The World Of Antiques Has Its Mummy's Revenge

THE WORLD OF ANTIQUES ISN'T WITHOUT ITS STRANGE AND DANGEROUS ROTATIONS

HUNTING BOOKS WHILE WEARING A SIDEARM - "THESE ARE MY BOOKS SO BACK OFF!"

     A LOT OF PEOPLE ONLY SEE THE POLITE, NEAT AND ORDERLY SHOWING AND SALE OF ANTIQUES, COLLECTABLES AND ART. SO IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE THAT THEY ACQUIRE THE IMPRESSION, OVER TIME, THAT THE ONLY EXCITEMENT IN THE ANTIQUE BUSINESS, IS ON SATURDAYS WHEN IT'S FRENCH POLISHING DAY, OR FEATHER DUSTING THE QUEBEC PINE FURNISHINGS. IT LOOKS LIKE A HOBBY FOR PACIFISTS. NO CONTROVERSY HERE. NO RUTHLESS COMPETITION FOR THE BEST PIECES. OF COURSE, THERE'S A DARK SIDE TO THE ANTIQUE INDUSTRY, AND ONE YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT, ALL THE SAME.

     PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN FIGHTS OVER ANTIQUES. NICE FOLKS HAVE BEEN SHOT, STABBED AND BEATEN OVER HEIRLOOM PIECES. FAMILIES HAVE BEEN TORN APART BY INHERITANCES THAT DIVIDED ANTIQUES AND ART FROM THE ESTATE. ANTIQUES AND ART ARE BEING STOLEN REGULARLY, EVEN FROM HIGH SECURITY GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS. SOME OF THE MORE SUPERSTITIOUS AMONGST US, POINT TO THE MYSTERIOUS DEATHS AROUND THE DISCOVERY OF KING TUT'S TOMB IN EGYPT, AND SOME STILL CLAIM THAT IT WAS A CURSE, WHEN IN FACT SCIENCE HAS SHOWN THERE WAS A LOT OF BAD AIR DOWN THERE. THERE WAS A PLAY PUT ON BY THE MUSKOKA FESTIVAL, HERE AT THE GRAVENHURST OPERA HOUSE, MANY YEARS AGO, UNDER THE HEADING, "THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S REVENGE." BASICALLY IT WAS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF TOMB ROBBING. A LOT OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE ART RELIC AND ANTIQUE COMMUNITY. MAYBE I'VE ALWAYS BEEN TOO SMALL, AS A DEALER, TO BE AFFECTED BY THIS BIG CRIME THING, BUT I READ ABOUT JUST HOW COMPETITIVE IT CAN GET OUT THERE, OVER SOME OF THE WORLDS RAREST PIECES. COMPETITIVE ENOUGH TO RESULT IN THE LOSS OF LIFE.

     I HAVE RUN INTO A COUPLE OF PEOPLE RECENTLY, WHO HAVE SHOWN A GENERAL INTEREST IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES, BUT AREN'T TERRIBLY ANXIOUS TO DEVOTE TOO MUCH TIME, FOR ANY SERIOUS, SCHOLARLY, IN-DEPTH LEARNING ABOUT THE PROFESSION…… THEY CURRENTLY HAVE A PERIPHERY INVOLVEMENT VIA RETAIL. WHEN I CHATTED WITH A NUMBER OF VETERANS OF THE ANTIQUE BUSINESS, AS I WAS MULLING OVER A FUTURE IN ANTIQUES, THEY ALL LET ME KNOW THAT IT WAS A LIFETIME OF LEARNING. THERE WAS NO CHANCE OF COMPLETING ONE'S EDUCATION IN THIS FIELD. AND YOU HAD TO LEARN LARGELY FROM IMMERSION, AND THE KIND OF NETWORKING THAT I WAS DOING WITH THEM……HANGING AROUND THEIR SHOPS, WATCHING WHAT THESE EXPERIENCED PROPRIETORS DID ON THEIR DOWN-TIME. THEY READ ABOUT ANTIQUES AND ART. I NEVER ONCE SAW PULP FICTION BEING STORED BEHIND THOSE COUNTERS, THAT I OFTEN HAD ACCESS. I HAD TO PUT UP WITH PIPE SMOKE FROM THE OLD GEEZERS, AND SILVER POLISH AND GLASS CLEANER FROM THE LADIES OF THE SHOP, WHO ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE RESTORING SOMETHING, OR REMOVING SMUDGES LEFT BY THE GRUBBY FINGERS OF CHILDREN, BROUGHT INTO THE SHOP BY DOTING BUT CARELESS, INATTENTIVE PARENTS. WE ALL HAVE FEAR OF THE LOOSE CHILD AMONGST THE CHINA AND GLASS. NOT SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBILITY THEY WILL DAMAGE ARTICLES, AND COST US MONEY, BUT THAT THEY WILL KNOCK OVER A STAND OR DISPLAY, AND HURT THEMSELVES IN THE WHIRLWIND OF GLASS SHARDS AND CHINA BITS AND PIECES. BOTTOM LINE HERE, THE SENIOR ANTIQUE COMMUNITY, ALWAYS ADVISED ME TO READ MORE, TALK TO MORE DEALERS, COLLECTORS AND AUCTIONEERS, AND ATTEND AS MANY SHOPS AND ANTIQUE SHOWS AS POSSIBLE DURING MY, AS IT TURNS OUT, LIFE TIME APPRENTICESHIP. HEY, IT'S ONE SCHOOLING JAG I ACTUALLY HAVE ENJOYED. I HATED SCHOOL AS A KID. SO I MARRIED A TEACHER. GO FIGURE.

