A CRISIS REGION OF THE WORLD? FACING FACTS, IF I KNEW THAT THE HELICOPTER GUNSHIP, WAS DESTROYED IN SYRIA INSTEAD, I WOULD THINK TO MYSELF, RIGHT OR WRONG, "OH WELL, IT'S THE WAY THINGS ARE, OVER THERE, THESE DAYS." TRAGEDY IS AN EVERYDAY ACTUALITY. I DON'T LIKE, THAT THIS WAR IS STILL RAGING, (BUT THEY HAVEN'T SOUGHT MY OPINION) AND INNOCENTS ARE PERISHING ALMOST HOURLY, AS A RESULT OF WHAT COMES DOWN TO A SENSELESS CONFLICT; BUT I STILL GO TO BED SOMEWHAT ASSURED, MY FAMILY HOME WON'T BE HIT WITH A STRAY BOMB ON ITS ACCOUNT. WHEN YOU GO TO BED, KNOWING THAT ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST FEARED SUPER POWERS, HAD A HAND IN THIS TRAGIC, PROVOCATIVE EVENT, AS A PREAMBLE TO WAR, IT'S THE KIND OF WORRISOME SCENARIO, THAT INSTANTLY TRUMPS A LOT OF OTHER DAILY NEWS. AT LEAST FOR ME. EVERY DAY I AWAKEN, HOPEFUL THAT THE MORNING NEWS WILL BE AS CHEERFUL, AND UPBEAT AS I FEEL. I WAS DISAPPOINTED THIS MORNING, JUST AS I HAVE BEEN, ALMOST EVERY MORNING THIS MONTH. IT REALLY IS THE NIGHTMARE SCENARIO, FORCING US TO FACE-UP TO THE DISTINCT POSSIBILITY, THINGS COULD BECOME GLOBAL REAL FAST; AND QUITE DEADLY. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AN INCONVENIENT WAR, IF IT HAPPENS. IT WILL IMPACT EVERY ONE OF US, REGARDLESS WHERE WE LIVE. IT WILL INFLUENCE THE WORLD FINANCIAL SITUATION, AND IT WILL HIT US LOCALLY, FROM THE PUMPS TO THE MEAT COUNTER; POSSIBLY TO THE EXTENT OF DIMINISHING THE NUMBER OF SUMMER VISITORS. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE IMPACTED LIGHTLY, IF THERE IS A SUPER POWER ENGAGEMENT. IT'S THAT SIMPLE. SO IT DOES BEG A FEW QUESTIONS, ABOUT OVERALL STABILITY, IF AND WHEN TENSION IGNITES.
THE BIRDS GOT ME UP AT DAYBREAK THIS MORNING. I DIDN'T WANT TO GET UP. AFTER AWHILE I DIDN'T WANT TO LAY THERE EITHER. YOU KNOW THE FEELING. THERE'S A GOOD POSSIBILITY, THAT IF YOU NOD OFF AGAIN, YOU'LL HAVE ONE OF THOSE WILD AND CRAZY DREAMS ABOUT RUNNING NAKED THROUGH THE OFFICE, OR BEING CHASED BY SOME CRAZY LOOKING CRITTER, WHILE YOUR LEGS FEEL LIKE THEY'RE WEIGHTED DOWN WITH IRONS. MY REPEATING NIGHTMARES RECENTLY, ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED IN THE VERY EARLY MORNING, INVOLVE ME BEING ON A PLANE. I DON'T LIKE FLYING AND AFTER THE MALAYSIAN JET CRASHED (YET TO BE FOUND) LOSING ALL SOULS ON BOARD, MY OWN STUBBORN FEARS HAVE BEEN CHASING ME, ALMOST EVERY OTHER DAY. I'VE FLOWN MANY TIMES IN MY LIFE, BUT NEVER ONCE, ACTUALLY ENJOYING THE EXPERIENCE.
SO THIS MORNING, I MAY HAVE EVEN BEEN TRYING TO KEEP MYSELF FROM FALLING BACK TO SLEEP, FEARING ANOTHER SUDDEN, UNWELCOME PLANE TRIP, TO NOWHERE IN PARTICULAR. I JUST STARED OUT THE WINDOW, AT THE INTRICATE BLACK ON WHITE, OF CRISS-CROSSING, BARE, MAPLE BOUGHS, STARKLY SET AGAINST THE STILL-BRIGHTENING SKY. THE BIRDS THAT HAD WOKEN ME UP, FLITTED ABOUT IN THE BRANCHES, CHIRPING AWAY, AND ALTHOUGH QUITE PLEASANT, WHILE HAVING MY COFFEE, HAD PROVEN TO BE SLEEP REDUCING, WHEN STILL HAVING AN HOUR OR SO, BEFORE THE ALARM CLOCK BELL, WOULD SCARE THE BEJESUS OUT OF ME. SO I EVENTUALLY CONTENTED MYSELF BY DAYDREAMING, VIA THIS FRAMED VIEW UPON THE VENERABLE MAPLES, THAT IN A STRONG WIND, BRUSH UP AGAINST THE FRONT VERANDAH. IT WAS PEACEFUL, AND CHEERFUL ENOUGH, ONCE I ADJUSTED TO ALL THE SOUNDS OF AWAKENING NATURE OUTSIDE, AND INDOORS; AS THE CATS SEEMED TO KNOW I WAS AWAKE, MEANING, TO THEM, IT IS TIME FOR THEIR BREAKFAST. IF THEY KNOW WE ARE AWAKE, THEY WILL STICK THEIR PAWS UNDER THE DOOR, AND RATTLE IT, OR WORSE, SCRATCH AT THE PINE TRIM AROUND THE DOOR, WHICH ALWAYS GETS A RESPONSE FROM ME. SO FAR, IN THIS MORNING HALF-SLUMBER, THEY HAD SATISFIED THEMSELVES, BY CURLING UP AT THE DOOR INSTEAD. IT'S NOT VERY OFTEN THEY ARE SO PATIENT. I COULD EVEN HEAR THEM PURRING. IT WAS SOOTHING TO THEM AND ME. SUZANNE WAS LETTING-ON SHE WASN'T AWAKE, BUT I KNOW DIFFERENTLY. SOMETIMES, WHEN I'M FEELING THE NEED FOR A PRANK, I GET UP, AND LET ONE OF THE BEASTIES INTO THE BEDROOM. IN A FEW MINUTES, SHE WILL YELL OUT, "THANKS A LOT," AND I KNOW SHE'S NOT TALKING TO THE CAT, WHICH IS USUALLY ANGUS. HE CAN KNEAD HER RIGHT OUT OF THE BLANKETS, IN ORDER TO GET THE ATTENTION HE THINKS HE DESERVES. I DON'T FEED THE CATS AS A RULE, BECAUSE MY JOB IS LITTER BOX MAINTENANCE, IN ALL ITS POOPY, SMELLY GLORY.
