Cochran's Collector's Guide

None dare call it junk at Urban Ore

2011-06-11T09:35:00.000-07:00

Urban Ore, Inc. in Berkeley, CA is one of those irresistible places where recycled bits and pieces of every description get a chance at a new life. Their two-acre yard is a treasure trove for designers, artists, bargain-hunters and people just looking for inspiration, such as kinetic sculptor Nemo Gould, who found most of the elements for this robotic piece, "Nowhere Fast" at Urban Ore.

Crafted from bicycle parts, an old rocking chair, baseball bats, optical equipment, a faux ship's wheel and hundreds of other disparate parts, this creation has a Rube Goldberg Steampunk style that endlessly amuses and fascinates, especially when the robot gets going on his unusual bicycle.

Two acres holds a lot of treasure, but you can get an idea of what you might find by visiting Urban Ore's website.

An Online Upgrade

2011-01-21T17:17:00.000-08:00

We have just completed reconfiguring all the online pages of the Collector's Guide for 2011.

Now, all links have been activated in our online version, so you can explore all the stores listed in this edition, from Washington State to Arizona, and with a click go to their websites, web pages or email addresses.

And don't forget, you can now get an eBook of the edition, which is searchable! Looking for a particular type of item? You'll can instantly view the details of every store that lists that item in their merchandise (eBook only).

At the beginning of the book is a show section, carrying the year's schedule of events for dozens of antique shows...probably a show every weekend, if you like!

And if you want the hardcopy, it's now available free in all the stores and most of the shows participating in the book. Still travel-size. Only stores that support the Guide with their advertising dollars appear in the book, so if you find it useful in finding stores and shows in the Western states, whether you're using the online or hardcopy version, please mention Cochran's Collector's Guide when you visit your local store... and next year's edition may be even more complete.

I've been waiting just for you...take me home!

2010-09-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

There's something about an outdoor market on a sunny day that appeals to our most ancient selves: the anticipation of unlimited possibilities, the excited buzz of treasure seekers, an irresistible tingle when you spot something special that whispers, "You know I'm perfect for you...Take me home!"

That kind of exhilaration descends on the spacious parking lot at Magnolia Antiques & Home Interiors three times a year during the Marketplace at Magnolia event, next scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 19. This weekend, in fact.
Caryn Conway, owner of Magnolia's, dreamed up the Marketplace five years ago, and since then it's grown to be quite an attraction: sixty vendors displaying everything from furniture to pottery, jewelry to ironwork and art. She keeps the standards high: only antiques and collectibles are accepted. The event always sells out; at $25 per space, it's a great opportunity for sellers to make contact with buyers in a pleasant outdoor atmosphere, complete with homemade food and beverages. So far, in five years of operation, the weather has always cooperated beautifully.

Naturally, Magnolia's has something extra for the shoppers, usually a 20% off sale inside the store where 25 dealers have established a reputation as "The Best Antique Store in Sacramento" for the past three years.
Marketplace at Magnolia takes place 8am to 3pm the last Sunday of March, May and September, unless that date conflicts with a major holiday, so in that case it's best to call for information. Admission is free. Magnolia is only 15 minutes from downtown Sacramento, at 6458 Fair Oaks Blvd. in Carmichael, open daily 10am to 6pm. To be a vendor, or to find out more about the Marketplace, call (916) 973-8590.

Photos: Caryn Conway

Out of the ordinary

2010-09-04T12:45:00.000-07:00

The motto at Sekula's Fine Art & Antiques is "Because your world shouldn't be ordinary," and there's certainly nothing ordinary about the early 20th Century, Arts & Crafts furnishings they have collected at their store in the 57th Street antique center in Sacramento.

Misha Sekula and Rick Kersey are decorators and designers as well as dealers in antiques, and their tastes run to rich textures (think gleaming leather and glossy, dark wood) and understated forms that unite easily with other pieces rather than clashing or dominating a room. My favorite pieces are the irresistible deep leather chairs in tones of chocolate and caramel, with soft mica-shaded lighting, Mission furniture in pristine condition, warm velvety textures in subdued patterns I could live with for decades and never get tired of them. Wandering through their website, I get nostalgic for an era before my time, in the early 1900s when Craftsman cottages set the style in California.
Sekula's has an art gallery, too, featuring contemporary award-winning artists such as Terry Miura and Keith Wicks, and photographers like Don Satterlee. Periodically they host showings of artists' works, the most recent being Visions of New York and Central Park by Kevin Courter. Photos of these works also appear on the website. I couldn't help but notice that the styles and subject matter blend beautifully with the furniture on display, even though the artists are from the current generation.

Sekula's also offers custom design for furniture and cabinetry. The store is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am-5pm or by appointment.

Photos are from sekulas.com; visit their website to see much, much more.

Celebrating 24 years in Clovis

2010-08-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

Happy 24th Anniversary to The Original 4th Street Antique Mall in Clovis! Often called the best store in Clovis, thanks to the energetic efforts of owner Marty Watt.

The 36 dealers make the most of their 8,000 sq. ft. of space, displaying everything from oak and Victorian furniture to postcards and estate jewelry. Lots of art pottery and lovely small gifts, linens and lace, and items to decorate your home and garden.

Marty alerted us recently that their annual August sale will take place this year from the 21st to the 31st, with 10% to 50% off just about everything in the store. You can get a good idea of their wide array of merchandise at their Facebook page, where they uploaded dozens of photos recently. Here's just a sample to whet your appetite...

The Original 4th Street Antique Mall is at 402 Pollasky on the corner of 4th Street.

Razzling That Dazzle!

2010-07-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

What goes around comes around, and never more so than in fashion. The strapless dress has been back for a while now, all the more reason to concentrate on our upper-body workouts. But the current strapless styles have nothing on the ones from the Fifties, when designers took the look as far as it could go. Isn't that when we first heard the joke, "That's a lovely dress you almost have on?"

On a little "windowshopping" expedition among vintage store websites this morning I found this ultimate silk strapless party dress, at Cindy Ferris's Razzle Dazzle in Tucson. Va-voom! With the right coloring (and that toned upper body) a girl would look like a movie star and feel smug knowing she paid only $55 for it.

This aptly-named store specializes in dazzle, specifically vintage fine and costume jewelry. My favorite was the 1940s necklace, earring and bracelet set from Mexico in handmade beads of copper and silver. Magnifico!

Guys can spiff up too at Razzle Dazzle, where there's a wide selection of vintage duds for men, too. Where else could you pick up a huggable full-length cashmere coat for $75 for your honey?

There are also home furnishings, especially Fifties-era, like the beautifully-kept authentic chrome-and-Formica kitchen set shown here, for the Retro kitchen that will take everyone back to their childhood.

Razzle Dazzle has a new location at 3402 Grant Rd., formerly Tom's Antiques, between Country Club and Dodge on the south side of the street. But if you're a long way from Tucson, visit the website, where much of their merchandise is displayed in bright, clear and enlargeable photos, and if something calls to you, take it home in their shopping cart!

Smart marketing at Merchant Square

2010-06-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

Photos from Pore Ol' John's collection at Merchant Square in Chandler, AZ

I've noticed a new trend among antique malls, a good example of which is at the website of Merchant Square in Chandler, AZ, which is apparently housed in an old schoolhouse. What a great use of old public buildings, turning them into antique malls!
Merchant Square not only has its own website, and some of their dealers have attached their own blogs to the site, such as Pore Ol' John, who specializes in toy trains and train memorabilia. Six individuals at Merchant Square so far have tackled the challenge of putting up their own blogs, most going for a simple display of photos which gets the idea of their specialties across with minimal effort. Merchant Square encourages them by featuring a specific site now and then.

Nice kitchen dresser shot, brightly lighted

Another good idea: their website makes navigating through this huge store easier by posting a map on their Tour page. It's a work in progress: eventually those dealers who participate will have their segment of the map green and a rollover will take you to a photo of their display.

We have a saying here at Cochran's, that "Organizing antique dealers is like herding cats." But if only a few get involved by making the effort to take pictures and set up their own blogs, everybody benefits. Best of all, blogging is free!

Online window-shopping...Don't you love it?