     WHEN I GIVE MY LITTLE TWENTY MINUTE )SO YOU WANT TO SELL ANTIQUES" TUTORIALS, I ALWAYS END THE SAME AS I BEGIN. "GLAD TO HELP YOU……WHENEVER YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT A PIECE OR COLLECTION, YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME." OF COURSE, I REMIND THEM, THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE ON THE WORK OF AN ANTIQUE DEALER, BY PRICING VINTAGE PIECES BASED ON COLLECTIBLE VALUES, THEN IT IS NECESSARY TO LEARN FIRST, PRICE SECOND. THE GREATEST JOY FOR MOST OF US DEALERS AND COLLECTORS, IS TO FIND A GREENHORN WHO HAS TAKEN OVER THE CEREMONIAL HONORS OF BEING OFFICIAL "ANTIQUE PRICER." THIS IS ESPECIALLY SO, WHEN WE FIND OUT THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL HAS LITTLE REAL APPRECIATION FOR WHAT MAKES AN ANTIQUE, WELL, "AN ANTIQUE." WHAT QUALIFIES AN OBJECT AS "COLLECTIBLE?" WE KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S OUR PROFESSION. SO WE PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE DIALOGUE THAT GOES ON IN A BUSY STORE, CHARITY AND THRIFT SHOPS INCLUDED, BETWEEN STAFFERS, AND IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, WE CAN ASSESS WHERE THE SHORTFALLS IN EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE WILL BENEFIT US…….AND OUR ABILITY TO BUY LOW AND SELL HIGH. WHEN ONE OF THESE YOUNG FOLKS ASSUMES THAT A TWENTY MINUTE TUTORIAL IS ALL THEY NEED, ALONG WITH IMMERSION, I CAN'T HELP LAUGHING TO MYSELF, ABOUT ALL THE FOLLIES YET TO COME……WHEN THEY GET REIMED BY CUSTOMERS FOR OVER-PRICING, AND THEN WATCH A CUSTOMER, GRINNING EAR TO EAR, LEAVING THE BUILDING WITH A NATIONAL TREASURE UNDER HIS OR HER ARM. AS I NOTED IN YESTERDAY'S BLOG, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A FAST-TRACK IN THIS PROFESSION, AND EVEN AFTER THIRTY-FIVE YEARS, THERE ISN'T A WEEK THAT GOES BY, THAT I'M NOT EDUCATED BY ASSOCIATE MEMBERS OF THE PROFESSION…..WHO STAND AT MY COUNTER, AND TALK, AND TALK AND TALK. LONG WINDED? I LOVE IT! SOME OF THESE VETERAN DEALERS AND COLLECTORS ARE UNRECOGNIZED PROFESSORS OF THEIR SPECIALTIES……AND I HANG OFF THEIR WORDS, AND BENEFIT FROM THEIR INSIGHTS. THIS SAGE ADVICE IS NOT PUBLISHED IN BOOKS. I'M GETTING THIS STUFF FROM THE PROVERBIAL HORSE'S MOUTH. WHEN I WRITE THAT I HAVE HAD SOME AMAZING TUTORS IN THE ANTIQUE PROFESSION, I HAVE TOLD NO LIES.