AS I WAS STILL COMFORTABLY LODGED BENEATH MY OWN COVERS, I STARTED TO CONCENTRATE ON THIS SCENE OUTDOORS, AND THE WAY IT WAS SO NICELY FRAMED BY THE NATURAL COLOR OF THE WINDOW TRIM. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A PAINTING JUST LIKE THIS, BUT THEN, WHAT FOR? I'VE GOT A LIVING PICTURE, THAT REFLECTS ALL THE SEASONS OF THE YEAR. BUT I DID START TO THINK ABOUT THE DAY'S CHORES AHEAD OF ME, AND ABOUT WHAT I WOULD MOST LIKE TO WRITE ABOUT, FOR PURPOSES OF THIS BLOG. I WENT TO BED LAST NIGHT, AFTER HEARING ABOUT THE LATEST VIOLENCE AND DISORDER, IN THE UKRAINE, AND RUMINATING ABOUT WHAT THE RUSSIANS MIGHT DO NEXT. IN AWHILE, I WOULD HEAR THE MORNING NEWS, ABOUT ABDUCTIONS OF OBSERVERS, THE SHOOTING DOWN OF A HELICOPTER GUN-SHIP, AND SEE AMERICAN TROOPS SERVING WITH NATO FORCES, LANDING IN POLAND. SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE UNFORTUNATE ASPECTS OF BEING OBSESSED BY NEWS, THAT I STARTED, QUITE UNEXPECTEDLY, TO PONDER, THEN RAMBLE ALOUD TO SUZANNE, OVER COFFEE, HOW OUR OWN TOWN, MIGHT BE SIMILARLY FRAMED FOR STUDY; SUCH THAT I COULD MAKE SOME INSIGHTFUL COMMENT, EACH DAY, ABOUT THE VARIABLE MOOD OF OUR CITIZENRY, AS WE GET CLOSER TO POTENTIAL WORLD CALAMITY. I WENT TO SLEEP LAST NIGHT, PLAYING OVER AND OVER, THE WORDS OF THE UKRAINE'S INTERIM PRESIDENT, SUGGESTING VERY SERIOUSLY, THAT THE RUSSIAN INTERVENTION IN HIS COUNTRY, WAS PUSHING THE CONFLICT INTO WORLD WAR THREE. IT'S KIND OF HARD TO GET SOMETHING LIKE THAT OUT OF YOUR MIND. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER, TO HAVE SLEPT THROUGH THE STOMACH DISCOMFORT, OF HAVING HAD A DAGWOOD SANDWICH JUST BEFORE BED, THAN HEARING SOMETHING LIKE THAT, FROM A MAN WHO IS VISIBLY SCARED, OF WHAT IS YET TO COME. SO I CONCOCTED THIS IDEA, OF TRYING TO WRITE A SMALL EDITORIAL PIECE EACH DAY, MAKING SOME OBSERVATIONS, ABOUT HOW SMALL TOWN LIFE, IS BEING COMPROMISED (OR NOT) BY A CONFLICT, HALF A WORLD AWAY. I DON'T THINK IT'S EVEN MAKING A SLIGHT RIPPLE IN OUR CALM, MIRRORING POOL, AT THIS TIME. SO WHEN WILL THIS CHANGE, AND WHAT MIGHT THE VOYEUR OBSERVE OF THE TRANSFORMATION? IT IS A NON-ISSUE RIGHT NOW, AND THERE ARE NO ANTI-RUSSIAN, OR ANTI-UKRAINE DEMONSTRATIONS OUTSIDE GRAVENHURST TOWN HALL; ALTHOUGH I'M WONDERING ABOUT THOSE CITIZENS WHO HAVE ROOTS, AND FAMILY, IN THIS PART OF EUROPE; AND HOW WORRIED THEY MUST BE, ABOUT THE ESCALATION OF TENSIONS. THEY WILL UNDERSTAND THE MOOD OF THE RUSSIAN BEAR, AND THE CONSEQUENCE OF ITS ANGER. UNLESS YOU DIG DEEP HERE, THERE'S NOT MUCH TO SEE, OR REPORT ON. IT'S PRETTY MUCH "SITUATION NORMAL." A REMARKABLE SCENE, ONLY IN THE SENSE THAT IT IS A SMALL ONTARIO TOWN, TUCKED INTO THE BEAUTIFUL HINTERLAND, GOING ABOUT ITS DAILY BUSINESS. NO MORE CONTROVERSIAL THAN ANY OTHER TOWN IN A PROVINCE ON THE VERGE OF A SPRING ELECTION. THERE MAY BE A COUPLE OF MOTORISTS, SHOWING IMPATIENCE FOR OTHER DRIVERS, ON MUSKOKA ROAD, OCCASIONALLY HONKING THEIR HORNS; A FLIPPED BIRD HERE AND THERE, AND POSSIBLY BEFORE TOO LONG, THERE WILL BE GROUPS OF PEOPLE, MATES, YELLING AT EACH OTHER FROM ACROSS THE ROAD. IF I WAS A REPORTER, LOOKING FOR A HEADLINE, REFLECTING THE ACTUALITY OF THE MOMENT, IT WOULD HAVE TO READ, "GRAVENHURST TRAFFIC CAUSES NO CONCERN," OR "KIDS ON BIKES NARROWLY MISS PEDESTRIANS IN SIDEWALK SHOWDOWN."
WHAT I REALLY WANT TO KNOW, IS WHAT OUR COMMUNITY WAS LIKE, AND HOW THE CITIZENRY FELT, AND EXPRESSED THEIR FEARS, DURING THE DAYS JUST BEFORE THE FIRST DEADLY SHOTS, AND BOMBS, IN THE EXCHANGES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR. IN FACT, AS AN HISTORIAN, I HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR YEARS, TRYING TO FIGURE THE SAME THING OUT, FOR THE PREVAILING ATMOSPHERE OF OUR PIONEER SETTLEMENT, DURING THE YEARS OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR, OF THE 1860'S; WHEN THERE WERE BRITISH SUBJECTS, FROM CANADA, SERVING WITH BOTH THE FEDERAL AND THE CONFEDERATE ARMIES. I REALLY WANT TO FIND SOME JOURNAL ENTRY, AND NEWSPAPER ACCOUNT, THAT WILL TELL ME, IF OUR CITIZENRY HERE, IN THE FIRST MUSKOKA HAMLETS, WERE AWARE OF THE ADVANCEMENTS OF THE CIVIL WAR. WE KNOW FROM HISTORICAL RECORD, THAT NEWSPAPERS FROM ENGLAND AND MONTREAL, WERE GETTING TO THE SETTLERS, VIA THE FIRST POSTAL DROP OFFS, GOING BACK AS FAR AS 1861; WHEN MAIL WAS BROUGHT ALONG NARROW FOOT TRAILS FROM ORILLIA TO SOUTH MUSKOKA. THERE WAS CONCERN, THAT THE WINNING ARMY MIGHT TURN ITS SIGHTS ON CANADA, AFTER THE INTERNAL CONFLICT IN THE UNITED STATES, HAD BEEN DECIDED. I BELIEVE IT IS SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY IMPORTANT, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WAS LIKE, LIVING IN A TOWN AND REGION LIKE OURS, IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE WAR, AND DURING. THERE IS VERY LITTLE RECORD OF THIS, BECAUSE THE FOCUS OF HISTORIANS, HAS BEEN ON THE WAR EFFORT, AND WAR INDUSTRY, MORE SO, THAN WHAT OUR CITIZENRY WAS THINKING, WORRYING ABOUT, AND DOING AT THE SAME TIME. IT'S WHY I THOUGHT ABOUT FRAMING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, WHEN MOST CRITICS SEEM TO AGREE, WE ARE AT A TIPPING POINT BETWEEN SUPER POWER ASPIRATIONS; SOMETHING WE THOUGHT WOULD ONLY EVER BE PORTRAYED, AND EMBELLISHED-UPON, VIA BLOCKBUSTER MOVIES.