2010-06-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

New to the antiques blogosphere is the blog posted by the owners of Glory Days Antique Mall in Springfield, OR. The current post covers four popular TV series dealing with the search for and valuation of antiques. And I thought Antiques Roadshow was the only one.

The blog will be an occasional endeavor for these busy ladies, but when they upload new posts, their name will go to the top of the Cochran's blogroll at right.

Glory Days' website has a huge photo gallery, with each enlargeable shot identified with the dealer's name and space number so if you're in Springfield you can stop in at the store at 143 N. 21st St. and immediately head for the items you're most interested in. Or call the store and ask about specific merchandise. A very intelligent approach to informative marketing — online window shopping.

Here's just one of the 100 photos in the gallery, just to whet your appetite. Somebody's been busy with a camera!

Back to the Future

2010-06-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

Bliss has asked me to be "guest blogger" today as she grinds out designs for the free webpages we offer to our customers. We're trying to keep up.

There's a couple new things to announce now that we've started contacting people about the new edition for 2011... We can now take PayPal payments for advertising in the book.

Simply grab your invoice and click on the ADVERTISING button above, click to skip the movie

(soon to be replaced with something else), and you'll be presented with a button to our PayPal page. Once there, enter your account number and click the familiar PayPal "Buy Now" button. You'll be whisked away to PayPal's website where you can enter the amount you want to pay toward your ad account. We understand that a lot of dealers use eBay to acquire items for their stores, so perhaps this won't be too mysterious for many of you. We hope you'll use this feature as a convenient way to keep your account current with us.

Also, you may noticed the new round button in upper left of the screen. We are currently providing a pdf version of the Guide as a free eBook download. PDFs, we are told, work on all computer platforms and eBook readers. Why would we do this? There's a few good reasons:

It saves us postage and labor, not having to send out individual copies, and
It enables travelers from other states and countries to get a full copy of the Guide before they leave home, and
It gives us a chance to correct mistakes (who, us?) and update information as it comes in, and
It makes the Guide searchable. If you're looking for something specific, the PDF eBook can find it in a jiffy.

If the downloads and bandwidth expenses start to get onerous, we may need to charge a small fee for the download. But for now, we'll see how it goes as a free offer. We want to get as many copies of the Guide out there as we can, and this is another way to do it. As always, feel free to contact us with suggestions and comments.

Jim Cochran

No slave to fashion

2010-05-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

Fabulous gown from 1926, in today's New York Times photo spread of vintage fashion

Browsing through 172 photos of vintage fashion finds from all over the world in today's New York Times online I had a lightbulb moment: why so many of us, treasure old wearables. I can only speak for myself, but there's a delightful rebelliousness in buying perfectly good and still attractive clothes that someone else wore decades ago and gave up either because they were no longer fashionable, her size changed, or she died (hopefully in some other garment). Many items in the NYT collection were passed on from grandmothers and other generations, making them even more cherished.

I haven't been a slave to current fashion for decades. I can still remember slogging off to school in the morning, burdened down by four scratchy petticoats under my circle skirt. Out on my own, making my own living, I couldn't justify the desperate efforts to be in style, even in stylish Dallas and San Francisco. Either the "hot" look was inappropriate for me (uncomfortable, too short, too slutty, too silly-looking) or I just balked at spending good cash on something I wasn't in love with, just because it was the trend.

Apparently there are quite a lot of us who feel the same way, for reasons of their own. After all, there are enough rules in life, without submitting to those imposed by corporations to keep us buying more than we need. The phrase "must-have" just sets my teeth on edge. The very idea of spending hundreds of dollars on the latest Manolo Blahnik shoes or Fendi bags to make a fashion statement gives me a headache. The shoes end up hurting, anyway, and the bags don't have enough pockets.

Thank goodness for the consignment and vintage shops, the thrift stores, rummage sales and swap meets where we can indulge our dress-up fantasies and experiment with different looks without guilt.

'Wooten' you love a desk like this?

2010-02-16T18:12:00.000-08:00

From typewriters to desks, with a little hiatus...

A new antique store has sent me a photo of an amazing desk, the Wooton, which in its time (1870-1889) was known as the "King of Desks" with good reason: In an age when file cabinets weren't yet in general use, this decorative and well-thought-out office furniture provided more than 100 cubbyholes, pigeonholes and shelves for keeping important papers and office aids.

Francine Esposito at the new Highway 41 Antique Emporium in Morro Bay, CA offered us several shots of her Wootons, so we could see them closed and locked, and fully opened in their working state. As advertisements of the time announced, there was "no excuse for slovenly habits" when you had a Wooton, because there was literally a place for everything.

Designer William Wooton was the eighth of 13 children, and in such a crowded household it's easy to imagine that he grew up with a high regard for the ability to stash and lock up one's treasures.

But he also acquired the Victorian love of elegance ~ quality woods, carvings, gold leaf and exquisite finishes, and his factory in Indianapolis was known for work that looked handcrafted, not mass-produced. No ordinary desks, they were called Patent Cabinet Office Secretaries.

Everyone of note, from Queen Victoria to John D. Rockefeller and Joseph Pulitzer had a Wooton.

Francine Esposito's new 12,000 sq. ft. store has been open six weeks and already has 36 spaces occupied by antique dealers, as well as 27 showcases. "We're offering a new concept," says the store website, "Dealers pay no commission and no fees." The mall has a blog, too, where new arrivals and new dealers can get some exposure. So you can cybervisit in advance, and next time you're driving the gorgeous California coast, you can stop in Morro Bay, visit the store at 520 Atascadero Road and meet Francine in person.

Tappity tap tap

2009-08-30T18:49:00.001-07:00

For the very rare individuals among us collectors who love old and antique typewriters, I just discovered that Blogspot named Fresh Ribbon a "blog of note" this month. A very interesting style for showing their archives is the first thing to catch the eye.

My last typewriter was an IBM Selectric, which was advanced for its time because of its variable spacing, which made the type look more like book type. I can't even remember the last time I heard a typewriter, once the soundtrack for my working life. No, wait! I do remember: a typewriter was used in the background of a Janis Joplin recording, "How Long Do I Have to Wait."

And yes, I am actually old enough to have used a typewriter like this old Underwood, a Standard No. 5, in the privately-owned Selectric Typewriter Museum.

California (antique fair) dreamin'? Hit the road!

2009-08-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

If you're reading this, the antique street fair scene is your perfect choice for a weekend getaway. September offers lots of opportunities for street fair and outdoor fair browsing, either once-a-year annual events sponsored by local merchant organizations, or (because of California's predominantly conducive weather) year-round monthly affairs organized by professional producers. There are so many, you could plot your way down the state discovering a new fair or two every weekend, and even save money by visiting some of their websites and downloading admission discount coupons. Most websites also include maps to help you get there. Get an overview to plan your expedition by perusing all the calendar ads in the Events section of Cochran's Collector's Guide.

Start at California's capitol, with the Sacramento Antique Faire, which takes place the 2nd Sunday of every month from 6:30am-3pm on 21st Street between "W" and "X" Streets. So this year it's Sept. 13. Among their many vendors is the local store, Antique & Collectibles Marketplace (501 Tenth St), which also sells online. See an example of their wonderful pottery selection at left. Another dealer at the SacFaire is Jennie Krausse, who specializes in estate sales and also has a website.

Twice a year, the Petaluma Downtown Association in Sonoma County has been sponsoring an a spectacular outdoor street fair on Kentucky Street, the heart of Old Town, where the iron-front buildings from the late 1800s still rule the street and several antique shops are right there in the neighborhood for a little indoor browsing. Thousands of visitors have been flocking to Petaluma for this fair over the past 23 years. The 2009 fall event is Sunday, Sept. 27...Petaluma's dates are easy to remember, always the last Sunday of April and September. Admission and parking are free, and hours are 8am-4pm. Contact Marie or Jenny, (707) 762-9348, for information.

