I Need An Auction Fix, It's That Time Of Year.

I'VE GOT TO GET AN AUCTION FIX - OR SOMETHING SOON - AND YES, IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR

ANTIQUE HUNTING URGES ARE OVER-POWERING

     I THINK…..NO, I'M SURE, MY ANTIQUE HUNTING URGES HAVE BEEN REGIONALLY HONED. "THE HUNT" IN THE OFF-SEASON, FOR THE SHOP "IN-SEASON." MANY OF US, IN MUSKOKA, WHO DEPEND ON THE TOURIST INDUSTRY TO SURVIVE, HAVE THIS SAME ROUTINE. IF I LIVED IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO, AND HAD SHORT DISTANCES TO DRIVE, TO GET TO AUCTION CENTERS, ANTIQUE MALLS, AND SHOPS, I WOULDN'T HAVE THIS SAME SEASONAL URGE, OR NORDIC THULE, TO GET OUT AND HUNT HARD AND LONG FOR THE HOLY GRAIL. BUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME OVER THE PAST FORTY YEARS, IS THAT I'VE BECOME MUSKOKAN IN LIFESTYLE AND PROFESSION. THE LIFESTYLE THING WORKS OUT PRETTY WELL. THE PROFESSIONAL REALITY IS A LITTLE WEIRD…..AND FRANKLY, IS A LITTLE LIKE A MUSTY OLD GROUNDHOG ROLLING AROUND IN THE HOLE, OF A SMALL, GRASSY KNOLL, LIKE AT GOBBLER'S KNOB, PENNSYLVANIA, AND THEN POPPING ITS HEAD OUT TO SEE HOW THE WINTER'S BEEN GOING. I CONFESS TO HUNKERING DOWN AFTER THANKSGIVING, AND THEN POPPING BACK TO LIFE AS AN ANTIQUE HUNTER-GATHERER, JUST AFTER THE LAST CHAMPAGNE OF NEW YEARS. MANY DEALERS I'VE KNOWN, WHO HAVE MADE THEIR LIVING IN ANTIQUES, HERE IN THE CANADIAN HINTERLAND, HAVE HAD THE SAME CURIOUS SEASONAL HABITS. A SHORT HIBERNATION AFTER A LONG AND DEMANDING SUMMER SEASON, WHICH STRETCHES WELL INTO OCTOBER THESE DAYS.  AND THEN WITH THE WARM SUN OF A JANUARY THAW, UP TO AS LATE AS GROUNDHOG DAY, WE COMMENCE WORKING ON PLANS AND REFINISHING FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THE EASTER LONG WEEKEND….WHICH FOR MOST IN THE TOURIST TRADE, IS THE UNOFFICIAL START OF THE BETTER BUSINESS SEASON. WHILE WE HAVE A DAY TO DAY SHOP, IN GRAVENHURST, WE STILL FOLLOW THE SAME ROUTINE, AS IF WE ONLY OPERATED SEASONALLY. BY THIS I MEAN, WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN THE DIFFICULT TASK OF ACQUIRING OUR SUMMER SEASON INVENTORY. WE BREAK AWAY FROM THE SHOP IN THE MORNINGS, AND DO THE ROUNDS, SO TO SPEAK, AND ON THE WEEKENDS, WE WILL SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THE ROAD, HOPEFULLY COMING BACK WITH THE KIND OF MATERIALS SOMEONE WILL FIND APPEALING…..AND THUS THE CYCLE CONTINUES.

