 |
| 1970's Reference Guide Book to Country Store Collectables |
CANADIAN COUNTRY STORE COLLECTABLES - A SIGNED FIRST EDITION OF AN IMPORTANT REFERENCE BOOK - I WOULDN'T BE CAUGHT WITHOUT IT
A 1979 PRICE GUIDEBOOK BY BILL AND PAULINE HOGAN -
What I would give to walk into the old Muskoka Trading Store, in Bracebridge, or Lorne's Marketeria, that used to be on Manitoba Street, next to Ecclestone's Hardware. The old A&P had those worn-down wooden floors, trodden into a smooth hollow by its patrons, and it was housed in a Victorian era storefront, on what used to be called the Queen's Hill; situated a little further north on the main street. I loved those places because of their country simplicity, and the fact they didn't look contemporary....just as the Downtown Garage always appeared to be operating, thirty years earlier than the date on their suspended calendar behind the counter. In this case, as with the grocery stores, I was fascinated by the reality they were operating behind their time. It was like being immersed in the past, while the contemporary world whizzed by to the present. I still know a few places like this. I used to get my lunch milk from the former MacTier Red & White Store, and I could find all kinds of excuses, to visit Robinson's General Store in Dorset. We have never once made it to Algonquin Park, without first stopping to pick up some treats at Robinsons. It has become a family tradition. For me, it goes back to the early 1970's, when I used to work for Clarke's Produce in Bracebridge; a Toronto company with a Muskkoka depot. We used to deliver vegetables to all the resorts and summer camps in that area, of Haliburton and Muskoka, and we'd always stop for a pop at Robinsons, before taking the long drive into Mountain Trout House, on Kawagama (Lake). I've been in position, many times, in my life thus far, to be up close and personal to not only the remaining old time grocery and general stores, but to the products on the shelves of these businesses, that are highly collectable today. But to get an idea what helped spark the general store, and advertising collectable trend, I've got a little book I'd like to share with you. To me, it is indispensable for antique dealers. We share the contents with our customers frequently, and we'd love to have some to sell.
I could sell these books quickly, regularly, and for a tidy profit. If that is, I could acquire more than this lovely single copy, we keep for reference at our sales desk. Bill and Pauline Hogan, who signed our copy, created an important early directory of what is considered "Country Store Collectables." It covers an area every general antique dealer, at some point, has to deal with, as part of an estate, or collection they have been offered; or even buying an auction job-lot. It is a well travelled and occupied area of collecting, and there are many home and business decorators vying for the best of the old advertising tins....especially those from food items. The prices for these pieces, in pristine condition, are huge, as a significant percentage have been dinted and damaged over years of mishandling.
The small format publication, which originally cost $8.95, which even then was a huge bargain for collectors and dealers, was published independently by the Hogans, with some full color plates featuring numerous of the better quality tins. I have been offered fifty dollars for my signed copy, but there's no way we could do without it; and as we specialize in Canadiana, the book itself is a showpiece because of its national content.
"(Written in 1979) About three or four years ago," write the co-authors, Bill and Pauline Hogan, tins, signs and other advertising items, started appearing at the specialty bottle shows in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, and a boom in country store collectables started. We became intrigued with the items, first for their value as decor, and then for their own sake. Thus began an engrossing spare time and weekend hobby, which has taken us all over Ontario, into Quebec and the United States; and into the homes of many other collectors. Some people like ourselves, began collecting the whole range of artifacts from the smallest of advertising buttons to the largest coffee mill. Others made a specialty out of just one area of interest; tobacco tins, for example, or thermometers, or sewing stuff. Today, collectors from across the country, from advertising directors to ten year old students, collect these country store artifacts. As well, 'theme' restaurants like "Mother's Pizza Parlours," and "Crock and Block," (and I hear McDonald's in the near future...circa 1970's) have introduced country store collectables to the public at large, and have created a brand new interest."