Alameda Point is the venue for the biggest outdoor antique fair in Northern California

Further south in the Bay Area, you'll find the Alameda Point Antiques & Collectibles Faire, open the first Sunday of every month. Be sure to visit their website, where they've posted a big display of photos of participating vendors' merchandise, plus another photo gallery is available on Flikr! But don't get stuck at the computer, go see it all for yourself. Alameda Point is a unique venue for an antique fair, located on former Navy property on Alameda Island adjacent to a National Wildlife Refuge. Access is via Hwy. 880 as you pass Oakland, through the Webster Tube, an Art Deco marvel in its own right. The Alameda Point Faire has been bringing in thousands of visitors for 11 years, to browse more than 800 booths, and is now known as Northern California's largest antiques and collectibles show. Admission is $15 for 6-7:30am Earlybirds, $10 from 7:30 to 9, and $5 from 9am-3pm.

80,000 visitors hit Niles Boulevard August 30 for the 45th Annual Antique Faire and Flea Market

At the noted antique district on Niles Boulevard in Fremont you'll find the 45th Annual Antique Faire and Flea Market on the last Sunday in August, which falls on August 30 this year. More than 200 vendors bring their antiques, collectibles, art and crafts for the 80,000 visitors who throng the Boulevard. When the September sun is high, dozens of air-conditioned antique stores along the street offer special sales to celebrate the event. There's enough food and entertainment, not to speak of the Railroad Museum and silent films, to make a full day of it. This one opens early—6am!—and closes at 4pm. Sponsor is the nonprofit Niles Main Street Association, which uses the proceeds to help maintain and revitalize the historic Niles district. See their website or phone (510) 742-9868 to find out more.

Marcia Harmon at Cottage Jewel co-sponsors and sets the style for the bi-annual Heartland Antique Faire in Danville.

Labor Day weekend (Sept. 6) is the Heartland Danville Antiques & Art Faire adjacent to the Railroad Center on Railroad Ave. This Monday-only show is definitely offering interesting variety with folk artists, Halloween specialists, re-purposed vintage goodies, gobs of jewelry and all the usual antique surprises. An appraisal clinic will be held at the nearby Museum of the San Ramon Valley, Railroad Ave at Prospect. The Heartland Faire will open at 9am, close at 3pm. Call the Cottage Jewel, (925) 837-2665 for information.

Photo of the crowd at the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, from their website

One of the most famous outdoor markets in the world is RG Canning's Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, held the second Sunday of every month, year-round (so mark your calendar for Sept 13). Starting 40 years ago, this event has built up to 2,500 vendors and 15,000 to 20,000 shoppers, including the occasional celebrity like Clint Eastwood or Whoopi Goldberg. Hey, they like to bargain for cool, old stuff too! General admission at 9am is $8 or free for age 12 and under with an adult. Earlybirds are admitted at 8am for $15, or if you're an extra-early riser come in between 7-8am for $15. Or if you're a hardcore VIP shopper who wants first peek at the goods, come in from 5-7am for $20. The last vendors are on their way out at 4:30. Parking is free, unless you want nearby VIP parking. But then, the VIP parking is where you're most likely to spot the movie stars!

Canning's most frequent attraction is the San Bernardino Market in the Inland Empire, open every Sunday at the National Orange Show Events Center, 7am-2pm during the summer, until 3pm the rest of the year. There are usually more than 700 vendor booths, attracting crowds of as many as 10,000. Admission and parking are free. Photo from Canning's website: handsome old armoires are still in demand for entertainment centers.

Rows of palm trees preside over the Ventura Flea Market, held every other month at the Fairgrounds.

But wait, there's more... If you'd rather stick to the Cool Coast, go to Canning's Ventura Flea Market at the Ventura County Fairgrounds on Sept. 27. Held every couple of months, this fair hosts around 500 booths, and general admission at 9am is $5, but earlybirds can enter 6-9am for $10.

Santa Monica Airport is another unusual venue for an antique event: the Marketplace Productions twice-monthly Market. Photo from their website

Then continue on south down the coast to Santa Monica. On the 1st and 4th Sundays of each month, Marketplace Productions holds their Antique and Collectible Market at the historic (c. 1919) Santa Monica Airport (Airport Ave. off Bundy). $7 grants early access from 6am-8am. Otherwise it's $5 general admission, seniors $3, kids and dogs free (yes, this is one of the rare events where you can bring a friendly dog). Coupons for $1 off the following week are available at the entrance. Parking is free. Reviewer Katie Heffernan at Citysearch says the quality of items at this event is definitely upscale. "...they focus on larger, quality antiques with staple pieces like natural wood tables, painted cupboards and carved bureaus," she notes. But there's plenty of elegance and exotica in the smaller decorative pieces, too.

"Eye candy" at the Long Beach Antique & Collectible Flea Market. Photo from their website

And further down the Coast is the Long Beach Antique & Collectible Flea Market at Long Beach Vets' Stadium, held every third Sunday of the month, so it'll be Sept. 20. Harry Rinker, the antique expert and author, calls this one top ten in the nation. The first show was in 1982, and since then it's grown to more than 20 acres, with more than 800 dealers. Here you can get in as early as 5:30-6:30am with the Earlybird admission of $10, or pay $5 to enter from 6:30am-3pm. Parking is free. In the MSN City Guide, writer Jim Washburn calls this event ..."an adventure in eye-candy."

September's fairly bursting with street fair fun

2009-08-19T22:14:00.000-07:00

An ideal mini-vacation is a weekend spent wandering through a lively antique street fair. And why not drop in at some of the local antique shops while you're at it? Often these events are set in the restored historic district away from the madness of the malls. Parking and admission are usually free, and the organizers go out of their way to offer a fun atmosphere for the whole family, with music and food to enhance the day's browsing. It's best to arrive early, before the heat of the day, when parking is easier, and while the selections are still optimal.

Today we'll cover Oregon's street fairs, tomorrow we'll cruise south to California!

Display at the Oregon City Open Air Antique Fair beguiles passersby with lots of refreshing whites and pastels

Oregon has its share of outdoor antique events starting Sunday, August 30 when Oregon City hosts its "Open Air Antique Fair" with more than 100 booths set up on six square blocks of the historic Main Street. A food court will provide the fuel for an afternoon's browsing, the live music from the 60's and 70's will set a nostalgic scene, and appraisers will be on hand to help evaluate your finds. More than 10,000 visitors arrive in Oregon City every year for this successful event, now in its 14th year. Ashley King at the Oregon City Chamber of Commerce can give you more details (call 503-656-1619), or you can visit their website. Oregon City is just off Hwy. 205, southeast of Portland.

The beautifully refurbished old buildings of Albany's Historic District overlook the annual Albany Antiques in the Streets.

Photo by Oliver J. Anderson

In Oregon, the streets of the Albany Downtown National Historic district will be literally filled with antiques on Saturday, Sept. 12. At this 12th annual "Antiques in the Streets," you can find everything from vintage furniture, glassware, pottery and linens to architectural items such as windows, doors and hardware, and many assorted collectibles. Admission to the event is free, and not only are there going to be vendors of antiques and collectibles from all over the Northwest, but there will also be food booths so that you can recharge your batteries with out missing a deal! An appraiser will be on hand to evaluate your own collectible, or the one you just bought. First Avenue will be blocked off for the day, so that organizers can create a bigger and more visible marketplace. Be sure to stop by the Albany Downtown Association booth and get an ice-cream, as well as some literature and coupons to downtown businesses. While in Albany you can also visit the three museums downtown and shop at the Farmer's Market just a few blocks away. The hours for the event are 8 am to 4 pm, rain or shine. Check out the Albany Downtown Association website to keep up with what is happening in Downtown. Vendor space is still available, but you need to call 541-928-2469 soon to get a spot. Albany is on Hwy. I-5, just south of Salem.

If you're already in Albany that weekend and not shopped-out, it's not far to Coburg, where you'll find the 22nd annual Original Coburg Antique Fair the next day, Sunday, Sept. 13. This very popular event also takes place in the historic district, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, and has grown to encompass some 300 antique dealers, so wear your walking shoes for some serious browsing. You'll feast your eyes on an endless array of intriguing antiques and collectibles while tapping your toes to live music and treating your tastebuds to snacks from several food booths. Admission and parking are free, as always. Contact Roxann Emmons at the Coburg Antique Malls, (541) 683-0916 for more details, or check out their website. Coburg is only five miles north of Oregon's capital, Eugene.