AND FOR THE RECORD, IT'S CERTAINLY NOT MY INTEREST, IN ANY WAY, TO CREATE A SENSE OF FEAR AND TREMBLING, BY RETURNING TIME AND AGAIN TO THIS EVER-CHANGING, BUT DISTANT SITUATION, IN THE UKRAINE. THE CRISIS? IT IS VERY REAL. IT IS VERY LIKELY, THE RUSSIANS WILL INVADE EASTERN UKRAINE, PRIOR TO THE COMING COUNTRY-WIDE ELECTION IN MAY; AND IT'S MORE THAN LIKELY, THAT NATO AIRCRAFT AND WARSHIPS WILL BE READY TO EXCHANGE FIRE, TO PROTECT NOT ONLY THE UKRAINE'S RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION, BUT TO SAFEGUARD THE BALTIC COUNTRIES GENERALLY. WHILE IT WOULD SEEM PRETTY LOGICAL, ESPECIALLY WITH CLEAR EVIDENCE, NATO PACKS A BIG PUNCH, THAT RUSSIA SHOULD BACK OFF, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO EVIDENCE, THEY HAVE ANY FEAR OF RETALIATION, FOR TAKING WHAT THEY WANT, WHEN THEY WANT IT! SO WHEN I GET THIS INSPIRATION, THIS URGE, TO CHRONICLE THE TIME IN OUR COMMUNITY, ON THE CUSP OF SOMETHING WE HAVE FEARED SINCE THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS, I HOPE IT WILL NOT BE SEEN AS WISHFUL THINKING ON THE WRITER'S PART, FOR A MEATY HEADLINE, AND AN "I TOLD YOU SO," AFTER THE FACT.
I WISH WE HAD FULL RECORDS TODAY, OF WHAT IT WAS LIKE IN THOSE DAYS, LEADING UP TO THE FIRST OR SECOND WORLD WAR, SO THAT WE COULD MAKE COMPARISONS. WE DO KNOW FOR SURE, THERE WAS NO PANIC. THERE WAS CLEAR AND DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE, OF A BRAVE RESOLVE, AS CITIZENS BANDED TOGETHER, IN GROUPS, AND AS A COMMUNITY, TO ASSIST THE WAR EFFORT. FEAR? OF COURSE THERE WAS FEAR? BUT HOW DID IT MANIFEST ITSELF? I KNOW HOW CITIZENS REACTED AFTER THE DECLARATION OF WAR, BUT NOT BEFORE. TREPIDATION IS HARD TO MEASURE. HARD TO CHARACTERIZE BY A GENERAL OVERVIEW. WE MIGHT THINK WE KNOW, BUT MOST OF THE EMOTION WAS HELD CLOSE. POSSIBLY IT WAS THE CASE, NO ONE WANTED TO SHOW WEAKNESS, AS WE CAME CLOSER TO THE BRINK. I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE. I WASN'T THERE. EVEN MY PARENTS DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS NECESSARY, FOR THEIR SON TO KNOW THESE THINGS; THIS KIND OF PERSONAL RETROSPECTIVE. THAT'S WHAT SCHOOLS WERE FOR! I HEARD MY DAD SAY THIS A THOUSAND TIMES, WHENEVER I WANTED HIM, IN CASUAL CONVERSATION, TO SHARE HIS HISTORY WITH ME. HE DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS NECESSARY TO SHED LIGHT ON THOSE DAYS BEFORE THE WAR, AS THE REALITY OF LOOMING CATASTROPHE BEGAN TO SET IN ONTO THE HOMEFRONT! HIS WAR BEGAN THE DAY HE ENLISTED IN THE NAVY, WITH HIS BUDDIES FROM THE CABBAGETOWN NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE AN ADVENTURE, WITH THREE SQUARE MEALS A DAY. SO WHAT WAS THE RELEVANCE OF KNOWING WHAT OTHERS FELT, WHO DIDN'T HEAD OVERSEAS. THE DECLARATION OF WAR MAY HAVE BEEN PREDICTED BY CITIZENS, BUT THEY DIDN'T REVEAL MUCH OF THEIR EMOTIONS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. WHAT ABOUT TODAY'S CITIZENRY? BEING ON THE SAME BRINK OF WAR, WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO MANIFEST FROM THESE DAYS, UNTIL THE OUTRIGHT DECLARATION, THAT A WAR HAS SUDDENLY COMMENCED? OR WILL THERE BE OUTRIGHT JUBILATION, IF WAR IS AVERTED? MIGHT THERE BE AN AUDIBLE SIGH OF RELIEF. A GATHERING OF CITIZENS IN THE TOWN SQUARE, TO SHOW APPROVAL, FOR THOSE WHO NEGOTIATED A PEACE DEAL? OR WILL IT BE A CASE OF NO REACTION AT ALL? SHOULD THERE BE AN ARMED CONFLICT, HOW WILL OUR CITIZENS TAKE THE NEWS? OR WILL THIS STILL BE A WAR TOO FAR AWAY TO CAUSE ANY REAL CONCERN?