"They write that, "The term 'country store collectable,'is not terribly accurate. Actually we mean "general store,' because, of course, the old city stores had the same attractive stuff. The connotation of a country store, however, with its hint of nostalgia, variety and warmth, conveys the attraction of this kind of collecting. It includes advertising signs, posters, trade cards, and all sorts of give-a-way items which range from stuffed dolls to small furniture, all imprinted with a commercial message. It also includes store fixtures like coffee mills, dispensers, large bins, mirrors, and so on; and the ones with a commercial message are preferable. It also includes the containers and sometimes the contents that were sold in an old general store. Anything, in fact, that is pleasant to look at, to display, or to wonder about, and that recalls an older, less sophisticated time, is a collectable. In general, the better the graphics or the design on the piece, the more beautiful it is, and therefore, the more valuable."
"The 19th century, also saw the development of canning techniques and techniques for lithographing on tin-plated steel. Thus, producers could package their goods in pleasing containers designed to attract the eye in the crowded store and also suitable for long-term storage, transportation, and home use. All these developments produced the highly attractive containers and advertising pieces we treasure today. These collectables date, therefore, from about the mid 19th century, to about the 20th. The cut-off date at this can be quite a personal thing; whenever you feel old ends and contemporary begins. Generally, if your grandparents might have used it, it's charmingly collectable, but if you can remember it, you're not so charmed," write the Hogans.
They continue by suggesting, "Canadian collectors have been working in a vacuum. Very few correspond, largely because they don't know each other and because Canadians don't have the advantage of large advertising shows, like the American ones in Gaithersburg or Indianapolis, that let you know if you have significant pieces in your collection, or ones that are quite common (but personally pleasing). We hope this book changes some of that. There are enough really good items illustrated and described in this book to spur on the serious collector. The larger selection of the more common artifacts will help out the beginning collector buy with a greater measure of security, in a sometimes bewildering market place. All the items are Canadian, or, in the case of the coffee mills and Diamond Dyes cabinets, used in Canadian stores as well as American ones."
Today, the interest in General Store Collectables has exploded, and now includes many more contemporary pieces, certainly moving into the 1970 and 1980's, because of the nostalgia factor.....which drives the antique business these days. Although there are still premium prices being attained for the earliest pieces of general store advertising, more collectors and less supply, has by its own momentum, brought collecting up to the modern era; those people wanting to get started in this field, but not have several hundred dollars to spend on an 1880's tin. The interest is huge and growing, and in our own shop, Suzanne tries to keep these advertising items, spanning the centuries, in stock, but the best ones, in finest condition, don't last long on the shelf. As Suzanne has, as her shop specialty, cookery related collectables, in company with her large vintage cookbook collection, we are regularly acquiring these tin and box collectables, because they look so darn good in place. It creates a nice, comfortable, interesting decor, and our patrons find it reminds them of their grandmother's house, or the old corner store they used to visit in their neighborhood. So many people today, have unfortunately, never had the experience of visiting an old time general store, unless it was at a pioneer village or related historic site. What a shame. I enjoyed the last years of those great old grocery stores, and ones that sold a little bit of everything, including some kitchen sinks and garden implements.
These advertising tins, etc., are pleasant to look at, and because of their vibrant colors and graphics, have an art quality to them, that allows them to fit into most home and business decors, even if there are only a few pieces to exhibit. Decorators love them, and antique dealers like to have them as visual attractions up on their cabinets....doing the same thing to patrons as they were intended, by the original companies that marketed the products.....and that's "catch your attention." What worked in the 1890's, and the 1930's, 40's and 50's, still works today, and we in the antique trade exploit it for all its worth. And if you were to put the two together, the historic tin labels I wrote about in yesterday's blog (you can archive this), with the imprinted tins, profiled by the Hogans, in their little book, it's pretty obvious, there is a huge area for the old and new collector to spread their wings without bumping into one another. Keep in mind, that collectors and hoarders of these pieces, make a habit of selling off their holdings, from time to time, and it's always possible to be in the right place, at the right time, when this happens. We have bought several small collections over the years, and we keep on making acquisitions as interesting tins become available.