Photo: Ruby glass lamp, art and painted furniture at Coburg's Antique Street Fair

We think, therefore we blog

2009-07-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just like to surf on a subject and find inspiration. My favorite topics are antiques, vintage and collectibles (plus sailing and living in Mexico, but that's another blog). This morning I've added more than a dozen new blogs to my list (scroll down and find it on the right), and you're invited to visit them all, when you've got a free hour or two (it took me an entire morning). Some are about brick-and-mortar antique shops, others are online sellers, and many are collectors who enjoy writing about decorating their homes in old stuff.

If you've been thinking of starting a blog on any of the above subjects, and you need some help with your design, check out ShabbyBlogs.com for a selection of absolutely free art elements… everything from backgrounds to buttons to blinkies, pretty post dividers, even page headers in your choice of funky or elegant motifs from Megan and her webmaster brother Kaleb.

Here's a button I like a lot…

And this is an example of a blinkie…

There's a detailed, easy-to-follow instruction page, so you can experiment and play with charming bits and pieces to dress up your page.

At Megan's own blog, you can get acquainted and learn more about design, how to use code and tap into your inner artist. She's promising "even more designs, freebies and tutorials" to make your blog fabulous. If you appreciate her generosity and creative spirit, send her a comment! Like all of us bloggers, Megan loves feedback and if she hears from you she might just write a feature about you!
© copyright 2009 shabbyblogs.com. All rights reserved. Floral stamps by Rhonna Farrer.

A sad loss for Kalama

2009-06-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

The historic Heritage Square building in Kalama was destroyed by fire June 10

Owners of Heritage Square Antiques in downtown Kalama, WA called us this morning to report that their historic 113-year-old wood-frame building burned down June 10. What a sad loss! It was reported that the cause of the fire was next-door neighbors tossing an ashtray out their window. The store and its contents, a fine collection of antiques, was totally destroyed.

The fire was filmed and made available on YouTube.

Superb style in the genes

2009-06-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

When exquisite taste is genetic, why not partner-up in antiques? Arlyne Meyer and Michelle Cardwell, the mother-and-daughter team at A Moment in Time have opened a second antiques store in the Niles District of Fremont, CA, where they'll feature fine furniture, pictures and mirrors. The new store, A Moment in Time Too is at 37312 Niles Blvd, and the phone number is 510-790-6300.

They'll also continue with their original location at 37396 Niles Blvd, where the emphasis is on exquisite hand-painted porcelains—the largest collection on the West Coast!

Quilts, Crafts and Old Radios in Aurora

2009-05-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

"If there are no quilting bees in heaven, I'm not going."
from Jean Kirkpatrick's Aurora: An American Experience in Quilt, Community and Craft

If you're in Oregon and you love quilts and early crafts, don't miss the current exhibit at the Aurora Colony Museum which brings to life settings from popular author Jean Kirkpatrick's full-color book, "Aurora: An American Experience in Quilt, Community and Craft." Displayed are not only handmade quilts but artifacts contributed by a number of Aurora families, creating vignettes of home life in the Aurora colony of the 1800s, which lived communally and developed skills in a number of crafts. The exhibit continues through June 6. Shown here is one of the settings illustrated in the book and recreated in the exhibit.

Tomorrow the last Flea Market of the season will be held in Aurora, in the American Legion Hall at 3rd and Main, 9am-4pm.

And radio aficionados should stop in Aurora next weekend, when the Antique Radio Show and Sale will take place, also at the American Legion Hall, 9am-3pm. The Northwest Vintage Radio Society will present a big display of vintage radios.

Blunders and Absurdities

2008-12-18T07:59:00.001-08:00

At last it can be told: the new edition of Cochran's Collector's Guide has been uploaded and is ready for your perusal. The paper version was distributed about six weeks ago, and can now be found in any of our advertisers' stores, from Washington State to Arizona.

The new cover is pictured here on our home page, at upper left. Please keep in mind that the cover is green this year; it's important that you make this distinction because the previous edition, with a cinnamon brown cover, has the same year imprinted on it. Yes, we made a big mistake, and will be living with it for the next year. Endless phone calls and emails: "Um, did you know the new book has the same date on it as last years?" One shop in Washington actually dumped all their new books at the Palmer-Wirfs Show, thinking they were the old edition. (sigh...)

I've taken to reading this quote every so often just to remember that life goes on, even after the most egregious of errors. And will get better, if we don't dwell on the past.

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

So take a look at the Guide's online version by clicking on the Contents button above. We still have a little tweaking to do, and the links have not yet been activated, but I'll have them done before the New Year. And may your holiday season be serene and joyful, and take you into the New Year in high spirits.

Window Shopping

2008-11-12T06:26:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving only a couple of weeks away, antique stores are decorating for Christmas and planning big open house festivities for that weekend. Windows are being dressed in their holiday finery, and while it's too early to bring on live Christmas trees, the artificial trees are turning up everywhere.

Niles Antiques on Niles Blvd. in Fremont, CA has one of the most beautiful window displays I've ever seen: uncluttered, dramatic and with penguins and a polar bear instead of the usual reindeer and elves. Well done, Ron and Madeline!

By the way, Thanksgiving weekend marks the Niles Merchants' Open House, followed by their Christmas Tea and Tour the first Saturday in December, both sponsored by the Niles Merchants' Association. And on December 12, Niles Main Street is planning a Holiday Home Tour.

It's a Wrap!

2008-10-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

...well, just about, anyway. The 20th Annual Cochran's Collector's Guide is going to press, and within a couple of weeks it'll be available in all the stores listed, as well as the shows in our 24-page Events section. Here's the cover, so you'll know what you're looking for.
All my favorite colors. Inside are some new towns that haven't appeared in the Guide before, such as Coburg, OR and Templeton, CA. A large number of individual dealers in malls decided this year to strut their stuff with Associate Listings, so not only do you get an overview of a store's merchandise, you get an idea of some of the specialties you'll find there. Many stores submitted photos, so when you're driving around looking for them, you already know what they look like, saving yourself time and gas.

By January 1, our webmaster Jim will have the entire edition uploaded on this website, so it can be viewed by anyone with Internet access.

It's a big job, but after 20 years, we think we've got a handle on it.

Rumors of My Demise are Greatly Exaggerated

2008-10-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

It's been two weeks plus since I posted here last, and everyone may be thinking I'm dead, and they're not far wrong: it's deadline for our 20th annual Cochran's Collector's Guide. This means 18-hour days on the computer and the telephone, leaving little time for luxuries like blogging. But I've printed out our first draft, we go to press early next week and there's a bright and steady light at the end of the tunnel that is NOT an oncoming train.

I've been in phone contact with hundreds of people from Washington to Arizona, helping them update their information, welcoming dozens of new stores and a couple of new shows. I've also been hearing sad stories about people I've gotten to know over the years who have retired, lost their lease, lost dear family members. Some antique shops that have been in business for decades have closed their doors. "The economy" was cited as the reason many stores are closing, although in some areas I'm hearing that business is better than ever.

One of the best responses I've seen to lagging business is the shop that decided to send out cards to everyone on their mailing list and host a tea party. Special events require some planning and enthusiasm, demand a fresh look at one's surroundings and how they might be presented at their best.

The warm, inviting Victoria Rose tea room in Clovis was the scene for a recent very successful auction dinner

Speaking of tea, the Victoria Rose Tea Room in Clovis, CA, which also has antiques, just put on its first Auction Dinner, which was such a success it's going to be a regular event. Items in the auction came from many of the stores in Clovis's very active antique row, so everyone was pleased with its success.

Another shop owner reports that every time she gets busy...cleaning, dusting, unpacking or doing research on her computer, customers wander in.

I'm hoping many of the store owners who participate in the Collector's Guide will take their digital cameras to work and spend an hour or two taking photos for the free web pages we offer. When the hardcopy Guide has gone to press, I plan to spend a lot of time building new web pages, which offer dealers a chance to display their merchandise on the Internet, even if they don't own a computer or do email (yes, I can scan photos, too). Want to see what I'm talking about? Click on Store Pages to go to the Index, listed by locations. I'm no webmaster, but I'm hoping the photos speak for themselves.