     YESTERDAY I PROMISED YOU A LITTLE RE-HASH ABOUT THE TIME MY BOOK BUDDY, DAVE BROWN, HAD A NEAR FATAL ENCOUNTER AT AN ESTATE SALE IN THE UNITED STATES. IT'S A STORY ABOUT THE BIG MONEY IN THE TRADE OF OLD STUFF. THIS TIME IT WAS ABOUT THE STUFF THAT COMES OFF A PRINTING PRESS, IS BOUND, READ, CELEBRATED, AND VICIOUSLY COLLECTED BECAUSE OF HIGH VALUATIONS.

Y0U DON'T MESS WITH A BOOK COLLECTOR

     I wanted to share this little story for the young fellow who assessed my blogs as long-winded, the other day, when he offered a casual critique of the size of story he preferred. I may have directed him to my blog, in a casual conversation, but I certainly didn't make it required reading. It was long….very long, and a little hard trudge through (like wet snow), or so he mentioned. I didn't really know what to say about that, and on the drive home, I kept coming up with amusing anecdotes I would have liked to share…..but was so stunned by the happenstance nature of the events……I fell speechless…..which for me usually occurs when I've fallen asleep watching the television. I will awaken suddenly and carry on the conversation I was having with Suzanne, who may have already gone to bed. This story offers the antique toe-dipper, a little insight about the hidden realities of a profession that is crawling with strange occurrences, and a level of competition rookies can't quite comprehend. The antique profession doesn't slow down to let fledgling collectors and dealers an opportunity to hop on. You can't just jump on to a moving train, as many have found out, having lost limbs, falling onto the rails, and being run-over. I explain to any and all those interested in becoming dealers, as analogy, that you have to run along side the train, and when you are running at the same speed, and there's something to grab onto, like a ladder or an open freight-car door to jump into, then you have to muster the courage to make that leap of faith. Sure you might fall and die on those ribbon rails. You might start in the antique and collectable profession and be crushed by the competition, and torn to shreds by the vultures who prey on inexperience. Experience is what it's all about, and although the antique enterprise looks like a romantic, nostalgic pursuit for the history lover and home decorator, a pool is still a pool by definition, even if it is full of sharks when you jump in. I don't ever try to scare anyone from giving the profession a try, but I will never let it be said, I didn't warn them how precarious it can be, when the rookie gets trapped between competing pros, in quest of the holy grail.

     Dave frequented many estate sales where there were private libraries being sold-off. He travelled to rare books shops in Washington, New York and Chicago, and he had many friends in the business, and often, they would invite their Canadian friend down to attend these special sales. The one Dave was referring to, when he told me this precious story of an over-zealous collector, was being run by a charitable group, that had been the benefactors of a large bequeath……especially of rare and collectible books. According to Dave these were frequently held, but this was the only one he had actually been to…..but wasn't fussy about trying it again. It almost became deadly for the burly Mr. Brown.

     The protocol for this sale, was that no more than twenty-five people were allowed in at a time. There was some dealer manipulation of the numbers, because I believe it was the case that in the first lot, twenty five didn't refer to bodies…..just number plates. How this worked was that this dealer friend, brought Dave to register for the sale the day before, with two other mates, meaning that four numbers were given to his group. Other dealers were doing the same thing. Bringing out friends and family to chew up the bulk of the twenty-five positions, that were allowed entry at one time. So if you get my drift, and I apologize for being evasive, (it is on purpose), out of the first twenty-five allotted entry positions, only ten people were in that group when the sale was officially opened. In other words, the dealers in this first and most important group (because they were the first to be able to select the books), had blocked out extra competition, by bringing friends and family to register……yet on sale day, they weren't in the line-up. But as the rule of the sale, only twenty five numbers were taken at a time, regardless if there were actual humans attached. So there were fifteen no shows, but they were not supposed to be at the sale. They were merely blocking out other dealers and collectors from being in that first grouping. It probably happened to the second group of twenty-five as well. When the time allotment ended, and the first group had to leave, the next muster of book buyers entered. Instead of twenty-five, I think Dave said there were about fourteen in that second grouping. Is it fair? In real life collecting, fair isn't really the biggest issue, because it's survival and success of the fittest and most wily.