"Almost any item from a country store can be used attractively in your home. It's much more fun to display your collectables than to simply store them. You can make your own rules and experiment with your own arrangements. The end result is guaranteed to be pleasing, since the items have such inherent appeal. You will have not only covered a blank space on your wall, with some history, but you will have conversation pieces that few will be able to match," conclude the Hogans. "It's fun to collect items that are related in theme - such as thread company articles, for example - and then use them to decorate a suitable room; a sewing room perhaps. Food tins and signs go well as kitchen decor. Liquor company signs, paper-under-glass, and trays fit naturally into a bar. Soap advertising can embellish your bathroom, and you can have animal tins and signs in your den. The possibilities are limitless and items don't have to be related to be attractive in a group. Nostalgia unites all collectables."
I like that last sentence, and I can apply that to the modern age of antiques and collectables, and all the people getting turned on to old stuff. "Nostalgia unites all collectables." It's precisely why we have select advertising tins in our own kitchen. The memories they evoke, are pleasant and take us gently back through the years, like the scents that still, after all these years, can be detected, when the lids are opened. Admittedly there are times, long days and long nights, when everything contemporary becomes burdensome. It's surprising how the colors and elaborate designs on these collectable tins can ease one back, so subtly, to the olden days....even the ones we only knew from the stories told by our parents and grandparents.... and from the photographs and movies we've seen. And did I mention, that they are also a good investment. Good on all counts. Buy quality, and the better the condition, the more you will expect to pay. Watch for re-issues which are pretty easy to spot, and feel for the difference in texture and weight between originals and reproductions. Some are purposely reproduced showing wear, to reflect age. They don't replicate the feel of original scrapes and imprinting on the surface. I find collectable tins the hardest to copy by modern means; and frauds easy to detect. Most companies that re-issue these tins, clearly note that they are commemorative reproductions. While in terms of vintage and collectable glass, for example, it is much harder to detect frauds unless you're highly trained. There are so many cheap reproductions of Depression Glass, I've known many dealers, who have been fooled by the textures and colorations....which should always be the give-away. You're pretty safe with general store collectables, buying from reliable antique and collectable shops; even better, if you're interested in doing basic research for identification purposes, and valuations, before jumping into the deep end of the market place. The best tins are priced high. I don't know any other word to use. So you should do price comparisons before making a decision, which could save you hundreds of dollars. I work as a picker, so I want the best for the least. So I shop in flea markets and at yard sales, but seldom at auction sales, because prices are just about as high, at times, as buying them from specialty shops.
Thanks for visiting today. I hope you've been able to deal with the cold, cold January....just like the ones we used to know. We've got quite a few more bitterly cold days to go, before the Arctic loop takes-off back to the north country. I can't wait to see that groundhog come out of his hole in early February. I've got a few things I want to say to him / her, about an early spring.
