A DAY'S HARVEST ADVENTURE OUT ON THE REGIONAL ANTIQUE HUNT -
SO WHAT NEAT STUFF EXISTS OUT THERE ANYWAY?
IT WAS A PRETTY TYPICAL WEEKEND OUTING AROUND THE REGION. WE TRAVEL FREQUENTLY TO ORILLIA AND BARRIE; AT LEAST TWICE A MONTH, IF NOT MORE, AND THIS CHANGES IN THE SUMMER SEASON, WHEN MORE OF OUR GAD-ABOUTS ARE IN MUSKOKA. WE HAVE SEASONAL SHOPS HERE, THAT BLOSSOM BACK TO LIFE IN THE LATE SPRING.
ON A TYPICAL SUNDAY WE CAN HIT SIX SECOND HAND SHOPS IN THE HURONIA AREA, AND THIS MAKES IT WORTH THE DRIVE. WE ALWAYS COME BACK WITH ITEMS FOR BOTH OUR VINTAGE MUSIC SHOP, AND FOR THE ANTIQUE WING. SOMETIMES ITS A BETTER HAUL, SOMETIMES A LITTLE LIGHT, BUT HONESTLY, IT ALWAYS PAYS FOR GAS, LUNCH AND DINNER. SEEING AS WE ALWAYS TOUCH BASE WITH FRIENDS IN THE RETAIL SECTOR, WHILE SHOPPING THERE, THE NETWORKING COMPONENT IS USUALLY AN INCOME GENERATOR SOMETIME DOWN THE ROAD. THE ONLY WAY I CAN EXPLAIN THIS, WOULD BE TO USE VINTAGE VINYL AS AN EXAMPLE. THE BOYS VISIT A COUPLE OF PLACES WHERE THEY HUNT OLD RECORDS, AND EVEN IF THEY DON'T COME BACK WITH BOX-LOADS, THEY WILL HAVE LEFT "WANT LISTS," AND POTENTIALLY EVEN BEEN HANDED ANOTHER SHOP'S "NEEDS LIST," WHICH WE CAN OFTEN FILL. NETWORKING IS HUGE IN THE ANTIQUE AND SECOND HAND TRADE, AND JUST TOUCHING BASE, AND MEETING IN-PERSON, HAS ITS INHERENT REWARDS. WE HAVE MANY SUPPLIERS OUT THERE, TO PROVIDE THE INVENTORY FOR OUR COMBINED SHOPS. TODAY WAS ONE OF THOSE POSITIVE NETWORKING DAYS, MIXED WITH SOME VERY GOOD FINDS. IN RECORDS, THE BOYS, ANDREW AND ROBERT, WERE ABLE TO ACQUIRE A FEW VERY HARD TO FIND LP'S, AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE RETAIL PRICES PAID OUT, AS COMPARED TO THEIR EVENTUAL ASKING PRICES, EVEN WITH ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF FINDS, THEY WILL, BY BOOK VALUES, BE ABLE, WHEN SOLD, TO GARNER A VERY HEALTHY PROFIT. SO WE MADE THEM BUY US LUNCH. WE CURRIES ARE VERY TRADITIONAL, AND AFTER A SUCCESSFUL HUNT AND GATHER, WE DINE WHILE COMPARING NOTES, AT THE HIGHWAY II NEW YORK FRIES. WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG TIME NOW, AND IT'S PART OF OUR ANTIQUE HUNTING PROTOCOL. ANTIQUE DEALERS BEING HABITUAL? WHAT'S THAT ALL ABOUT? SHOW ME ONE WHO ISN'T!