TODAY, FOR INSTANCE, THERE HAS BEEN RADIO NEWS ALL MORNING, AND AFTERNOON, ABOUT RUSSIAN WAR EXERCISES, TAKING PLACE ON THE BORDER OF EASTERN UKRAINE. IT HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED, THAT THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED ABOUT AN IMMINENT INVASION OF THIS PORTION OF THE UKRAINE, OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, OCCURRING JUST AS THE REGION OF THE CRIMEA, WAS OCCUPIED BY RUSSIAN TROOPS, A MONTH AGO. THERE IS EVERY REASON, WITH CONSIDERABLE HISTORICAL EVIDENCE, AND PRECEDENTS, TO BELIEVE, RUSSIA IS PLANNING AN INVASION SOON. ALMOST EVERY DAY, SINCE THE INITIAL INVASION, WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THERE HAS BEEN AN "ESCALATION OF TENSIONS." SO WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT WILL COME NEXT? HOW MANY CITIZENS IN THIS COMMUNITY, ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS UNFOLDING STORY, THAT COULD CHANGE THEIR DAY TO DAY LIVES? EVEN WITH PHONES AND HOME INTERNET, NOW A COMMONPLACE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND REGION, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF PERMANENT RESIDENTS ARE ACTIVELY LISTENING, OR READING, ABOUT THIS WORLD THREATENING SITUATION, OF RUSSIAN AGGRESSION? PERSONALLY, BUT WITHOUT THE ADVANTAGE OF A PROPERLY EXECUTED SURVEY, I THINK THE PERCENTAGE IS LOW. ALARMINGLY LOW. I THINK IT IS THE CASE, A MAJORITY OF CANADIANS BELIEVE THIS WILL BE SORTED-OUT EVENTUALLY, AND IT WILL END WITHOUT THE BIG BOOM. SO WHEN LOOKING OUT ONTO THE COMMUNITY HERE, IN SOUTH MUSKOKA, AS I SUPPOSE IT WOULD BE IN ANY SMALL CANADIAN TOWN, ONE ISN'T LIKELY TO SEE ANY EVIDENCE, THAT THE CITIZENRY CONSIDERS A PENDING WAR, EVEN IF IT COULD BE THE ONSET OF WORLD WAR III, AS SOMETHING WARRANTING ANY SIGN OF PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION. I DOUBT VERY MUCH IF THERE ARE EVEN MANY COFFEE SHOP CHATS ABOUT IT, OR DISCUSSIONS OVER DINNER. IT'S JUST NOT THAT INTRUSIVE, AT THIS POINT. SHOULD IT BE? AND WHAT WOULD WE DO TO SHOW OUR CHAGRIN, IF WE INDEED POSSESSED IT?
IT'S NOT A CASE THAT WE ARE APATHETIC, OR UNSYMPATHETIC, TO THE PLIGHT OF THOSE CITIZENS OF THE UKRAINE. IT'S NOT THE CASE WE ARE IGNORANT, OR SO SELF CENTERED, THAT WE REFUSE TO BOTHER OURSELVES WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S PROBLEMS. I DO THINK, WE MAY BE DE-SENSITIZED GENERALLY, BY OUR BUSY LIFESTYLES, AND THE STRESSES OF SURVIVAL IN BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT. IN A LONG LIST OF PRESSING ISSUES, TENSIONS IN THE UKRAINE SEEM PRETTY MOOT, COMPARED TO HAVING ENOUGH MONEY IN THE BANK, TO COVER THIS MONTH'S MORTGAGE PAYMENT, OR HAVING LEFTOVER FUNDS TO KEEP THE KIDS IN CLOTHES, AND FOOD ON THE TABLE. MAYBE IT'S THE CASE WE HAVE ENORMOUS FAITH IN THE LEADERS OF THE WORLD, AND THE EXPERT NEGOTIATORS THEY EMPLOY, TO TAKE CARE OF THINGS LIKE THIS; LEAVING US TO LOOK AFTER THE DAILY CHORES. AS WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO ABATE THE CRISIS, IT SEEMS REASONABLE, THAT WE WOULD TURN IT OVER TO THE MASTER POLITICIANS TO MOP UP WHATEVER SPILLS. I WANT TO BELIEVE THIS. I HAVE GREAT FAITH IN MANY WORLD LEADERS, AND I DO ANTICIPATE MANY MORE PEACE INITIATIVES TO UNFOLD, AS TIME GOES BY, TO ALLEVIATE THIS TEMPEST IN THE PROVERBIAL TEAPOT. OF COURSE, THERE'S NOTING PROVERBIAL ABOUT IT. UNLESS THAT HELICOPTER EXPLODED ON ITS OWN, AND THE FOREIGN CREW OF OBSERVERS, KIDNAPPED THEMSELVES. IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE TOO MUCH FAITH, THAT OTHERS WILL HANDLE THE PROBLEM. WHAT DEPTH AND BREADTH OF A PROBLEM, A CRISIS, WILL CREATE PUBLIC OUTRAGE, AND A SHOW OF PROFOUND CONCERN, ABOUT THE WELFARE OF OUR COUNTRY AND THE WORLD? I'M JUST NOT SURE ABOUT THIS. THE ENVIRONMENT? HOW DAMNING IS A WAR IN REGARDS TO IRREVERSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION? WHEN MIGHT WE SENSE OR SEE HOW OUR LITTLE BURG, ON THIS BIG PLANET, WILL REACT TO THE ONSET OF MILITARY CRISIS?
TODAY, THERE IS NOTHING AT ALL, FROM WHAT I SEE FRAMED OF THIS TOWN, AT THIS MOMENT OF HISTORY, TO SUGGEST WE ARE IN ANY SIGNIFICANT WAY, FACING A CRISIS. IF THERE IS DEEP CONCERN AND MINDFUL PONDERING ABOUT THE "WHAT IFS" OF A WAR WITH RUSSIA, IT DOESN'T SHOW HERE AND NOW. ARGUABLY, WHY WOULD IT? IT'S NOT LIKE WE ARE GOING TO BE HIT BY A NUCLEAR MISSILE OR ANYTHING. YET AM0NGST US LOCAL CITIZENS, THERE ARE THOSE OF UKRAINIAN, POLISH, ROMANIAN, GERMAN, HUNGARIAN, AND RUSSIAN ANCESTRY, WHO HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF SO MANY OTHER FRIGHTFUL EVENTS OF WORLD HISTORY, THAT PLAYED OUT ON THIS SAME EUROPEAN FRONT. IS IT TO BE EXPECTED, THEY ARE THE MOST PENSIVE OF OUR CITIZENRY, ANXIOUSLY AWAITING THE MOMENT THE CRISIS ESCALATES; OR ON THE OTHER SIDE, RESOLVES IN A PEACE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ADVERSARIES? THIS DOESN'T SHOW ITSELF IN THE FRAME TODAY. THERE IS REALLY LITTLE DIFFERENCE IN THIS APRIL DAY, THAN THE SAME DATE A YEAR AGO, OR THE YEAR BEFORE THAT, AND SO ON. UNLESS YOU WERE LISTENING TO A RADIO, OR WATCHING A NEWS CLIP ON A CELL PHONE, OR LAPTOP, IT WOULD BE A DAY LIKE ANY OTHER, LIVING IN THE RURAL CLIME. NO BIG DEAL. STUFF TO DO, PLACES TO GO, FOLKS TO MEET UP WITH, KIDS TO PICK UP FROM THE PARK. AS THE CRISIS BUILDS, AND THE THREAT OF INVASION, OF THE UKRAINE, COMES DOWN TO A MATTER OF HOURS, WILL THE SCENE HERE CHANGE? AGAIN, THE PRECEDENTS OF HISTORY TELL US, THAT UNTIL WAR IS DECLARED, THERE WON'T BE ANY REAL SIGN OF OUR OUTRAGE, OR FEAR, ABOUT THE DANGEROUS DAYS AHEAD. IF WAR IS DECLARED, WE WILL OBVIOUSLY FIND OUR PLACE, AND ORGANIZE SOME WAY TO CHANNEL OUR CONCERNS AND AMBITIONS, TO ASSIST THOSE IN THE FRONT LINE OFFENSIVE. JUST AS WE HAVE DONE IN PRIOR WORLD CONFLICTS.