LEARNING BY IMMERSION - AND TENDING THE BAR
STUDYING THE ANTIQUE TRADE FROM ALL SIDES, AND THEN SOME
I WAS ONE OF THE VOLUNTEERS FROM THE TOWN'S HISTORICAL SOCIETY, ASSIGNED TO THE FIRST BRACEBRIDGE ANTIQUE SHOW…..AND THEN SOME, AS THE SALE BECAME AN ANNUAL EVENT. THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY WAS THE BENEFICIARY OF THE THREE DAY SALE, TO HELP FUND OUR MUSEUM, KNOWN AS WOODCHESTER VILLA. THE THREE DAY SHOW AND SALE WAS HELD AT THE BRACEBRIDGE ARENA. THIS WAS BACK IN THE MID 1980'S. I WAS GIVEN TWO JOBS, OVER SEVERAL YEARS AS A VOLUNTEER. THE FIRST JOB WAS TO SERVE AS BARTENDER IN THE UPSTAIR'S LOUNGE. THE SECOND WAS TO TAKE A NIGHT-SHIFT AS SECURITY PERSONNEL. FOR THAT ONE, I SLEPT IN THE ARENA GONDOLA. I HAD THE BEST VIEW OF THE FLOOR, AND A NUMBER OF IMPROVISED WEAPONS (PLASTIC POP CONTAINERS) I COULD THROW DOWN AT THOSE STAGING AN ANTIQUE HEIST. I ALSO HAD QUITE A NUMBER OF PUCKS UP THERE, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN USEFUL, UNTIL THE PERPETRATORS FIGURED OUT THAT MY ARSENAL WASN'T PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS OR THREATENING……BUT JUST A NUISANCE. I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A PHONE LINE OUT, BEING UP THERE, AND THE ONLY THING I COULD HAVE DONE, OUTSIDE OF TOSSING DOWN ASSORTED ITEMS AND GENERAL DEBRIS, WOULD HAVE BEEN TO ENGAGE THE SCOREBOARD AND THE END OF PERIOD BUZZER. OH YEA, AND I COULD HAVE MADE LENGTHY AND ANNOYING ANNOUNCEMENTS OVER THE PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM. I COULD HAVE BORED THEM INTO FLEEING. OF COURSE, IF THEY HAD WANTED TO SHOOT ME, I WAS THE LITERAL SITTING DUCK WATCHMAN, WITH NO EXIT STRATEGY, ACCEPT CLIMBING THROUGH THE RAFTERS.
BOTH THESE POSITIONS, EARLY IN MY OWN FLEDGLING CAREER AS AN ANTIQUE DEALER, HELPED ME IMBED, TEMPORARILY, IN THE SET-UP AND RUNNING OF A MAJOR ANTIQUE SHOW. THE BRACEBRIDGE SALE CONTINUES TO THIS DAY, BUT HAS MOVED A FEW BLOCKS EAST TO THE AGRICULTURAL HALL INSTEAD OF THE ARENA. WHEN I TOOK MY FIRST SHIFT, OF THE WEEKEND SHOW, AS BARTENDER, A FASCINATING THING HAPPENED. MOST OF MY EVENING REGULARS, WERE VENDORS AND HELPERS. FROM THE FIRST PART OF THE SHOW, ON THURSDAY EVENING, I HAD A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO CONVERSE WITH VENDORS GETTING READY FOR THE OPENING NIGHT CROWD. WHICH OF COURSE IS THE PREMIUM TIME TO VISIT, AND ADMISSION WAS A BUCK OR TWO MORE THAN ON BOTH FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. ANTIQUE HUNTERS LIKE TO GET IN WHEN THE BEST PIECES ARE BEING SHOWCASED. THEY MIGHT COME BACK DURING THE OTHER TWO DAYS, BUT IT'S OPENING NIGHT THAT OFFERS POTENTIAL PRIZES TO THE EAGER BEAVER. MANY ANTIQUE SHOPPERS WILL THEN RETURN, LATE IN THE SHOW, AS DEALERS ARE THINKING ABOUT THE CHORE OF PACKING UP AGAIN. THIS APPARENTLY IS A GOOD TIME TO STRIKE UP A DEAL FOR A DESIRED PIECE. HAVING DONE THESE SHOWS AS VENDORS, IN LATER YEARS, I KNOW THIS DOES HAPPEN, AND WE'VE WATCHED DEALERS SWITCH QUICKLY FROM WRAPPING A PIECE OF VINTAGE GLASS TO GO BACK INTO THEIR VEHICLE, TO WRAPPING AND BAGGING IT INSTEAD FOR A LATE-IN-THE-SHOW CUSTOMER. IT NEVER HAPPENED TO US, BUT I KNOW THIS DOES ENTER INTO THE BUYER'S STRATEGY. I'VE ALSO HEARD DEALERS TALKING ABOUT THIS, AND YES, DURING MY STINT AS A BARTENDER. I HEARD A LOT OF STORIES ON THAT OCCASION, AND IT WAS A GREAT HAPPENSTANCE TUTORIAL.
