Dianne's always cooking up something new

The boat galley-style kitchen in my condo makes a kitchenalia collection out of the question for me unless I dangle everything from the ceiling! I do have a wonderful little enamel saucepan my mom left me, a 1950s apron from my aunt, and a couple of cast iron skillets I bought from Susantiques, a dealer in Aloha, OR, but that's pretty much the extent of my collecting.

Still, I love reading and learning about gadgets used in old-time kitchens, so I've found Dianne Zweig's Kitsch 'n Stuff blog irresistible. Plus, she provides valuable information links, so I can pursue topics and learn even more about them. Her current post is about, literally, sniffing out bargains and how to get rid of musty, funky odors in otherwise desirable items.

She has a website, too, at CDianneZweig.com and a collection of choice finds at the Collinsville Antiques Company in New Hartford. She writes books on collectibles, such as her latest, the second edition of "Hot Kitchen and Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Beyond." And she edits Iantiqueonline.com, the antique dealers' and collectors' social network.

So if you're intrigued with anything about kitchens, you've got to get acquainted with Dianne!

Brimfield: the pickings don't get any better than this

Ever since I first heard about Brimfield, the giant flea market/picker's paradise held every year in Brimfield, Massachusetts, I've had a craving to go see it for myself. It's so big, it's held in three separate sessions during the summer.

One look at the determined look on the faces of

these opening-day Brimfield fans, and you just want

to step aside and avoid being trampled! Photo: Collector's Weekly

Collector's Weekly just published an article, "Forget the TV Pickers, Meet the Real Mavericks of the Antiques World" about Brimfield and the gritty life of the professional antiques dealer that's a must-read for anyone who wants to go (like me) or just wants deep background about this phenomenal show. 

The article also profiles writer Maureen Stanton and her new book about Brimfield, "Killer Stuff and Tons of Money." Parade Magazine calls it “An intoxicating read that rips away the lace curtain from the antiques biz.”

And, by the way, if you're already dreaming, like me, of making it to one of next year's shows, here are the dates: May 14-19, July 9-14 and September 3-8. Maybe I'll see you there!

Witches' Night Out in Enumclaw

This is one of those holiday season kickoff ideas that tickles me, and I just had to share it. Sharon Tuggle (yes, rhymes with Muggle) in Enumclaw, WA came up with a concept for bringing folks into town for an evening of fun that hopefully will include a bit of shopping: Witches' Night Out. The poster tells it all. Just wish I could be there for the contest for "Best Witch's Cackle!" Enumclaw is known as the "Gateway to the Crystal Mountain Area" and there's a sizeable antique row in town, including Sharon's store, Porter Antiques & Trading Co.

42,000 Digital Guides...and counting!

For 24 years, antique shoppers have been walking into stores with copies of Cochran's Collector's Guide in their hands. But today, as shoppers evolve into the Digital Age, a customer could be carrying an iPhone or other mobile device with the store's location, map and information on the screen. And she may be coming in for a specific type of item the store specializes in, thanks to Cochran's new search capabilities.

Cochran's has always been on the leading edge; we launched our website containing the entire Guide in 1996. As antique shoppers have begun adopting mobile technology, we saw the need to make a Guide downloadable to aid in their pursuit. Whatever application you have to view and read Adobe Acrobat™ files, simply use the "Find" function to locate the store, or item that interests you.

We crunched the latest numbers and found that nearly 42,000 people have downloaded the digital version of the 2012 Cochran's Collector's Guide on their computers, laptops, iPads, iPhones and other tablets and smartphones (just in the last 12 months). In August alone, 9,681 downloads were recorded. Add to that the 100,000 who carry and refer to the hardcopy Guide and you get an idea how many people are referring to the Guide.

The digital Guide is searchable, so you can look up whatever specific items you are seeking, and find a list of stores carrying that item, i.e. Victorian furniture or vintage fashions. Below is what the screen looks like when you use Acrobat's search function to look up "dolls."


Remember that the key word here is "download," on your iPad, iPhone or other such device. We're still researching ways to make the undownloaded online version efficiently searchable, but for now, the process would be much too onerously slow for the average user.

Three times a year, Magnolia Antiques and Home Interiors in Carmichael, CA opens their spacious parking lot for the very popular Magnolia Outdoor Marketplace, from 8am to 3pm. Admission is free, there are lots of vendors providing shaded booths for their wares and you never know what you'll find.

The next Marketplace will be the 31st of March, 2013, and again Sunday May 26 and Sunday, September 22. Mark your calendar!

And visit Magnolia when you're near Sacramento, to see their beautiful furnishings and accents. Or you can go right now to their website  for a preview. Each dealer has an individual gallery of photos for your perusal.

Here's a preview to get you started...

You get more than 800 chances to find what you're looking for...or to experience that serendipitous moment when you find what you didn't KNOW you were looking for...at the Long Beach Antique & Collectible Flea Market Sunday, Sept. 16. That's in Long Beach, California.

How much space do 800 sellers take? More than 20 acres. Be sure and take your walking shoes. Drive the 405 Freeway to Lakewood Blvd. North, turn right on Lakewood Blvd to Conant St, turn right again, and you're there!

Admission is $5, but you can show your Cochran's Collector's Guide (Pg 15) and they'll knock off fifty cents.

This outstanding show (called "Best in the US" by Good Housekeeping Magazine, is held the third Sunday of every month, plus a couple of special sales on April 29 and Sept. 30 (so you get two chances this month to score that special find!)

Get a taste of what you're in for at their website, www.LongBeachAntiqueMarket.com. Which is the source of these photos.