IN THIS SITUATIONAL FRAMING TODAY, THERE IS A MAINSTREET ON THE MOVE. THERE ARE PLENTY OF FOLKS WANDERING ABOUT, SOME VISITORS TO TOWN CHECKING OUT THE LOCAL ARCHITECTURE, DARTING IN AND OUT OF LOCAL BUSINESSES, SOME TOTING BOXES, OTHERS DINING ON THE RUN, WITH SLICES OF PIZZA IN HAND; A FEW EATING BUTTER TARTS RIGHT OUT OF THE BAKERY'S BOX. THOSE WHO ARE TIRED, SITTING ON THE PARK BENCHES, WHEN IT STOPS RAINING. THERE ARE STREET CORNER CONVERSATIONS, ABOUT THIS AND THAT, AND LESS THAN POLITICAL DEBATES, ON CORNERS AND IN ALCOVES, BETWEEN FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES. THERE IS NO HARRIED PACE TODAY. NO ONE IS RUNNING, NO ONE IS SHOWING ANY INTEREST IN BUSTLING, TO GET THEIR TASKS COMPLETED. IT IS A QUIET, BUT BUSY SATURDAY, FOR THIS LAST WEEKEND OF APRIL. THE WEATHER AND LOCAL FLOODING ARE THE TWO MOST TALKED-ABOUT SUBJECTS, THAT I'VE HEARD SO FAR. A CONFLICT IN EUROPE? IT'S NOT ON THE TIP OF THE TONGUE, THAT'S FOR SURE. IF IT WAS, WHAT WOULD THOSE CONVERSATIONS SOUND LIKE? WOULD A SINGLE SOUL CRY OUT, "ARE WE ALL GOING TO DIE?" OR IS THAT WHAT WOULD BE WRITTEN INTO THE MOVIE SCRIPT, IF INDEED, OUR PRESENT SITUATION, WAS A CRISIS FOR WRITERS IN HOLLYWOOD.
THERE IS NOTHING I SEE, OR EXPERIENCE IN LATE APRIL, OF 2014, THAT WOULD SUGGEST THERE WAS ANYTHING DANGEROUS, IN THE CANADIAN HEARTLAND, ABOUT THIS DAY IN HISTORY. NOTHING OF A THREATENING NATURE. NOTHING THAT WOULD LEAD ANY OF US TO BELIEVE, BY BODY LANGUAGE, OR OVERHEARD CONVERSATION, THAT ANYTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN TO RUIN THE PLEASURES OF THE DAY. UNLESS, OF COURSE, IT SHOULD RAIN WHILE WE ARE OUT FOR A STROLL. IN SO MANY WAYS, THIS IS, I THINK, A GOOD WAY TO BE! WHAT AFTERALL, CAN BE GAINED, BY RUNNING AMUCK, CALLING OUT WITH RECKLESS ABANDON, THAT "THE SKY IS FALLING!" WHO WILL BE BETTER FOR THE EFFORT? WHO WILL BE SAFEGUARDED BECAUSE OF THIS WARNING, IF THE SKY IS FALLING SOMEWHERE ELSE, WHERE WE ARE NOT STANDING? IT IS TO BE ASSUMED THEREFORE, THAT THE COMMONALITY OF THE SITUATION, AT PRESENT, IS THAT WE ARE NOT, OURSELVES, FACING ANYTHING MORE IMMINENT, THAN THE APPROACH AND PASSING OF THE EVENING HOURS, INTO THE VERY NEXT DAY; THE MORNING THAT I MAY ALSO WAKE EARLY, AT THE INSISTENCE OF THE BIRDS IN THE MAPLE BOUGHS, ATTRACTING ME ONCE AGAIN, TO FRAME THIS BIT OF NATURE AND SKY, AS THE POETIC MOSAIC, OF WHAT I SHALL ENCOUNTER ON MY DAILY ROUNDS; SOME OF IT I WILL LIKE, AND OTHER ASPECTS, I WILL DREAD. AND IT WILL BE THE NEWS OF THE DAY, THAT WILL EITHER INCREASE MY PULSE, OR SETTLE MY NERVES, INTO A PLEASURABLE TOLERATION, FOR EVEN THE DREADED THINGS OF A NON-COMBATIVE DAY, HERE IN THE HEARTLAND OF MUSKOKA.
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOCAL CHANGES, IN THE COLLECTIVE DEMEANOR, OCCUR AS THE CRISIS IN EUROPE ESCALATES. AND WHEN WAR IS FINALLY DECLARED, HOW WE WILL ALL COME TO ADJUST, AND COPE, AS WE ALWAYS HAVE, WITH THE RIGORS OF A "NEW NORMAL." AS MANY OF US EXPERIENCED AFTER THE EVENTS OF 9-11, WILL WE FEEL COMPELLED TO GATHER TO SUPPORT THE WAR EFFORT? YET A WORLD WAR IN EUROPE, WOULD RAPIDLY ECLIPSE THE CASUALTIES OF 9-11. WE HAVE A LOT YET TO DISCOVER OF OURSELVES, IN A POTENTIAL NUCLEAR EVENT, THAT BY THE WAY, HAS BEEN PREDICTED SINCE THE EARLY 1960'S.
ON THIS DAY, WE ARE SAFE! TOMORROW? I'M NOT SO SURE ANYMORE!