SOME OF THE VENDORS SHOWED UP AT THE BAR, ABOUT A HALF HOUR BEFORE THE SHOW OPENED. THERE HAD BEEN A SPECIAL GET TOGETHER OF DEALERS, HOSTED BY THE SHOW ORGANIZERS, AND QUITE A FEW LAUNCHED THE THREE DAY SALE WITH A SIP OR TWO OF WINE. I DIDN'T GET TOO MUCH AT THIS POINT, BUT EVERYONE SEEMED VERY EXCITED BY THE LINE-UP OUTSIDE, OF NEW ARRIVALS, ANXIOUS TO PAY THEIR ADMISSION AND START SCOURING THE BOOTHS FOR GREAT FINDS. AS THE EVENING PROGRESSED, HAPPY VENDORS WOULD TAKE REFRESHMENT BREAKS, USUALLY AFTER A MAJOR FLURRY OF SALES. THEY TOLD ME SO. THEY TRIED TO BUY THE BARTENDER DRINKS, BUT ALL I WANTED WERE BANKABLE SALE TIPS, AS THIS WAS THE PROFESSION I WANTED TO FOLLOW IN THE FUTURE. IT WASN'T LONG, BEFORE I WAS TALKING OVER THE BAR WITH TWO, THREE, AND FOUR DEALERS AT A TIME, ALL BUZZING ABOUT THE FIRST TWO HOURS OF BETTER THAN ANTICIPATED SALES. WHAT I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, HONESTLY, WAS THAT THEY WERE CHATTING ABOUT TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN THEMSELVES, FROM EARLIER IN THE SHOW. ACTUALLY, WELL BEFORE THE SHOW BEGAN. I HAD TO ASK MORE ABOUT THIS, ONCE I'D WON THEIR CONFIDENCE AS A BARTENDER, WILLING TO ENTERTAIN ALL KINDS OF PERSONAL CONFESSIONALS AND ANECDOTES. THEY DID MAKE ME LAUGH. I NEVER THOUGHT ANTIQUE DEALERS WERE A FUNNY BUNCH, BUT AFTER A FEW GLASSES OF WINE, IT WAS A GOOD-HUMOR GATHERING THAT'S FOR SURE.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN ABOUT PRE-SHOW SALES?" I ASKED THE GROUP OF THREE, WHO WERE QUITE CONTENT TO LET THEIR BUSINESS PARTNERS (SPOUSES) RUN THEIR BOOTHS. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT WORDING OF THE RESPONSE, BUT I MUST ADMIT TO BEING RATHER SHOCKED. I WAS NEW TO THIS STUFF YOU SEE. I WOULD NEVER HAVE THOUGHT THERE WAS A BRISK TRADE BETWEEN DEALERS BEFORE THE FIRST CUSTOMERS WERE ALLOWED INTO THE ARENA. "ISN'T THAT CHEATING?" I ENQUIRED. "I MEAN, THESE CUSTOMERS HAVE PAID A PREMIUM PRICE TO GET INTO THE SHOW, BUT SOME PIECES HAVE ALREADY BEEN SOLD IN ADVANCE." THEY LOOKED AT ME AS IF I HAD JUST FALLEN OFF THE CABBAGE TRUCK. BASICALLY, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL YOUR LIFE KID? APPARENTLY, IT'S A PRETTY COMMON THING, AND IN SOME CASES, PIECES ARE SOLD SEVERAL TIMES, FROM DEALER TO DEALER AS THEY ARRIVE AT THE SHOW, UP TO THE VERY END, WHEN THE VEHICLES ARE BEING LOADED. THE DEALER TO DEALER COMMERCE CAN BE VERY BRISK, AND I'M TOLD IT CAN BOTH ENHANCE A DEALER'S WEEKEND, AND MAKE PROFIT FROM WITHIN, EVEN IF THE THREE DAYS SALES FIGURES PROVE LACKLUSTER. SO I SERVED UP MORE DRINKS, AND WE TALKED AND TALKED ABOUT THE MINUTE DETAILS OF FOLLOWING THE SHOW CIRCUIT AROUND THE PROVINCE. THESE FOLKS KNEW EACH OTHER SO WELL, AS TO GET TOGETHER FOR LUNCHES AND DINNERS BEFORE AND AFTER THE EVENTS. I NEVER KNEW THIS. I THOUGHT DEALERS WERE CUT-THROAT, HIGHLY AGGRESSIVE, AND NARROW FOCUSED…..AND HABITUALLY ANTI-SOCIAL. I WAS MILES OFF BASE WITH THIS, AS I CAME TO FIND OUT DURING THAT WEEKEND SOCIAL OCCASION. THEY SURE STRAIGHTENED ME OUT DURING THAT BARTENDING GIG. BEST VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE EVER!