     YEARS AGO, AND I KNEW A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE TOURISM SECTOR, MANY SHOPKEEPERS NAILED UP THE SHUDDERS, PULLED IN THEIR BUSINESS SHINGLE, AND TACKED ON A SIGN TO THE BUILDING, ADVISING VISITORS, THAT "SORRY, WE'RE CLOSED UNTIL MAY 24TH," OR "SEE YOU NEXT SUMMER." IT WAS TRADITIONAL. THERE'S NOT AS MUCH OF THIS TODAY, IN MUSKOKA, AS THERE WAS WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, IN THE 1960'S AND 70'S. TODAY MOST URBAN CORE BUSINESSES, TRY TO MAKE THE EXTENSION FROM THE BUSY SUMMER SEASON, THROUGH THE WINTER, KEEPING THEIR SHOPS OPEN WHILE STILL PREPARING FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THE NEXT SUMMER SEASON. BY THIS I MEAN, WORKING ON RESTORATIONS, REPAIRS, REFINISHING, WHILE KEEPING THE DOOR OPEN, FOR ANY ONE WHO WANTS TO HAVE A LOOK AT THE PREVAILING INVENTORY. FAR MORE VENDORS TODAY, PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR THE DOWN-TURN OF BUSINESS ACTIVITY, BY DIVERSIFYING THEIR BUSINESS PLAN, AND OFFERING SERVICES, SUCH AS IN THE ANTIQUE TRADE…..OFFERING TO SELL WARES FOR CLIENTS, THROUGH ONLINE AUCTIONS, SUCH AS EBAY. A LOT OF DEALERS SUPPLEMENT THEIR INCOMES BY USING EBAY FOR SOME OF THEIR ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES THAT DEMAND AN INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE…..TO GET THE BEST POSSIBLE PRICE. WE USED TO DO THIS ALL THE TIME, BUT BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF EXTRA WORK, AND FRUSTRATING, WE DROPPED ONLINE SALES ALTOGETHER. WHAT WE DO, IN THE SLOWER MONTHS, BUSINESS-WISE, INVOLVES ALL KINDS OF ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING FREELANCE WRITING FOR ME, AND QUILT AND BLANKET REPAIRS FOR SUZANNE. IN FACT, SHE'S BEEN WORKING, MOST RECENTLY, ON AN INVENTORY OF GRAVENHURST WINTER CARNIVAL SCARVES AND HATS, THAT WE WILL BE SELLING FROM THE SHOP, IN LATE FEBRUARY (TO COINCIDE WITH THE ANNUAL CARNIVAL), WITH A PORTION OF SALES, OVER COST, BEING DONATED BACK TO THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE. WE'VE ALSO BEEN OUT TRAVELING FROM SHOP TO SHOP, SALE TO SALE, TRYING TO PREPARE A SPRING-SUMMER INVENTORY, TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT WE HAVE LEFT AFTER LAST YEAR'S BUSY SUMMER SEASON…..WHICH FOR US LASTED RIGHT THROUGH UNTIL THE CRANBERRY FESTIVAL IN BALA. YES, IT WAS A GOOD AND LONG TOURIST SEASON HERE IN SOUTH MUSKOKA, AND VERY PROFITABLE.

I MISS THE AUCTIONS WE USED TO HAVE IN SOUTH MUSKOKA

     Suzanne would prefer, that I never attend an auction. When we were newlyweds, my idea of a fun outing, was to attend an auction, conducted by either Les Rutledge, or my friend Art Campbell. Les was from Gravenhurst, Art from Bracebridge. They actually sold together for a period, just before Les passed away. The problem of going to an auction, parallels going to a casino. There are some obvious differences, but there are a lot of similarities, and it's all about gambling. The odd thing is, I won't go to a casino. I will go to an auction. And stay there for the whole bloody day. The difference is, I buy for profit, so unless I make a huge honking mistake, the purchases hauled home, will eventually be sold and I will net a small but tidy profit. I could never be that proficient as a gambler at a casino, and I know enough to invest on my strengths…….and at an auction, I'll never bet the house on a good hand. I might occasionally make a bad buy but never the kind of gamble that would make me fear coming home…..or losing my home on a bad hunch. This comes from attending thousands of auctions, and being an antique hunter for most of my life……from about eighteen years of age onward. Before that, I was a scrounger and a hoarder, and it drove my poor mother nuts.