THE FANTASTIC SIDE OF ANTIQUE COLLECTING - YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT
ANTIQUE DEALERS WHO FAIL - NEVER FOUND IT - THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK
EVEN THE MOST EXPERIENCED ANTIQUE HUNTER, CAN MISS A BIG FIND, IN THE MIXED INVENTORY OF A COLOR-FILLED, HUGELY DIVERSE FLEA MARKET, OR FUNDRAISING SALE. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO I WAS AT A FLEA MARKET, IN GRAVENHURST, AND MISSED AN IMPORTANT CABINET UP FOR SALE, THAT HAD BEEN COVERED-OVER WITH AN ASSORTMENT OF DRIED FLOWERS AND CHIPPED ORNAMENTS. I FOUND A NUMBER OF INTERESTING PAINTINGS I WANTED, AS THE ASKING PRICES WERE FAIR. I MUST HAVE SPENT TWENTY MINUTES, CIRCLING AROUND THE CHEST OF DRAWERS, SEEING EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT NOT THE CARVED GRAPES ON THE CUPBOARD DOORS. WHEN I BENT OVER TO PICK SOMETHING I'D DROPPED OFF THE FLOOR, GEEZ, THERE IT WAS…..AN 1870'S QUEBEC MADE BUFFET, WITH TWO GROUPINGS OF HAND-CARVED GRAPES AS ADORNMENTS. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THE NUMBER OF ANTIQUE DEALERS AND COLLECTORS IN THE VICINITY, AND NO ONE, INCLUDING ME, HAD SEEN THIS IMPRESSIVE VICTORIAN FURNITURE, THROUGH THE FOG-OF-SALE-SCROUNGING. THERE WAS A SUGGESTED SALE PRICE, ATTACHED TO THE TOP, AND I ASKED SUZANNE, MY ACCOUNTANT, TO GO TEN DOLLARS HIGHER THAN THIS CEILING. I KNOW MANY DEALER-TYPES WHO WILL TRY TO LOW-BALL AT THESE SALES, WHICH, IN THIS CASE, WAS FOR A CHARITABLE CAUSE. WE ALWAYS, AND I MEAN ALWAYS, OFFER MORE MONEY THAN IS REQUESTED FOR OUR CHOICE OF PURCHASES, BECAUSE THEY ARE KINDLY FOLK WHO WORK HARD TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY. I KNOW WHAT THE PROFIT WILL BE, AS SOON AS I PICK SOMETHING OUT I WANT TO BUY. I HAVE LITTLE USE, PERSONALLY, FOR DEALERS WHO HAGGLE WITH CHARITABLE GROUPS, JUST TO MAKE A FEW EXTRA BUCKS. CIVILIANS? WELL, IT WOULD BE NICE IF THEY DIDN'T HAGGLE, BUT AT LEAST THEY'RE NOT HELL BENT ON STAGGERING PROFIT-MAKING, WHEN THEY DO BARTER. BARTERING IS PART OF THE ANTIQUE TRADE AND PRETTY MUCH THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. IT'S JUST NOT OVERLY SENSITIVE OR PERSONALLY CREDIBLE, IN MY OPINION, TO BEAT DOWN A GROUP THAT IS TRYING VALIANTLY TO HELP IMPROVE LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY. I LOVE THESE SALES, AND I DON'T MISS THEM, AS A RULE, UNLESS I'M FORCED TO BE IN TWO TOWNS AT THE SAME TIME. THIS WEEKEND, WE HAD A BALL THANKS TO THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, AT ST. JOSEPH'S CATHOLIC CHURCH IN BRACEBRIDGE. WHAT GREAT FUN, AND WONDERFUL HOSTS. THANKS FOR ORGANIZING THIS ANNUAL SALE. IT'S A DANDY. GOT ALMOST A VAN-LOAD THIS YEAR.
I HAVE, AT BEST, SCOOTED AROUND THE ISSUE OF ANTIQUE HUNTING, AND WHAT COMPELS DEALERS TO STAY THE COURSE. I WOULD HAVE NO INTEREST IN ANTIQUES, OR EVEN ART, IF THERE WASN'T SOME MAGIC ATTACHED. I HAVE NEVER PLACED PROFIT AS THE END ALL. MANY TIMES, IT WAS ALSO, ACCORDING TO THE ACCOUNTANT, MY FAILING. I'D SHOW UP AT OUR FORMER SHOP, WITH SOME INCREDIBLY ODD ITEM, LIKE A PIECE OF ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE, (A COFFIN OR EMBALMING MACHINE) OR A SCULPTURE TOO BIG TO GET DOWN THE STAIRS. I'VE ALWAYS LIKED ODD-BALL COLLECTIBLES, THAT OTHER PEOPLE LOOK AT WITH DISDAIN. IT IS TRULY THE CASE FOR ME, THAT ARTICLES LIKE THIS, SPEAK TO ME EVERSO SOFTLY, BUT EMPHATICALLY…."BUY ME…..TAKE ME HOME…..I'M YOURS." SUZANNE, AS MY BUSINESS PARTNER, HAS ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD MY NEED TO BE A LITTLE LEFT OF CENTRE……AN ODD DUCK, YOU MIGHT SAY. AS I WRITER, I'VE GOT EVEN MORE QUIRKS, AND I AM HEAVILY SUPERSTITIOUS. IT'S WHY I PAY ATTENTION, OUT ON THE ANTIQUE HUSTINGS, WHEN SOME ANTIQUE OR PIECE OF ART, BECKONS ME TO PAY ATTENTION. EVERY WILD AND CRAZY PIECE I'VE EVER PURCHASED, FOR OUR BUSINESS, HAS BEEN SOLD. IF I BOUGHT SOMETHING JUST BECAUSE I LIKED IT…..THIS WOULD BE AVERAGE AND PREDICTABLE. I'M NEITHER. BUT AS STRANGE AS THIS MAY SEEM, TO THE SPECTATOR, THE MORE UNUSUAL THE PIECE, THE EASIER IT WILL BE TO UNLOAD, AND RATHER QUICKLY. YES, THERE'S THE TRADITIONAL FARE, AND IT'S TRUE, THEY ARE OUR "MEAT AND POTATOES" SUSTENANCE; SO FOR BASIC SURVIVAL-INVENTORY, IT KIND OF DEPENDS ON HAVING A LARGE SELECTION OF THESE PREDICTABLE PIECES SUZANNE LOVES. WHEN THE LARGE AND GROTESQUE ITEMS SELL, WELL, I'M LEFT WITH NICE PIECES BUT ONES I CONSIDER "FOR PROFIT" ANTIQUES. GOOD FOR INVESTMENT. I'M GLAD I'VE GOT THEM, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAKE A PROFIT AT SOME POINT. OF COURSE, THE BIGGEST PROFIT WE CAN GET, IS FROM SOME WEIRD, OUT OF PLACE ART-PIECE, THAT WHILE MIGHT HANG AROUND THE SHOP AWHILE, WILL EVENTUALLY SELL FOR A CONSIDERABLE HIKE FROM THE PRICE I PAID. THERE ARE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH HOUSING BIG AND STRANGE STUFF, SO THE PRICE HAS TO REFLECT A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS. SUCH AS HOW HARD WAS IT TO FIND, HOW FAR DID WE HAVE TO DRIVE TO FIND IT, TRANSPORTATION COSTS, HAULING IT TO THE SHOP (OR HOME), REPAIRS, HIRED FOLKS NEEDED TO SET IT IN PLACE, AND THE SPECIAL TREATS I HAVE TO BUY SUZANNE TO MAKE UP FOR MY ECCENTRICITY. YOU SEE, SUZANNE DOESN'T BUY THIS "ECCENTRIC" EXCUSE, FOR THE CRAZY THINGS I DO. I USED TO GET AWAY WITH IT A LOT. THEN SHE STARTED TO FIGURE OUT, I WAS THE LEAST ECCENTRIC PERSON SHE KNEW…….BUT ONE OF THE MOST CUNNING AND SUBSEQUENTLY, ANNOYING. I CAN'T EVEN PLAY THE "ECCENTRIC" WRITER ANY MORE, AND SHE HAS DEVELOPED AN ACCOUNTANT'S WAY OF DEALING WITH ME…..IN ALL REGARDS.