TRADE BETWEEN DEALERS IS COMMONPLACE AND AN EXAMPLE OF MATERIAL NETWORKING
What a few of the dealers explained, later in the evening…..because they could see I was perplexed, is that they often attend shows, bringing with them specific items they know associate dealers will want for their own collections or for sale in their own booths. They already know the dealers who are going to attend the event, and what items may be used as trade bait, or desired by specialist vendors with dolls, glass, pine, primitives, and the list goes on and on. So it is good business, to bring these items along, just in case a neighbor dealer, wishes to have the item you've hauled to the show, to enhance their booth….and to consolidate inventory; instead of a vendor who sells primitive pine, and mounted fish, selling a Victorian doll carriage, for instance, it is more fiscally sensible to pass this opportunity to purchase, at a dealer price, to the specialist at the show who offers dolls, cradles and carriages as routine inventory. There are many other cases, where antique and collectible items are traded and sold, dealer to dealer, which often makes only a marginal difference to price. But it can. I learned that this does happen, where a dealer will sell a piece to another vendor, and the price will be gently increased. This is usually the case, when a generalist dealer offers something to a specialist vendor, who for example, knows glass more thoroughly than the dealer who brought the piece as part of their inventory. I've heard urban legends, of a particular antique, selling three times, vendor to vendor, before the sale was open to the public. I don't know what the policy is about this at other shows, but I know that ones we've participated in, had no set-down rules that dealers couldn't transfer inventory between themselves at their heart's content. This may make some antique hunters, who go to these shows, a little discontent, but really, when you think about it, there's nothing wrong with this bit of pre-sale jockeying for position. The rule is, you don't sell anything to a visitor, who gets in early during show set-up. Even as a volunteer, we had a huge problem with people trying to get in to the arena, while dealers were arriving, who were trying to sell their antiques…..and get some free appraisals. This was frowned upon by organizers, so we were asked to monitor the doors, and escort interlopers out of the building. If dealers made purchases, and sold some of their own items to the public, before the start of the show, it would have had to be outside the building, where organizers had no authority to stop the transactions. I watched many purchases being made, and some dealers didn't like the fact we were trying to get those people to leave the building. I was just doing my job, not setting down any policing agenda.