Antiques in the Streets of Albany, OR

We love festive antique street fairs, and today's 15th Annual Antiques in the Streets fair in downtown Albany, OR, looks like an awesome one. A traditional pancake breakfast, live music by the Main Street Band, all those fascinating finds...what's not to love? Get more details at their web page.

Simultaneous Sales at Solvang Stores

Fascinating animated singing bird in a gilded cage, French, 1875, at Solvang Antiques

Dwight and Arlene Steffensen are excited to announce that Solvang Antiques is showcasing its finest in a new location at 1693 Copenhagen Drive in Solvang, CA.  The new location will allow Solvang Antiques to showcase its entire inventory at street level making shopping easier for its customers.

It's a busy time for the Solvang Antiques staff. They're in their final weeks of the Moving Sale at the old location, 486 First Street. Everything is on sale. If these items don't sell, they will be going back to the consignors. This motivation has created the lowest prices in the store's history, some items more than 90% off! 

Meanwhile, the Grand Opening Sale ends soon at the new location, 1693 Copenhagen Dr. Save 10-50% for a limited time on a wonderful variety of items at the new store. Visit their website at solvangantiques.com for a sample of their exquisite collections.

French Provincial biblioteque complete with cozy reading nook, c. 1900

FREE Parking, FREE Entry, LIVE Music and an unusual mix of one-of-a-kind artifacts from flea market bargains to unique creations and rare investment pieces –

* 70 plus Booths, juried Artisans, Vintage Collectors & Antiques Merchants

* Antiques Appraisal Clinic fundraiser at the Museum of the SRV from 11-2pm 

* Live music - a French organ grinder/singer and Stony Ridge Bluegrass Band

Vendor booths feature Antique & Vintage Silver, native American artifacts, fine wood period Furniture as well as Shabby Chic finishes, Rugs, handmade and antique Purses, original Paintings, Linens, Lamps, Depression glass, seasonal Halloween & Christmas folk-art, Vintage-inspired Altered-art, loose and assembled Beads & Buttons, Ephemera, hand-painted modern and old-fashioned porcelains, vintage Mirrors, Garden accents, re-purposed wood/scrap art, felted hats, old iron and tools, bird houses, beads, Bakelite, frames, plus a full range of fine, costume and period Jewelry in every price range

Where: Meander along Railroad Ave in historic downtown Danville, from in front of the Museum of the San Ramon Valley and Cottage Jewel on Prospect Avenue to the parking lots in front of Handworks and Pascal on Railroad Ave

Museum Fundraiser – Antiques Appraisal Clinic! 11-2pm inside Museum

$10/item donation for an informal verbal estimation of value/identification

Enjoy our local version of the Antiques Road show with stories from Anita Venezia of Danville, Joseph Silva of Lafayette, Marcia Harmon of Danville’s Cottage Jewel, Lynne Peterson of Walnut Creek and other specialists

Next EVENT – Saturday, Sept 15 – Tinsel & Treasures Folkart Sale

sponsored by the Discover Danville Association (www.DiscoverDanvilleCA.com), the Town of Danville and Cottage Jewel Antiques

For more information contact Marcia at Cottage Jewel (925) 837-2664

News Flash:

Serendipity Antiques is having a Labor Day Weekend sale August 31-September 3 with special deals on selected shop and garden items. They're at 41950 Main St. in Old Town, Temecula, CA. Check out their blog for regular updates.

An intriguing clutter of country-style furnishings at Serendipity Antiques

At work on our 24th Annual edition!

The Cochran's Crew has launched production for the 24th Annual Cochran's Collector's Guide, to be published in late October and distributed in early November.

We've come a long way since 1989, when we produced our first annual antique shoppers' map guide, covering three counties in Northern California. For several years we were limited to California, then we expanded by producing a Southwest book and a Northwest book along with California (whew! What a lot of work!) and finally combined the three into one handy reference book you can carry in your glove compartment on trips throughout the West. It's still distributed free within our publishing area: Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, Nevada and Arizona, and can be viewed online from anywhere in the world here at our website, www.cochrans.com.

Since last year we've launched a new Facebook page (Cochran's Collector's Guide), where we plan to share some of the hundreds of great photos our participating stores provide us.

We still create free web pages, attached to this website, for all participants who don't have their own presence on the Internet, giving them a place to share photos of their merchandise and specialties even if they don't personally own a computer or have computer skills (some of them are still wistful for the old typewriter days, that's why they're in this business).

Look for this website to have the new 2013 Guide uploaded by January 1. And if you have a shop or event or antique-related service in the western states, and want to find out how we can help you expand your business and raise your profile, click ADVERTISE on the menu at the top of this page, or call us toll-free at 866-585-6162 or email us at info@cochrans.com.

You always wanted to dress up as a flapper...

The Niles Boulevard Antique Row in Fremont, CA is going to be a blast from the past this weekend, April 14 and 15, when Les Belles Antiques holds their 35th Anniversary Party. They're planning to have live jazz bands, vintage cars, food and prizes for the best Roaring Twenties period costumes. If you've always wanted to "put on the Ritz" and dress up as a Flapper or Rudolph Valentino, here's your chance!

Fremont treasures its heritage as the earliest home of California's motion picture industry. From 1912 to 1916 the Niles district was the site of several movies filmed by Charlie Chaplin, the most well-known being "The Tramp." It's their Silver Screen heyday that will be the theme of Les Belles' anniversary celebration.

2012 Collector's Guide is Online!

Technical difficulties slowed us down this year, but as of the end of February, Cochran's Collector's Guide's online edition was uploaded and is now available for your perusal. No matter where in the world you live, you can view our guide to antique stores throughout the western states, from Washington State to Arizona.

Enjoy!