     Once in, and with only ten competitors for the books, instead of what could have been twenty-five, Dave started to hunt the books he was most interested in….and this of course was usually non fiction natural sciences, and the older the better. For example, he loved his books on "whaling," written at a time when whaling was still being actively pursued by sailing ship. In the time of Melville's "Moby Dick." So after a while hunting and gathering, he found a small collection of natural histories he hadn't seen on the shelves, stacked in a pile on the floor. So being unsure of the protocol, he did what every collector would under the circumstances. He began sorting through the pile. Then he heard a slapping of something, coming from behind. It was getting closer and annoying to him, trying to concentrate. The noise was coming immediately from his back, and he put his hand back on the floor, and felt the toe of a big shoe within striking range of his large behind. When he stopped looking through the books and turned around to see why this person was slapping themselves, in a weird cadence, he saw a gentleman looming above, with a book in one hand, and the other hand hitting the side of his jacket against his muscular chest. Dave stood up, and asked the chap if there was some reason he was crowding him into the corner. "You see those books Mac," he asked Dave. "Yes, I was just looking at them," he replied. "Well, you shouldn't have been, because they're mine. This is my place to pile the books that I'm planning to buy. Didn't you know that there are designated areas that you can pile your purchases," the gentleman asked rather abruptly, as if Dave should have known that the books for sale were on the shelves, not in piles on the floor.

     Dave was exceptionally good as a conversationalist, and peace-maker, and before long, he had this angry bibliophile chatting contently about his big finds of the day. When Dave asked him about the designated piles, that he hadn't known about, the man opened his jacket and presented the sidearm in a holster, hanging off his shoulder. "The last time I was at one of these sales, I came back to close out my purchases, from a pile just like this one, and it was gone. Someone had taken my books, and paid for them, and I thought this might pursuade them to leave my books alone this time." So the old book business isn't so passive, when the rare books in question, obviously have this kind of value……and this style of passionate collecting.

     There was another occasion when Dave attended an old book show, and was confronted by a dealer who didn't like the fact he had his grubby hands all over his rare whaling books. Part of this was Dave's fault because he never dressed up except when he was going to a Board of Education or civic function in Hamilton, Ontario, where he was a well known outdoor education teacher. Even to teach he never wore a suit or even close. So at this book sale he wasn't dressed appropriately, according to this dealer, and he felt it was better that he move on to someone else's booth. Big mistake. So Dave did what he was famous for……making a fuss. He had wanted to buy four or five of this chap's rare natural histories, but he requested a deal. It probably would have meant a sale of five or six hundred dollars, but the vendor only saw a hobo-like individual, experiencing some sort of delusion about being able to read, and having enough money to buy even one of the four. So when he gave Dave the bum's rush out of his booth, it began a domino effect, you might say, in the weeks to come……as he worked like a fiend behind the scenes, to blackball the vendor. How he did this, was by going to every rare book dealer he knew, finding out about the seller who had been rude to him, and then employing the code of friendship between bibliophiles. Soon the offending book dealer, was being informed almost daily, about the poor way he had treated their friend, Mr. Brown. Seeing as this same vendor, used to purchase books from Dave's friends, to meet the needs of his own customers, this came to a crashing conclusion. He had heard about Dave Brown but had never met him. Well he did meet him, but he didn't really give him much chance to offer a friendly introduction. The apology was too late. I don't think the "blackball" situation crushed his business, but it certainly reminded the vendor how precariously close we all are in this profession, and why we should never, as they say, judge a book by its cover.

     Once we got to know Dave, from his regular visits to Birch Hollow, he said to us one night, after a couple of glasses of wine, "Now I want you folks to know something about me, that you may hear from someone else……..but I'd like to set the record straight now, instead of having to explain all this later," he said. "There are some people out there who will tell you that I can make people disappear." He wasn't smiling like we were used to witnessing, when he told just about any story out of his extensive repertoire. "I know people, you see, and because of that, it's assumed I can make people I don't like disappear." Dave knew many individuals who had questionable pasts. He knew mobsters, gangsters, members of the mafia and a lot of other characters who had dealings in the world of crime. He often worked freelance to remove built-in antique shelves, cupboards, doorways, spiral staircases, iron railings and thousands of other architectural antiques, just before the wrecking balls hit, at demolition sites. He told us that he was often under surveillance because of the company he kept…..but he admitted, he had many friendships with people, he knew were "connected," but he didn't know how deep, and what the alleged crimes may have been. My point is…..he was after antiques. A precarious enterprise indeed.

     I do get a kick out of rookie collectors and antique dabblers, who think this is such a swell, passive and romantic profession. Geez, wake up and smell the coffee before it gets poured over your head.

     Thanks for joining today's blog. There's so much more on the way. Maybe, as a long time dealer and collector yourself, you will concur with some of these stories, or have heard parallel tales. Maybe you'll be able to add a couple of neat anecdotes, about competition you've experienced out there on the hustings. It's an historic profession, and it has had a questionable past with a large cast of crooks and scoundrels, and of this reputation, we must elevate ourselves…..but by golly, it's a challenge. See you again soon.