     It's at this time of the rolling year, that I get antsy. I need out. I want to jump in the vehicle, coffee in the holder, money in pocket, and no priority, other than to come home richer than we left. This may read as arrogant and "full of himself," attitude, but it's true. I don't always come home with treasure, but I rarely arrive back at Birch Hollow, whimpering, and sobbing on my wife's shoulder, about all the money I lost gambling on old stuff. It's this treasure hunt, holy grail chase, that has haunted and taunted me, so pleasantly, for so long……that when times rolls along, when it makes perfect business sense, to get out on the hustings, and make discoveries, I'm a kid again looking for a new toy. It's the one business that has kept me inspired, when writing and history-sleuthing has muddled me into complacency. You must understand, that I hunt and gather seven days a week, in one way or another. Sometimes folks bring me interesting items into the store, and frequently, I just let my sons know I'm taking off for a couple of hours, to visit some local haunts that just might have what I'm desirous of……at that moment. One day, it might be a nice primitive pine dresser, and the very next day, it might be a dazzling little watercolor from Holland. Last week, I was able to sneak away for an hour, and came back with a 250 year old refectory style table, some early pressed glass, a half dozen out-of-print books, and about thirty vintage records for Andrew and Robert to sell in their music shop. Today I came back with a nice Bible stand, in oak, most likely from an area church, a really nice, two burner oil lamp, on a tall brass stand, and a wonderful book on Canadian Group of Seven artists. Suzanne found a magnificent early 1900's sewing basket, with lid, and some more wool for future mitt-crafting. Believe it or not, one of the prime seasons for selling her knit hats, scarves and mitts, comes in the hot summer months. I can't explain it…..we just co-operate with the trend. So now is our time to bulk up, and a few weeks ago, she was able to purchase enough vintage wool, to make forty to fifty pairs of mitts, and many, many toques. She doesn't get her wool from a supplier. She gets it from second hand shops, church fundraising sales, flea markets, and other thrift and charity shops, and usually by the garbage-bag-full. It is always good quality wool, clean and well kept, and she works with what she has. It's her pioneer roots showing. As her great-grandmother made socks for the loggers and farmers in the family, Suzanne has been carrying on the family tradition into the modern era. Many folks are wearing her heavy hand-made socks, and come back regularly, to ask for custom orders. So when, at times, she gets tired of my roaming about the highways and backroads, visiting sales and shops in all obscure corners of the region, I remind her how we got that mountain of yarn she always has in ample quantity…..stored in every drawer, chest, cupboard here at Birch Hollow.

     Auctions for me, have always had an ethereal quality that I can't quite explain. When I worked for the local newspapers, I used to love heading out on a Saturday, in the warmer months, to attend an estate or farm auction. It was so completely different than my day to day job, and there was no stress except what I imposed on myself; to win certain pieces I wanted most, of those items listed for sale. In fact, I used to volunteer, to cover auctions for the newspaper, and it's how I got to know Les Rutledge and Art Campbell so well. In later years, I often went to Wayne Rutledge's (son of Les Rutledge) auctions, and I wrote about them as well, for various publications I was associated. Yet it was always an enjoyable assignment, and I was able to find the most interesting things to write about, and photograph, coming up for sale. Auctions are like big social clubs where you can buy things. Back in the 1980's and early 1990's, it was like connecting with an intimate neighborhood gathering, every time we went to a sale. We knew most people in attendance, because of the sale before, and the hundred auctions over the previous few years. A lot of social, conversational enjoyment, was garnered during those long sale days, and I never got bored. Suzanne wasn't quite as enthused, but then again, she didn't start in the industry, as early in life, as I did. To me, like writing these blogs, auctions and antique hunting, were liberating forces I had to experience……and short of hopping a freight car, sailing a schooner over the seven seas, or climbing Everest, this was the kind of questing that, because of the positive gamble, could open up doors you wouldn't believe. I have made many big finds and subsequent purchases, and I'm not blowing smoke here. Like fishing, I don't need to land a big one every time out, but the fact that you caught one, in the first place, is incentive enough to keep coming back for more. At an auction, I had the chance to perform my craft…..of ferreting out the "sleepers," which are items few know the value of, and then bidding without anyone else but the auctioneer, catching the wink of an eye. The reason you don't want any one else to watch you bidding, is that it is commonplace, to "follow the dealer." People let me find the "money" pieces, then hope I will give some sign of interest, to show them I'm the chap to pursue with back-bids. When I stop, they proceed, assuming, that I would have added at least 100 percent to the price paid, when it hits my shop. This isn't quite true. Sometimes it can be as low as a fifty percent mark-up, but it can also be a thousand percent, if the market value justifies the ceiling. As a warning, in case we ever meet up at sales, I know how to rid myself of follow-the-leader bidders, and it usually costs them a lot of money. I explain this later.