Stores that have active web pages can inject a little excitement into their presentations with new photos, too. I can't tell you how many people I've talked to who say, "Well, yes, we have a website but we haven't done anything with it in a looooong time." Meanwhile, they're paying for a service they're not getting full use of, to be ungrammatical about it.

I love colorful kitchenalia that's also useful. So this hutchfull of goodies photographed at Antique Legacy in Sacramento's 57th St. Antique Row really grabbed my attention.

Blogs are a stupendous way to show the world what you have to offer, and I'm always adding blogs from dealers to my bloglist (hoping, of course, that they'll reciprocate). My latest addition, Antique Legacy at the 57th Street Antique Row in Sacramento. Monica, the blogger, really knows how to beguile with photos of her latest acquisitions. Like me, she blogs at Blogspot, a free service. If you're going to have internet access, why not make the most of it?

Kovels Komments addressed the issue of collectors and the economy this week, with an optimistic view backed by some sound reasons, that "Collectors should be able to survive a bad economy better than most." Read it for if you're looking for a little attitude adjustment.

Cochran's Choice #2

2008-09-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you have been waiting out there with bated breath for the next Cochran's Choice Blog Award, so let's proceed, shall we? Everybody take a deep breath. Hear the drumroll? The cymbal? The envelope, please...

And the second Cochran's Choice Blog Award for 2008 goes to...Rare Victorian.

Here's a blog that's part of a website by John Werry, a young, savvy antique dealer and rehabilitator who knows his Victorian furniture. John says in his bio that he only caught the bug in 2005, but he's already developed an informative blog on the subject which manages at the same time to be entertaining. Read his posts on "Manly Man's Antiques" for an example. He's not stinting on the "how-to's" either; check out his video on restoring a Merklen table that had been "shabby-chic'ed" thus obliterating its initial value.

The page has a lot of information on it, but it's well-organized, with no cutesy animations, and the typography and color choice is orderly and easy on the eye. He supports his habit with Google ads, but they don't dominate the page. A professional job.

John began by collecting Victorian furniture for his 1887 home, and delved into research "so I wouldn't get 'had' when I went shopping," as good a reason as any for beginning what some would consider a boring enterprise. I confess to an impulse to reward a young man deeply involved in a field that sometimes seems to be so heavily represented by the older generation. There's yet hope for the future of the antiques world.

Rare Victorian is interactive in three ways: You can comment on a blog post, join his forum or email him. I like that, too.

I selected Rare Victorian after reading the current post, about a "once magnificent rosewood roccoco parlor table" that had been thoughtlessly amputated to make a coffee table. The result looks a little like a graceful horse whose legs have been cut off at the knee. A sad tale, but I hope it has a happy ending, and we get to hear about it.

A Belated RIP for Ralph Kovel

2008-09-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

I've been out of the loop lately and only today discovered that Ralph Kovel died on August 28 in Cleveland.

I've long considered Ralph and Terry Kovel to be my long-distance mentors on the subject of antiques and collectibles. I've referred to their website often to research various subjects, and used their antique price guides when I wrote articles back when I published an antique newspaper.

Terry wrote a farewell for Ralph on Kovels.com that showed more of the personal side of Ralph. He would answer collectors' questions anytime, she said. Once he took a call from Alaska at 2am.

Today, I found 523 comments on the Kovels Komments blog.

Here's a photo of Ralph and Terry, from Kovels.com.

Looking for a Good Used Car?

2008-09-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

We recently came across a new line of toy cars by Jada that, if nothing else, is good for a laugh, especially if the whole concept of treasured collectible toy cars strikes you as slightly absurd. Just the thing for your Trailer Trash Barbie ! Which is probably not destined to be collectible, but who knows? They were discontinued after Mattel won the lawsuit. But that's another blog...

But many collectors take their toy cars very seriously. Daryl Lambert posted on his blog about "a toy VW Bus that sold for over $18,000," and added, "I looked on eBay and found a toy car that sold for $7,200, as well as many others that brought in over $4,000."

At a website called Old Classic Car an article devoted to toy cars describes what collectors seek:

Most collectors search for unrestored toy cars, as a car that still wears its original paint, tyres and so on, really has a feel of a proper old toy, something that no restored example can hope to achieve.

A few honest scars, scuffs, dings and signs of wear are signs that a toy has been played with and appreciated, or as the antique trade would call it, 'patina'.

Then there are those who prize the mint-condition, still-in-the-box examples...indeed, the presence of a mint-condition box can double a toy's value. But beware! There's even an industry involved in making reproduction toy packaging, to go with restored toys that will then be offered as "mint." Dinky and Corgi toy cars, in particular, are showing up with reproduction boxes.

There's a viable market, however, for the honestly restored toy car. I remember visiting a restoration shop in the basement of Petaluma Collective a decade ago, where funky old toy roadsters were being rehabilitated into gleaming like-new condition. These were no longer toys. They deserved a place of honor on a car enthusiast's shelf or a CEO's desk. (The restorer was using vile toxic paints and solvents, and he had developed serious respiratory problems. Quite a sacrifice for his passion.)

The website eHow suggests if you're starting a toy car collection you might hit garage sales, search eBay (which I'd be leery of doing) and studying price guides. Toymart, an online price guide, is an example.

Another article about diecast metal cars on a blog called Linked in to Cars included this great photo of a Corgi toy ambulance, with box.

A car collection can range from a pocketful of Matchbox cars to a pristinely displayed wall-full of very pricey little vehicles, each protected by its own plastic dome. Remember when Corgi came out with the Batmobile in the sixties? If you'd invested in one, put it away with its box and saved it until now, you could get $800 for it.

Chevron is apparently betting that their anthromorphized toy cars like Rudy Ragtop here, starring in their own commercials, touted at gas stations and boosted with their own website, might someday be considered valuable. Maybe not in our lifetime... Just in case, if you buy one, keep the box. Another gas company, Hess, sells toy trucks every year at Thanksgiving (obviously aimed at the Christmas market) and they're gone in a few days according to a collector whose first purchase was a Hess truck.

The earliest toy cars came from Germany and were made of the same tinplate used in making oilcans. Next came cast iron, and briefly in the 1930s, rubber, followed by plastic and metal alloy ("the white metal composed of zinc and aluminum") in the sixties. Here's an article that explains how to date a toy car, IF you still have that all-important box it came in.

If your collectible toy car just happens to still be in a box you can use ZIP Codes to determine the date it was made. 5 digit ZIP codes were first implemented by the US Post Office in 1963. In 1983 the Post Office implemented ZIP + 4. So if your collectible toy cars have a ZIP code of 5 digits, it dates between 1963 and 1983. If it has a 5 digit code followed by a 4 digit code, it dates from 1983 or later. New abbreviations for states also became prominent around 1963. Between 1943 and 1963, the largest U.S. cities used "postal zones." If your collectible toy cars have a postal zone number following the state in the address, it dates between 1943 and 1963.

Did you know that:
• Made in 1901, the first toy automobile was a sheet-steel copy of an Oldsmobile.
• A line of toy cars with working headlights was produced in the 1930s, and these are highly valued collectibles.

Put on Your Walking Shoes, It's Showtime

2008-09-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

You can count on beautiful weather just about anywhere in the West in September, and organizers of some of the most popular outdoor and indoor antique events take advantage of these lovely days...

Coming up this weekend is the Coburg Antique Fair in Coburg, OR, near Eugene. Coburg was named after Coburg, Germany, a source of quality horses, after the local blacksmith admired a particularly fine horse from there. Over 350 antique dealers from over six states bring their finest goods to the streets of downtown Coburg. You can spend the entire day, enjoying live music and noshing at the many food booths. Admission and parking are free. Shown: Coburg's name may have been inspired by a horse, but the horseless carriage has a place of honor there, too.

If you're closer to Idaho, another show is going on this weekend that you're sure to enjoy, especially if you love music as well as antiques and primitives at the Vintage Barn in Rathdrum, (near Coeur d'Alene). Saturday's show (9am-4pm) features two bands: the Northern Idaho Hat Band and the Prairie Flyer. And the 40 vendors specialize in everything rustic and primitive: cottage, farmhouse and cabin style, salvaged finds, vintage western and garden items. If all that browsing makes you hungry, there are fresh baked goods and treats.