THE FINDS TODAY FOR ME, WERE FEWER THAN USUAL, BUT EXCELLENT, IN TERMS OF QUALITY AND APPRAISED VALUE. ASKING PRICES WERE MODEST AND THERE'S LOTS OF ROOM TO MARK-UP THE ITEMS, AND NOT FEEL AS IF WE ARE GOUGING. WE PRICE MODERATELY BECAUSE WE BUY OUR SELECT PIECES FOR LOW, LOW PRICES. IT'S A CHALLENGE TO ADHERE TO THIS BUY-SELL RULE, BUT WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FROM THE BEGINNING…..AND IT'S CERTAINLY HELPED OUR BUSINESS. I WANT PEOPLE TO SAY TO US, "MY GOODNESS YOUR PRICES ARE FAIR." THEY DON'T HAVE TO USE THE WORD "LOW" OR "ROCK BOTTOM," BUT I'D BE HAPPY IF THEY THOUGHT THIS. I DON'T WANT CUSTOMERS LEAVING OUR SHOP EMPTY HANDED, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE OUR PRICES ARE TOO HIGH. IF WE DON'T HAVE WHAT THEY WANT….WELL THEN, WE HAVE TO IMPROVE ON THE DIVERSITY OF OUR INVENTORY. PRICE POINT IS OUR BIGGEST CONCERN. WE'RE IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET UP HERE IN MUSKOKA, AND AS THE SMALLEST ANTIQUE ENTERPRISE ON THE BLOCK, WE HAVE TO DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH LESS. SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY ASTUTE BUYERS, AND KNOW HOW TO FIND EVASIVE ANTIQUES, OLD BOOKS, ART AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD LOOK GOOD IN AN OLD-STUFF SHOP LIKE OURS, FOR THE LOWEST PRICES POSSIBLE. WE DO PAY-OUT MUCH LARGER AMOUNTS, BUT THOSE ITEMS HAVE TO BE OF EXCEPTIONAL VALUE AND INTEREST TO US.
AS ONE EXAMPLE, I FOUND AN INTERESTING FOLK ART PORTRAIT OF A GENTLEMAN FROM THE EARLY 1800'S. I KNOW IT'S AN ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR. IT HAS BEEN RE-FRAMED WITH A SIMULATED VELVET BORDER, AND WHILE IT WOULD TAKE SOME WORK TO FIND THE PERFECT FRAME TO RESTORE IT, TO ITS PERIOD, THE THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLAR PRICE TAG THREW ME OFF MY GAME. WHAT WAS MOST INTERESTING ABOUT THE PORTRAIT, WERE THE WONKY EYES…….AND IT WAS THE DOMINATING CHARACTERISTIC THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION FROM ACROSS THE ROOM. THE EYES WERE LOOKING TO THE EXTREME RIGHT, AS IF SOMEONE WAS APPROACHING HIM WITH DINNER, A PICTURE OF HIS GIRLFRIEND, OR A DUELING PISTOL, WHILE THE FACE WAS POSITIONED STRAIGHT-ON FOR THE ARTIST. FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE ARTIST WANTED TO MAKE A STATEMENT……NOTING FOR ALL VIEWERS OF THE PIECE, THAT THE GENTLEMAN-SUBJECT KEPT GETTING DISTRACTED. IT'S THE UNUSUAL DEVIATION FROM THE NORM WE LOOK FOR, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO FOLK ART, WHERE THERE ARE STORIES ATTACHED THAT ARE HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT TO A FAMILY, REGION, OR COUNTRY. THERE WAS A STORY BEHIND THIS, BUT ALAS, ON A LARK, IT WASN'T WORTH THE ASKING PRICE. BUT IT WAS WORTH OWNING. I WILL BE WATCHING FOR A SPRING SALE EVENT AT THIS PARTICULAR SHOP.
TODAY'S INTERESTING FINDS WERE MOSTLY BOOKS
I found a really nice piece of mid-century rural Canadiana, jammed into a really bad frame, that is a good example of naive landscape painting, very much in the spirit of folk art expression, dated 1949, as painted by "J.C. Durie," of Manitoba, depicting several small cabins on a picturesque little lake. It's a pleasant image, well executed, that is both a simple depiction, but it accomplishes what the artist set out to do; show the admirer how nice this little place on earth is, in post war Canada. It is an excellent condition, and short of having a nice frame and glass to protect it, the Canadian landscape will sell for between forty and sixty dollars. It's not a Group of Seven, but it is a nostalgic, sentimental and effective decorator piece from Canada's past. It will look great in the shop. A digital image of the painting is featured above.