Up at the bar, the better the commerce, the more they enjoyed their wine and beer……or so it seemed. As any bartender can attest, sooner or later, you're going to be sworn to secrecy, when a patron wants to share a big story with the guy polishing the glassware. As I had confessed to being a part-time antique dealer at that time, and I was generous with the portions (which is of course against the law), they took me under their collective wing, and explained many intricacies of the profession, I didn't know and wouldn't have even expected. They were very careful not to give me too much information, especially about mark-ups, but on more than one occasion, the celebration and "the rounds" they purchased, indicated clearly, that they had made a large, large profit, from the price they had originally payed to acquire whatever it was that just sold. I was happy for them, but even more thrilled when they'd let me in on some of their trade secrets, which was different for each of the vendors, and some of their marketing strategies…..which during this show, was hitting the mark hour after hour. I was curious most of all, if these vendors operated shops as well as being traveling vendors across the province. "What are you crazy," one dealer barked. "I would never go back to sitting in as shop all day, watching my life slip through the hour glass." This bloke had found the antique show circuit perfect for his, and his wife's retirement. "A shop is just a ball and chain, my friend," he chortled. "We like traveling and the shows take us all over the place…..Quebec, the Maritimes, and the United States." Seeing as Suzanne and I were considering opening a shop up, in the near future, this wasn't the advice I had anticipated. I knew what he meant, and respected it, but nonetheless, it was the first time I'd heard this disdain for operating an antique shop.
I got a lot of buying tips, and hunting and gathering advice, and some really amazing collecting stories as part of the tutorial that evening. I was very grateful. They sure seemed like a happy bunch, and it was obvious the traveling, loading, unloading, and living like vagabonds appealed to their sense of freedom and desire for liberation from the work they had been involved in, prior to becoming antique dealers. Some had shops before they decided to change direction, but most of those I talked with, that evening, were retired from other professions they'd been involved in for much of their lives. The antique aspect had been a sideline during this time, which was stepped up to a more serious pre-occupation after their careers ended. This was the manifestation of longterm retirement planning, and it was obvious for most of those I met, that the antique profession was also very lucrative to those who knew what they were doing. I was a greenhorn, even though, by this time, I'd already had involvement in a family antique shop, in Bracebridge, and had carried on buying and selling old stuff, after the business was closed….due to other opportunities popping up that were even more lucrative. My parents moved north to Parry Sound, where my father became a partner in a lumber yard, and I began working as a news editor for a small publication in West Muskoka. I was still an antique dealer at heart. We would open another shop in a few years.
My other volunteer position, as an overnight security guard, allowed me to browse all the vendor booths, with nary a soul stepping on my shoes, or bumping into me as I studied the inventory in the beautifully appointed showcases. I took my time, and saw everything I wanted to see, and additionally, studied prices being asked for the wide array of antiques and collectibles. I sat up in the gondola later, looking down on the acre of amazing heirloom pieces, and I knew this was what I wanted to do as a companion profession to writing. There was an excitement attached to the trade, I couldn't explain. It wasn't necessary to dissect my feelings. It was enough to know, that being surrounded by antiques, old glass, oil lamps (my favorite collectible in those years) crockery, primitive pine, and amazing art work, made me happy. Real happy. And it didn't take a glass of wine to make me feel this way, or to get excited about going down to see the show in progress. In fact, Suzanne and I bought quite a few things over that amazing weekend. We've been to many hundreds of shows ever since. I still see, from time to time, some of the vendors I met way back in the 1980's……when I poured them that celebratory beverage, upon the completion of another successful transaction on the arena floor. Hey, it's not always this light and lively, and there are a lot of frustrations and slow business venues, to contend with, but overall, it seems the kind of profession when the peaks always seem to be more powerful and compensating, than the valleys are low and discouraging. As a dealer for all these years, I can confirm this as true. It's now our retirement business, and yes, we've been known to sip a little wine, when we've had a good day as well.
Some of the show vendors would probably still laugh at me for deciding to open a formal shop, versus tagging along with them on the show circuit. Maybe I'm just too lazy and hate living out of suitcases, and the back of the van. I've done that, and truth be known, I'm a status quo stickler, and our main street location is a case in point.
Bless you for dropping by for a visit. It gets awfully quiet at this keyboard, and outside of the cats scratching themselves, and the dog gnawing on a bone, I can start feeling alone in cyberspace. So it's always pleasant to know that I've got company……I just can't see you for this bright light in front. Thanks again for returning day after day to read what this old writer has to offer. Please come back any time to visit.
No comments:
Post a Comment