I HAVE WATCHED MANY ANTIQUE DEALERS FAIL, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE INDUSTRY. THEY EXPECTED TOO MUCH. THEY GOT INTO THE BUSINESS OF BUYING AND SELLING ANTIQUES WITHOUT HAVING COMPLETED AN APPRENTICESHIP, AND WHILE THEY KNEW HOW TO FLIP PIECES, ON A FLEA MARKET BASIS, THEY DIDN'T APPRECIATE THE NUANCES OF THE TRADE…..BEYOND COMMERCE. EXPERIENCED ANTIQUE DEALERS ARE SORT OF LIKE MAGICIANS. THEY HAVE A LOT OF TRADE SECRETS THEY WILL TAKE TO THEIR GRAVE. EVEN IF THEY WERE IN THEIR LAST HOUR OF LIFE, THEY WOULDN'T REVEAL THE SECRETS THEY'VE KEPT CLOISTERED IN MEMORY, SINCE THEY BEGAN THE ANTIQUE HUNT……USUALLY AS YOUNGSTERS, STARTING SMALL, AND GRADUATING TO DIAMOND POINT ARMOIRES, AND ANTIQUE GLASS, ART, CHINA, POTTERY AND FURNITURE. THEY HAVE A PASSION THAT DOESN'T REALLY SHOW ITSELF, BECAUSE THERE'S A DISADVANTAGE IN WEARING ONE'S ENTHUSIASM IN THIS TRADE. THE MOST SUCCESSFUL AMONGST US, ARE NOT BOASTFUL ABOUT THEIR COLLECTIONS. THEY DON'T START DOING THE "VICTORY DANCE" WHEN THEY FIND A GOOD PIECE. YOU WILL HARDLY EVER SEE A VETERAN DEALER, SHOW ANY EMOTION WHATSOEVER, EVEN IF THEY BOUGHT A TOM THOMSON ART PANEL AT A YARD SALE FOR FIVE BUCKS. I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT THEY DO WHEN THEY HOP BACK INTO THE VAN, THEY'RE DRIVING, BUT YOU JUST WON'T HEAR A MURMUR, OR ANY SOUND DEFINABLY SIMILAR TO "GLEE." THEY MIGHT ASK THE VENDOR IF HE OR SHE HAS ANY MORE OF THESE LOVELY LITTLE BIRCH PANEL PAINTINGS, AND ALWAYS POLITELY, YET THERE IS NO NEED TO ENGAGE IN ANY MORE CONVERSATION THAN THIS. I HAVE ALWAYS LAUGHED ABOUT THOSE HOBBY DEALERS, WHO JUMP UP AND DOWN, AND START MOUTHING OFF ABOUT THE BIG FINDS, EVEN BEFORE THEY'VE LEFT THE SUBJECT PROPERTY, WHERE THEY MADE THE PURCHASE. NOW THAT'S JUST STUPID. ONE DEALER I DIDN'T LIKE, USED TO TELL ME ABOUT THE "BIG SCORE" HE GOT AT SOME SALE. IN FACT, HE'D TELL ME THIS, EVEN IF WE WERE STANDING SIDE BY SIDE THE GENTLEMAN WHO HAD JUST SOLD HIM A BOX OF BOOKS, OR SACK OF COMICS.
I WALK AWAY FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE AT THESE SALES, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR ANTICS. I DON'T PARTNER WITH OTHER ANTIQUE DEALERS AS A RULE. I WILL LISTEN TO THEM, AND SELL THEM PIECES, BUT I WILL NEVER COLLABORATE. A LOT OF DEALERS ARE LIKE THIS. SOME LIKE TO PARTNER AND NETWORK, WHILE MANY PREFER SEPARATION FROM DEALERS THEY'RE NOT SURE ABOUT…..OR WHO THEY FEEL, COME ON TOO STRONG. SUZANNE AND I HAVE BEEN IN THIS GROUPING SINCE WE BEGAN IN THE TRADE. WE APPRECIATE THE WORK OF OUR FELLOW DEALERS. WE JUST DON'T WANT TO CLIMB IN BED WITH THEM. I RESIGNED FROM A RECENT APPRAISAL PROJECT I WAS WORKING ON, FOR THIS PRECISE REASON. IT'S A PROFESSIONAL THING, AND I DON'T EXPECT ANY ONE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND IT…….BUT IT WORKS FOR US, AS REPUTATION IS AN IMMENSELY DIFFICULT QUALITY AND QUANTITY TO PRESERVE IN OUR LINE OF WORK. IT TAKES DECADES TO BUILD UP TRUST, AND ONE SECOND TO SCREW IT ALL INTO THE GROUND. ONE MISTAKE COULD COST YOU ENOUGH CREDIBILITY, TO KILL YOUR BUSINESS IN A SMALL TOWN. I DON'T TAKE RISKS. BUYING, YES. RISK IS INHERENT IN THE INDUSTRY. IT'S PART OF THE GAME. BUT MY ASSOCIATIONS ARE CAREFUL, AND WELL RESEARCHED. THE PROFESSION HAS ITS PROBLEMS, AND ITS CHARACTERS. THIS IS ALSO ITS LEGACY FROM BEFORE THE DAYS OF CHARLES DICKENS, AND THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP.