The second interesting find, came quite by accident, as it usually does. Son Robert, who has an amazing eye for old and interesting books, (he's been my apprentice for fifteen years now), found me two autographed art books, both Canadian painters, and a book of collected poems by E.J. "Ned" Pratt, one of Canada's best known poets. I have sold quite a few Ned Pratt signed first editions, including signed copies of a book his wife Viola wrote, as well as his daughter Claire, so Robert will always show me one of his books, if he happens upon it at a book sale. I actually have a signed print by Claire Pratt, in our shop, that was created as an illustration for one of her father's poems. I went to where Robert had pulled it off the shelf, to see if anything else of interest was stocked there, since I was at the shop two weeks ago. This is what we call a "vein," because often times, store staff will find an opening on a shelf, and squeeze in five or six books that may have come from the same donor. This is why I was getting Canadiana today, especially in art and literature. So I kept working down the shelf, and sure enough, I came upon the find of the day. It was a new edition, published in 1995 by Random House of Canada. It is a small, stated first edition, in hardcover, with dustjacket, entitled, "A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska - The Story of Hannah Breece," edited and with an introduction and commentary by Jane Jacobs. And yes, it is signed by this legend of urban planning philosophies. "Over fifty years ago, Hannah Breece bestowed upon her great-niece, Jane Jacobs, a manuscript roughly culled together from letters of her days as a school teacher in Alaska and Fort Yukon. The project was shelved for many years, but in the summer of 1994, Ms Jacobs packed her bags and journeyed to Alaska to do the research necessary to complete her great-aunt's work," notes the introduction. Jane Jacobs, by the way, was "the author of five critically acclaimed and influential books, including 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities,' 'The Economy of Cities,' 'Cities and the Wealth of Nations,' and the bestselling 'Systems of Survival.' She lives and works in Toronto." She passed away some time ago.
This is a hard autograph to come upon, and the book will retail for about thirty dollars because of her signature. The book itself, on the rebound, would sell for about nine dollars in its present condition. Another exceptional book I picked up at a charity shop today, retailed a year ago for fifty dollars. It is an attractive large format publication entitled "The Churches of Oro-Medonte," and the art panels in the text were done by Joanna McEwan; it was published by MacLarenArtCentre, Barrie, with essays by Joanna McEwen and Andrea Curtis, with an introduction by Ben Portis. This is a fabulously attractive book, fashioned after books of this nature from the 1880's onward, and is a brilliant art image tribute and recognition of churches, church functions, and the images many of us still remember from attending church suppers and bake sales. The paintings are fascinating and focused on familiar items found in these historic church structures dating back to the 1800's, and it is a charming, sentimental rekindling of the way we used to be……when church played a much bigger role in family times. I got this book for a very low price, but I want to use it as a store-copy, because it's one I really want to share with others. I applaud all those who made this book possible, and especially this fine artist, Joanna McEwen. If only more books were produced with this kind of attention to detail and high quality. Honestly, I would have been glad to pay fifty dollars for this publication……but I would have insisted that it be signed by all who were involved in the project…..including those who designed and printed it for public consumption. It might not be recognized as a landmark book in Canadian publishing, but it is now, an important book in my permanent collection…..and as a Canadiana collector, I hope those who were responsible for this fine book, appreciate the high standard that any author or artist has to achieve to be considered "one of my best shelf-worthy books." As a minor collector of old photographs, the cover shot is a jewel. It makes me heartsick. I want to be in this picture. I want to feel what it was like, back then, to be a part of this church congregation, in this beautiful old building……tucked into the Canadian hinterland. There are some images of the book published above.
As well today, Suzanne was able to purchase five vintage cookbooks we needed, for our upcoming cookery heritage resource collection, and as well, we got a good condition Martha Stewart cookbook, from a few years back, and honestly, her books, and we carry most of them on the rebound, sell very well. She's colorful, a little controversial at times (if you read some of the rogue biographies), but a person of enormous energy who has appealed to millions of viewers and readers around the globe. She has certainly helped the antique trade with coverage of heritage pieces, as backdrops and photo-shoot props), in these same cookbooks, and you'd be surprised, at how many customers we have, who come to us for vintage items, they saw in one of her books…….and want the same for their kitchen or home in general. Many contemporary dealers have benefitted from Martha Stewart's insistence on traditional decorations, and heirloom representation, in modern home design. In respect to what she has done for our trade, in new business, we will always have a Martha Stewart book selection, out of respect, amongst our most collectible vintage texts. Her cookbooks will be part of our permanent collection at the shop, that we will keep for reference.
It was a long day out on the road, and hustling up pieces, so please forgive me for ending this a little short tonight. I hope all is well, and trust you had a comfortable, enjoyable Sunday. The kettle has just whistled, and Suzanne has thrown another log atop the fire, bless her heart; and I plan to settle there momentarily, with some of her still warm oatmeal cookies, with a hot cup of tea……..and enjoy the completion of another interesting day as a writer on the move, and an antique dealer on the hunt. Fare well for now. Please consider visiting again soon. I've got many stories yet to tell.
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