     I will be writing a few more columns about my auction experiences, and how I'd love to return to the days here, when we had regular weekly auctions. I don't know what's wrong, but it seems like this would be a prime area to open up an auction house…..or at least a South Muskoka auction service. Honestly, in its heyday here, I never thought there would be a time, when we wouldn't be home to two or more home based auctioneers…..as there is still enough business to go around. Art Campbell and I used to talk about this a lot, usually when he'd visit my shop. I also used to write a column, entitled "The Auction Roll," for Muskoka Publications, and I had many interviews with Art, a serious glass collector when not auctioneering. I even got Art a spot on the Betty Thompson Talk Show, on CKCO Television one year, with help from my old friend and cameraman, Gar Lewis, who I think did the filming that day…..during an afternoon auction, at the former Browning Hall, in Bracebridge. It was quite a culture back then, and I sure miss it today……when I now have to travel much further to satisfy my urges to gamble on history. I've bought a lot of history at auction sales, let me tell you.

     Antique hunting is always an adventure, if you have the right mindset, from the beginning. The first book I read, before becoming a serious antique hunter, was "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," which had absolutely nothing to do with antiques. It had a lot to do with discovery and life…..travel and adventure…..and opening of the mind. I still have it on a shelf with my antique reference books, as a sort of visual reminder of how all those antiquing travels got their initiation. Suzanne won't let me have a motorcycle, because she says (like my mother used to say when I asked for a BB gun for Christmas), "You'll hurt yourself….or kill someone else." So I ride a motorcycle vicariously, through reading about it.  She lets me attend auctions, if she is allowed to employ an exit strategy. She gets to leave early to staff the shop. I get to gamble away an afternoon, hunting for the evasive grail, hidden masterpiece; a naive painting by Grandma Moses, or an abstract painting by Jackson Pollock. The allure is a big one. I haven't found one of these yet, but I'm still a young 57, with a lot of ambition to burn off before retirement. By the way, old antique dealers and authors don't retire. They just die in the act. Not quite as satisfying as a final act of sex, but close.

     Join me for some interesting antique hunts coming up on this blog-site. This is the real adventure stuff. Thanks for taking the time to visit. I love writing about antiques and collectibles. You know, my first published column, in the spring of 1978, was called, "Antiques and Collectibles," in the fledgling Bracebridge Examiner; the same year, I helped found the Bracebridge Historical Society. I've certainly written about antiques and history more than about anything else, in my tenure with regional publications. I'm good with that. Now let's see what all that fuss was about. If you're interested in gambling, antiques, adventures, and wild characters in the trade, stick with me for some interesting tales, you won't read anywhere else. I had some great tutors in this trade…..who passed on some very important tips, I'm willing to share, after all these years of being cautious and guarded…….like a magician explaining how a trick is performed. See you again soon. But like that motorcycle, I was referring to previously……I don't intend to set a destination, to where we might eventually arrive. Just like when I used to go to an auction, and tell Suzanne I was going to wait to bid on one piece of unique Canadiana, and then arrive home with a van-load……of stuff, minus the painting, or flat-to-the-wall I had intended to win. It's taking life as it comes, and moving with the curves in the road…….and taking in all the scenery along the way. We'll call it for fun, "Zen and the Art of Antique Hunting," or "The things I didn't tell my partner, I did for fun, on my day off." It will be an odyssey for sure….with a lot of surprises revealed. That's a promise.

     Farewell for now.