ONE LADY I USED TO KNOW, WOULD START JUMPING ON THE SPOT, YELPING, ABOUT THE INCREDIBLE DEALS SHE GOT. MEANWHILE, THE SALE HOST IS STARING IN DISBELIEF. I WALK AWAY SILENTLY BUT QUICKLY. THERE WAS ANOTHER ANTIQUING "TOOL," (PARDON MY UNKIND ASSESSMENT OF HIS CHARACTER) WHO BOUGHT A BAG OF WADE NURSERY RHYME (TEA) FIGURINES FROM A LOCAL THRIFT SHOP. I SAW HIM PICK UP THE BAG OF ABOUT A HUNDRED PIECES, LOOK AT THE PRICE, WHILE THANKING GOD FOR MAKING THIS HIS LUCKY DAY. THE BAG-LOAD OF TEA FIGURES WAS ONLY TEN DOLLARS. IN MINT CONDITION, THEY WOULD PROBABLY BE WORTH FOUR TO FIVE DOLLARS EACH. A GINGERBREAD MAN WOULD BE MUCH MORE THAN THIS, BECAUSE THE FIGURINES WERE MADE SO THIN, AND FRAGILE, MANY DIDN'T SURVIVE THE ROUGH HANDLING OF THE KIDS, WHO USUALLY GOT TO PLAY WITH THEM, BEFORE THEY WERE PUT UP ON THE WINDOW SILL…..LIKE OUR APARTMENT, WHERE MERLE LIKED THEM, POSITIONED IN A THEME GROUPING, BATHED BY THE AFTERNOON SUNLIGHT BEAMING THROUGH THE KITCHEN GLASS.
THE GOOF GOT OUTSIDE, AND STARTED TELLING EVERYONE WHO WENT INTO THE STORE, WHAT A GREAT DEAL HE GOT AT THE THRIFT SHOP. WHAT DIDN'T HE UNDERSTAND ABOUT "THRIFT SHOP," AND ITS FUNDRAISING TO HELP THE LESS FORTUNATE? SO THE PEOPLE COMING INTO THE STORE, ACTUALLY STARTED COMMENTING TO STAFF, ABOUT THE HUGE PRIZE THE GUY OUTSIDE GOT…….AND "ARE THERE ANY MORE BAGS OF TEA FIGURINES?" THE GIRL AT THE COUNTER, WAS A HEART BREAKER. SHE SAID, CALMLY, WITH A LITTLE SMILE, "THEY WERE ALL THE CHIPPED ONES. THE GOOD ONES ARE GOING IN NEXT MONTH'S SILENT AUCTION." THE TEN DOLLAR BAG OF WADE FIGURES WAS BASICALLY WORTHLESS, BECAUSE IN THE COLLECTING FIELD, CHIPS ARE A BIG DOWNER, AND UNLESS IT'S A FILL-IN PIECE, UNTIL THE COLLECTOR GETS A PRISTINE FIGURE AS A REPLACEMENT, THE DAMAGED GOODS ARE OF NO REAL VALUE. IF THIS SUPPOSED DEALER HAD SOME EXPERIENCE, OR AT LEAST BEEN WILLING TO TALK TO ONE OF HIS CRONIES, IN THE STORE AT THE SAME TIME, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RE-INVEST THE TEN DOLLARS IN SOMETHING MORE SIGNIFICANT. LIKE THE SIGNED ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING, I BOUGHT INSTEAD, WHILE HE WAS REJOICING HIS BIG COUP.
Another collector, now deceased, had a huge chip on his shoulder. He wanted to be considered a big time dealer, although he did everything contrary to what makes a good dealer, an even better, more profitable and accomplished dealer. When he had a short-lived shop, I used to visit occasionally, and talk with him about the antique trade. Well, it was more like, he talked and I listened reluctantly, and then picked him clean of every antique I could find in his shop that was undervalued. We call them "sleepers." I tried to help the guy improve himself, but I found it impossible to change him fast enough to save his shop, or his place in this highly competitive business. He was aggressive with his attitude, and felt that he knew everything there was to know about antiques and collectibles, and that basically, I should mind my own business. I've had lots of folks tell me this recently, and I always comply. So with this gentleman, we called "Horhay," I'd let him tell me how a piece he had, was worth ten times his asking price, but for me, I could have it for a ten percent discount from the sticker amount. He'd spend his time trying to sell me crap, and then I'd say something like, 'Well, it's hard to resist, but you know, I kind of like that wooden bowl over there." He'd be so pissed that I dropped my focus on his sale's pitch, the sales pitch, that he'd usually say, "Ah you can have that for half price. It's new you know?" I'd become mute from this point, and let him tell me how he was ripping me off, even letting me buy such a low-line piece. The danger for me was keeping a straight face, because I really wanted, after paying for it, to tell the guy just how ridiculous and stupid he was……as this was the genuine article, worth four to five times more than than the junk he was trying to sell me in the first place. He was so full of himself, that one day, he arrived at the sales desk at a local thrift shop, with a dollar record in hand. When he finished making his purchase, he stood at the counter and told the check-out girls, how he had just bought a rare five hundred dollar record, that he was going to sell online. What a jerk to do something like this, and he was wrong by the way. I took a peak, and as my two sons are experts in vintage vinyl, and 78's, he was just blowing smoke. He closed-up his business shortly after, because he found customers annoyed him with stupid questions. Truth is, there are thousands of these kind of half-ass dealers, ruining the industry for those of us who have paid our dues, worked hard, and studied ceaselessly for decades, to get to this stage of competence.
I have taken the time with many friends to offer a few basic tips about buying and selling for profit. The self-help books will tell you to buy what you like, and always buy quality. While I always buy with high regard for quality, I seldom buy what I like. I have to buy what you might like, instead, seeing as my profession depends on my being able to flip these pieces for profit. I was told by a writing professor, in my first year of university, that if a piece of writing I produce, is understood by only me, then "wad it up," and toss into the garbage bin…..and try again. This time, to try and appeal to readers generally. At least if you're interested in selling a book, or increasing readership. The same goes for antique hunting, as a profession. Buying what you like can get you into a lot of trouble. Buying for others is the real trick of the trade, and requires a huge amount of exposure to what's going on in the industry as a whole, and what collectors are looking for. The big deal right now, is to appeal to home decorators, and in part, we can thank Martha Stewart and a host of others, for breathing new life into the antique trade. The ultra modern interior designs are incorporating antiques side by side contemporary furnishings and art, and the look, as they say, is "rather fetching." So my advice to fledgling dealers, who think they're pretty smart, and well travelled, is to admit you're a liar, and you suffer from delusional episodes. The antique trade takes years of cruel and punishing mistakes, to make perfect. There is no end to your studies. The rules change constantly, and the trends are not predictable…..just that there will be a new one every six to eight months, and your survival will depend on intuition, and resolve to read, learn, immerse, and ask pertinent questions of those veterans of the industry. We won't tell you everything, because you're a potential competitor. But if you are humble and approachable, and want to learn outside the box, then you must show respect to those who are imbedded in the industry. I'll tell you why being imbedded in the industry, prohibits us from telling all we know. There are estates out there, waiting to break forth, that can make an antique dealer very wealthy. Patience is most definitely a virtue.
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