Vintage Fashion Expo Sept 20-21, Nob Hill Masonic Center in San Francisco. This fair has been beguiling visitors with haute couture and funky wearable finds for 20 years. Concurrent with the Frida Kahlo art exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art through Sept. 28, one exhibitor is going all out with these embellished Mexican jackets, skirts and accessories dating back to the 40s.

Petaluma Antique Fair (now in its 22nd year!) Sun, Sept 28, Kentucky Street in downtown Petaluma. Shown: one of the historic ironfront buildings in downtown Petaluma provides a period backdrop over the many booths of their semi-annual antique street fair.

At Alameda Point in Alameda, the place to go the first Sunday of every month (Sept. 7) is the Antiques By The Bay fair, reportedly the largest in California with 800 booths, where everything for sale is (they promise) 20 years or older. If you're an earlybird you can be admitted here as early as 7:30am. Shown: A vendor of vintage Coca Cola and jukeboxes.

And on the second Sunday of the month (Sept. 14) the Sacramento Antique Fair takes place outdoors on 21st St. between W and X Streets.It's another one that opens early...6:30am... and there's coffee waiting for you. Shown: shoppers look over some vintage brassware.

Cochran's Choice #1

2008-09-02T06:59:00.000-07:00

Start the drumrolls, bring on the paté and champagne, as we present our first Award to...TA DA!

Country French Antiques

This is purely an emotional reaction to one of the most alluring sites I've visited on any subject. It's presented by the owner of the European Antique Market in Louisville, KY, but it's not about sales, more about inspiration. The breathtaking music, the large-scale, light-filled photography... like opening a window into a world I've always dreamed of visiting. Uncluttered, peaceful, romantic. Makes me want to dig up my old French text and book a flight to the South of France tout suite!

I'll be posting on other favorites over the next five weeks.

Dewey Like Dewey? Who Wouldn't?

2008-08-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

Downtown Dewey, Oklahoma, where they made the most of their small-town atmosphere

Last week I visited my mother and sister in Oklahoma. My sis and I traditionally tour Dewey's modest cluster of antique shops, where the town fathers of Dewey made the most of their old-style downtown, and the result is easy on the eyes compared to the big-box-store strip-mall look of nearby Bartlesville. I counted six antique stores in Dewey, though there could be a few more. We only had time to stop at three.

At the Linger Longer mall, named after a beloved old local manmade swimming hole that was wiped out in a storm in the 1920s, there's an old fashioned marble-top soda fountain, where Pat, the owner, served up an excellent chocolate ice cream soda. That's my sister Judy about to partake. My favorite find at LL was a display of chintz and transferware, and I bemoaned the need to travel light when I saw a couple of pieces I'd have loved to take home.

I also found some old advertising tins, including one for Lacto-Dextrin, a food supplement that promised to adjust one's intestinal flora.

Next we stopped at Mimi's, another mall near the town square, where we looked for something cat-themed for Mother, an avid feline fan...

I liked the small white-painted furniture, shelving and curios in this booth.

Finally, we stopped at Bar-Dew Antique Mall on our way out of town, where I found...

...an old oak baby chair that could be converted into a stroller, a rocker or a high chair...

a wonderful oak kitchen cupboard full of drawers and bins...

...an elegant old dressing table...

...three Roseville pedestals...

...a genuine trademarked Hoosier...

...a Mission-style rocker and secretary...

...and a white-painted metal cabinet from a doctor's or dentist's office.

Bill, the owner of Bar-Dew, told me he's low on stock (though the place looked packed to me) because he's been doing well in Dewey this summer. Furniture has been moving out the door at a smart pace, and he'll soon have to start looking for more.
This old spatter-patterned porcelain wood cookstove with warming ovens stands outside JandW Antiques on Don Tyler St. in Dewey. How I'd have loved to take it home! Wouldn't it look sweet next to Bar-Dew's Hoosier?

But, of course, we don't have a huge supply of firewood here in the desert.

Railroad Trains and Pretty Porcelain

2008-08-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

August has always been the longest month for me, probably because I've had about all the summer heat I can stand and I'm starting to long for a nip of autumn chill in the air. My friend Sue in Oregon is already enjoying fall, with 53-degree mornings, but it doesn't happen here in San Carlos until October 15, when a miraculous annual change takes place (ask anybody if you doubt me). But this August I'm traveling, making one trip to Arizona, another to Oklahoma, and so the time seems to be flying. And blogging time is dwindling, especially when I'm on the road and away from Internet access.

Google map of the Niles District of Fremont, site of the historic train depot and the famous Niles antique row and the 44th Annual Antique Faire and Flea Market

But while we swelter through the month, the last Sunday in August is a date to look forward to in Northern California. The Niles Main Street Association is getting ready for their 44th Annual Antique Faire and Flea Market on the 31st. It's a big attraction for railroad buffs who can see the historic train depot and take a train ride, and antique shoppers who want a big selection in walking distance (200 vendors at the fair, plus more than a dozen shops).

If you go to Niles, you can also see one of the biggest fine porcelain collections outside of a museum, at A Moment in Time Antiques on Niles Blvd. Arlyne Meyer and her daughter Michelle have obtained a huge collection of Meissen, RS Prussia, Limoges and Nippon in complete sets and individual pieces...everything from chocolate pots to collector plates to oyster plates to full dinner sets. More than 2000 items, adorned not only with flower, fruit and berry motifs but the more rare and valuable portrait examples, beautifully handpainted on fine, translucently thin kaolin porcelain. Ornate forms, lavished in gold, signed by the artists and dating from the 1800s. Plus graceful figurines, lady head vases and retired Hummel. While it's been a slow summer at many antique stores, Arlyne reports record sales in June and July, which indicates a lot of people are finding their way to Niles, and that owner-operated antique stores with specialties like high-end porcelain are still doing well in this goofy economy.

Photos: just a few examples of the fabulous collection of RS Prussia, Meissen, Limoges and Nippon porcelain at A Moment in Time on Niles Boulevard, Fremont, CA

The Work of That Turk

2008-08-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

I've found and added to my bloglist a new blog on appraising, aimed at not only serious appraisers but anyone interested in learning more about evaluating art and old stuff. Appraiser Workshops had an interesting post today about a novice collector who bought two paintings for $14,000, signed by impressionist Guy Carleton Wiggins (1883-1962), and then took them be authenticated by Wiggins' son, Guy A., who denounced them as fakes. The point of the post is that you're supposed to do it the other way around: authenticate, then buy. Duh.

Apparently they were done by a notorious Turk named Ethem Tune "Adam" Ulge, who's considered "a bad artist, but he has a style," according to Wiggins, Jr. Obviously, not $14K worth of style.

Shown: "A Winter Night in New York," by the real Guy Carleton Wiggins, Rehs Gallery

Some REALLY Old Stuff at Ida Red's

2008-07-31T09:04:00.000-07:00

Mike and Debbie Ausec, owners of Ida Red's Antiques in Aurora, OR have acquired a collection that goes beyond antiques or even antiquities, and into prehistoric: a collection of fossils from a prehistoric petrified forest in Florissant, Colorado, part of the estate of one of a close friend, Jack Baker, who died in 1995.

Jack Baker loved old stuff. Here he is with his Chrysler Airflow, purchased in 1936

Jack had turned his Pike Forest Fossil Beds into one of those roadside attractions so beloved of travelers in the mid-20th century. The most famous tourist to drop by was Walt Disney, who was so taken with the fossils, he bought a petrified tree trunk to display at Disneyland.

Disney's visit brought Jack his 15 minutes of fame, but also alerted the U.S. government, which appropriated the forest and turned it into the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in 1969. Jack was able to preserve his own personal collection of small fossils, and after his death Ida Red's purchased the lot. The bits and pieces of shale bear the fossilized remains of everything from a bug's eyelash to an entire fish skeleton, ferns and leaves in all their detail. Some items in the collection have been shellacked, following the custom of collectors in Jack's day, but others are just as he found them.

Fossils of a leaf and an entire fish, from Jack Baker's collection

Debbie Ausec mentioned the Florissant Fossil Beds collection yesterday when I spoke with her on the phone, and I thought for a silly moment she said "flourescent." As in, they glow in the dark? But no, that's just how the name is pronounced.

Because Mike's a mineral collector and old tool enthusiast, Ida Red's is a treasure trove of "guy stuff," with a large selection of old tools, minerals and curiosities such as the fossils.

Of historic and geological interest is Jack Baker's dismantled fireplace which was created from hand-polished, colorful pieces of fossilized wood Jack had collected on various trips through the West. Jack was so proud of the fireplace, once the showpiece of his gift shop, he had a picture postcard made of it, though the photo doesn't do it justice. Here are just a few of the pieces, now all boxed up and awaiting reassembly.

Girls' Night Out

2008-07-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

Vintage buttons at the Cottage Jewel in Danville.
What's in your button jar? What can you do with it?

I have a stash of small found objects, bits and pieces that I haven't found a use for yet. I think now and then, "This would make a good necklace," or "Someday I'm going to use these to decorate the top of my jewelry box..." Instead of lamenting a broken china cup, I've begun to speculate how I can re-use pieces that are still beautiful with their hand-painted flowers and designs. I have jars and bowls of shells, sea glass, beads and broken baubles. I admire the frugality and ingeniousness of making something out of items others might consider useless.

Marcia Harmon, owner of the Cottage Jewel in Danville, shares my enthusiasm. In fact, she often holds workshops in her store every Thursday evening until 8pm. A sort of Girls' Night Out where people looking for ideas, tools and a few new skills gather and get creative. In June, for instance, they were introduced to bead embroidery and mosaics.

Other nights are devoted to showings of the work of local artists, such as jewelry maker Karen Rice. You can inspire yourself, adorn yourself... Or both! Sounds like more fun than Ladies' Night at the BoyToy Club, and you might have something to show for it in the morning besides a hangover.

Elegant one-of-a-kind beaded pendant by Karen Rice comes with its own display stand so it can be shown off for the unique work of art it is. See her selection at Cottage Jewel's store or website

Marcia is also the instigator of the new Heartland Danville Antiques & Art Faire, Labor Day Monday, Sept 1 at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley on Railroad Ave. Spaces are still available, she reports, and are going for the best prices around. Call for details, (925) 837-2664.

Three Bloggers from Niles

2008-07-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

The homely pickle never looked so good as when enthroned in one of these spectacular ruby glass pickle castors, at Les Belles in Niles, CA

Fellow bloggers in the antique world are starting turn up one at a time, and I'm adding them to my bloglist. Today I hit the jackpot! Three in the same town, Fremont, California where an antique row is situated on Niles Boulevard, a historic railroad center.

This morning one of the owners of Les Belles called asking me to add her blog address to her listing in the new Collector's Guide we're working on now, and mentioned that two others in town are blogging too: My Friends and I, and Lealind's (one of the "friends" of My Friends).

A selection of pressed glass, milk glass, footed glass bowls, salt and peppers, and a pretty handpainted bowl at My Friends & I, a multi-dealer shop in Niles

Everything you need for an elegant, old-fashioned ice cream social, in Lealind's Gifts, a space at My Friends & I

Another link on each of these blogs takes you to the Niles Main Street Association, which is gearing up for their annual antique bash, the Niles Antique Faire and Flea Market, August 31.

Just to give you a taste of what these stores have to offer, I'm sharing photos from their blogs, but click on over for a better look at their selection. What a great way to preview a store, and see if your tastes coincide!

Leafing Through Online Antique Magazines

2008-07-20T13:01:00.001-07:00

What have I done for you lately, dear Reader? Have you taken a look at the prodigious list of periodical links I've created for you?

Some of these links will take you to actual stories in the current edition or archives of certain magazines. Others withhold everything except info on how to subscribe for hardcopies. But I found one that actually gives you the entire magazine in glossy color: "Modernism Magazine." If you're a fan of Art Deco and the other movements that occurred in connection with it, throughout the US and Europe, and want to see how design today has been informed by it all, this is the magazine for you. It's free, beautifully designed and right there at the click of a link button (which says "View Online Edition"). What's not to like?

Kovels also provides page after page of up-to-date information every month, either free or at nominal cost for an upgraded subscription.

Another publication that uploads its entire content online is Cochran's Collector's Guide, accessible at the left of this home page. There you'll find 200 pages of maps, information on stores' specialties, contact info and plenty more, updated annually.

Now, if only other pubs would do the same... Maybe they'd lose a little in hardcopy sales, but they'd gain hugely in worldwide readership, and their advertisers would be very satisfied with the additional exposure. Maybe some trees would be saved, too.

The Thrill of the Hunt

2008-07-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

Ever meet a world-class collector? I met one the other day over the telephone and I'm still pondering what drives this woman. Must be the thrill of the hunt.

She and her husband reside in a very affluent community on the California coast, so we can assume they have the resources to do what they like. And what they like is to travel and shop for antiques. Ten weeks of the year! They start in California, and after they've done a tour there they hop a plane and fly over to Europe, presumably for the street markets and shops and such. When they get home, they turn on their computers and go shopping on eBay!

They don't have a store, don't sell at shows, don't have space in a mall. Maybe they're furnishing a big, empty 36-room house, who knows? She collects linens and textiles, while he buys antique toys.

"Linens and toys," I commented, "must be fairly easy to transport home. Not breakable, usually. You can pack the toys in the linens. Good choices." But no, he doesn't always go for the little toys. Once he picked up a whole train set, and not the small scale, either. Each car was 36 inches long! Even in the sort of mega-SUV I imagine they drive, it must have been a major challenge to pack it all in.

At the moment they're getting ready for a tour of Southern California and the Mrs. was requesting I mail her a copy of our 2008 Collector's Guide. "We always take the Guide with us on our trips," she insisted. "It's essential for planning ahead where we'll be stopping."

We don't normally mail out individual books for free anymore. At more than $2 a copy in postage, it's become prohibitive. And then we have to find someone headed for the States, since we don't rely on the Mexican mail system (even the electric and water companies don't do that!) Instead, we upload the entire edition on the Internet, so if collectors don't have the hardcopy book, they can go to the Table of Contents, select the region they'll be visiting and print out the desired pages with their maps.

But in this unique case, I decided to make an exception.

You could call it my "Collector of the Year Award."

Worth the Wait

2008-07-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

Worth waiting for...The Antiquarian in Duncans Mills is only open Thursday through Monday, like many small-town shops.

I'm often asked, why do antique stores keep such odd, limited hours? It's not unusual to see small-town stores that are only open weekends, or one weekend a month, or only by appointment. Often stores seem to be keeping bankers' hours, not opening until 11 am.

We're not talking about the big malls and collectives, with plenty of dealers to keep regular hours, but the mom-and-pop shops with only one or two people available to keep the doors open.

Today a fellow blogger at Diary of a Mad Antiquer expressed the reason better than I ever could:

"People often ask why I am only open 4 days a week and my unuttered response is 'you think this stuff just MAGICALLY appears?'"

Store owners are regularly away replenishing stock at estate sales, homes where large antiques are for sale, shows, closeouts of other stores, rummage sales, yard, attic and garage sales... Their stock is one-of-a-kind merchandise, usually vetted personally by the dealer. They don't have the luxury of sitting at their desks ordering by the gross from a catalogue.

Or they're show dealers and it's a big show weekend. Another explanation is that they have day jobs during the week to supplement their income because their shops are more a labor of love than a big money-makers.

Antique store owners live a feast-to-famine life, either having lots of sales (which means they have to scramble to build up their merchandise again), or going days without sales (which starts them wondering how long they'll be in business). Under the circumstances, it's amazing so many stores have been in business for decades.

Some stores enlist the help of antique pickers like Ed Welch, who wrote about his work in the Journal of Antiques and Collectibles. But reliable pickers who know what they're doing are few and far between. (Looks like a fun job, though if you like to travel--and maybe drive a hybrid.)

It's always a good idea, if you're traveling any distance to visit a particular shop, to call first and confirm hours. And if you pass an interesting store during regular business hours and you're disappointed it's not open, cut them some slack. The dealer might just be out there finding that perfect treasure for you.

An Ephemeral Kind of Day

2008-07-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

Drifting from blog to blog today to see what's up lately, I came across a couple on the subject of ephemera, which is my kind of collectible.

Here's the most precious piece of ephemera in my collection: a portrait of my dad, Henry Buys, at age six, taken in Holland just before his family immigrated to Iowa.

Paper is a very practical item to collect, for klutzes who travel a lot and live in small houses. It's usually unbreakable, portable, easy to share images of it over the Internet. Photographs are probably my favorite, though old documents and letters can also stir my emotions. And those vivid old postcards, like the postcard book you can see at the Thrift Shop Romantic's blog today.

At the ephemera blog, the proprietor is celebrating a birthday, which caught my eye because I mine was Friday. Don't ask which one, I don't go there anymore unless I have to. Nothing extraordinary happened, just a lazy kind of day with my mate, running into people I hadn't seen for a while. A serendipitous kind of day.

From there I wandered over to the Ephemera Society blog, where I found an article by Arthur Groten about poster stamps, tiny versions of promotional posters with stickum on the back, just like stamps but a whole different version of philately. I'm not sure they'd be a valuable investment as postage stamps can be, but talk about a portable collectible!

Ken Prag, a San Francisco ephemera dealer whose displays can be found at many antique shows, sent me this postcard of a town that brings back fond memories for me: Point Arena, California. Until two years ago, I lived 15 minutes away from Point Arena and had several friends living there. I'd love to show them this street scene from more than a hundred years ago, when it was a booming logging town, bigger than it is today.

I'm guessing this upbeat Uncle Sam postcard was available for sale to servicemen at the PX during World War II, maybe even WWI! to send back home to their families.

Ken also has an impressive collection of stereopticon views, timetables, passes, old stock certificates and other documents, a few of which are shown on his web page. If you're looking for a particular type of ephemera, he may have it or know how to locate it. Inquire at kprag@planeteria.net

Another thing I like about ephemera is the wide range of items you can specialize in, from the goofy to the sublime. Imagine, for instance, collecting air sickness bags from airlines!

Ephemera gets its name from the fact that it wasn't originally intended to be preserved. There's something delightfully perverse about saving something that wasn't meant to be saved, don't you think?

A Vicarious Visit to the Ultimate Expo

2008-07-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

Tom McCall Waterfront Park on the Willamette River Photo from Welcome to Portland website
•••

On my short list of places to go some summer is Portland, OR which seems from what I've read to be a very progressive and beautiful city, with enough antique stores in town and the surrounding area to keep me happily investigating for at least a week. Take a look at the shops listed in the Guide, just as an example (click on Contents, above, select Portland and follow the arrows from page to page).

I never visited Portland in summer, though decades ago I lived on a farm outside Eugene for about a year. Yet I know a lot of people in the Portland area now, since Cochran's Collector's Guide has been covering the Northwest for five years. And the dealers there all report that the Palmer-Wirfs Expo this weekend is the biggest thing happening in Portland all summer. If your mind is on antiques, anyway.
"...it was a real thrill to have a chance to shop there," says Barbara Crews in an article on antique shows on the About.com website.

This morning I came across Cindy Dockins, the Queen of Tarte, exhibiting at this year's Expo, and just from the photos on her blog of her truck loaded with merchandise it should be a very enticing display, with lots of vintage touches that are French, feminine and funky. If you're lucky enough to get to the Expo, be sure to look for her at Space 161.

If you have some special treasure you've been wanting to have evaluated, you can bring it to the Expo. For $5 each, you can present your items to one of five appraisers in the Evaluation and Identification Booth, who can give you informed opinions on everything from fine art to machinery, glass to costume jewelry.

If you can't make it this weekend, mark your calendar for October 25-26, when the next Expo will be held.

Low-Tech Cherry Pitting

2008-07-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

Queen Anne cherries ready for harvest

It's cherry harvesting time in the Northwest, and on her farm in Aloha, OR my friend Sue Keith has a few cherry trees--bing, Queen Anne... She's been busy with the help of her husband John, putting up fruit for the winter. And since quite a few old-fashioned cherry pitters come through her shop, Susantiques, she gets a little mechanical help, too. Monday they canned 28 jars of bing cherries, and yesterday they processed 14 quart jars and made four cherry crisps, the same way housewives did it fifty years ago. Sue, who still lives in the farmhouse where she grew up, has become expert at putting food by over the years.

The most laborious part of the job is pitting the cherries. The jar with the strange-looking red lid is the gadget she used on the latest batch. Here she shows how she pits a Bing cherry.

Out in her storage barn she has unearthed a few more "high-tech" cherry pitters that need some rehabilitation. Next year they should speed up the process even more. One of them will pit four cherries at once.

"I call this one my 'four-banger'" she says. "You can see how it turns as you turn the handle. "All you need to do is drop cherries in the holes with the left hand, turn the handle with the right, and the cherries are brought around to a chute, and the pits go down, lower, to their own chute, and into a bowl." The manufacturer's name, embossed on the gizmo, is New Standard.

Another type of pitter, made by Enterprise, only pits one cherry at a time, but Sue admires the ingenuity of the design.

"It has a bowl to put the cherries in and they roll down and as you turn the handle, the plunger pushes out the pit, the pit goes down the smaller chute to the front, and the flipper above all of this comes around, with the turn of the handle, and pushes out the cherry into a waiting bowl. I really like this one...the way they thought this through, to get the cherry out of the way for the next one. With each turn of the handle, the process starts all over again! They were really thinking, to make something like these pitters."

This one, made by New Standard Hardware Works, looks similar but works a little differently: "cherries being in the funnel-like chute, landing one at a time in an indention. The pit goes out the same way, into a bowl under the hole, and the cherry is suppose to roll down a smaller chute to the back, and into another bowl."

The more complex the machine the more maintenance it requires, even in the case of cherry pitters. The simplest one, with the jar, was ready to use. The other two need cleaning and oiling, and there's a leather bit to be replaced. "The leather piece is put in the hole where the plunger goes through. It is just a small square with an X cut in it, that lets the plunger put the pit through, but will not let the pit come back up with the cherry."

TA-DA! the result, glowing like jewels in the Keith pantry.

"Only thing I like better than these, is my peach peeler," says Sue. "I thought for the longest time it was an apple peeler, but one day, after getting my copy of "300 years of old Kitchen Collectibles" I found a picture identifying it as a peach peeler..."

"It never did work on apples," she adds, "and I could have damaged it! It has seven wheels, or gears, that turn others, and it is just fun to watch!"

Lo Maximo! Over the Top!

2008-07-09T08:03:00.000-07:00

My friend Gary, who has been immersed in it since its beginnings, has concluded with a disgusted shake of his head that "The Internet is loaded with junk!" Having just spent a couple of days digging through the junk and jewels for some choice blogs for my linklist, I have to agree that much of it is either:

impossible to wade through because the sites are too busy with slapped-together graphics, the type is too tiny (four point! who's going to read that?) or too large, and there are too many crudely done flash animations and unrelated litter, or
nothing but text, sometimes without even paragraph breaks, for pity's sake! Or,
so blatantly dedicated to a single agenda, i.e. making money, that it neglects the principles of being entertaining, appealing to the eye and (hopefully) informative, or
assaulting the ear with raucous music, or
all of the above. With such a combination the visitor hits the back arrow button as fast as possible!

So it's good to see we can use some positive reinforcement, such as an award, to point out blogs that have achieved higher standards. As an example, Arte y Pico, an art-related blog, has created a special award, which we are invited to bestow on art and craft blogs, following these guidelines:

Pick 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contribution to the blogging community, no matter what language.

Each award has to have the name of the author and a link to his/her blog.

Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that presented him/her with the award.

The award winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link to "Arte y Pico" so everyone will know the origin of the award.

And here's the award. Muy bonita, si?
So who is Arte y Pico and what does she do? A doll artist from Uruguay, she works in recycled materials. So, her awards will be going to craftspeople, artists, perhaps a few decorators. Perhaps anyone who just does a tasteful and valuable blog about aesthetic topics.

We're not all artists, but most of us know what we like, what makes our hearts beat faster and our pupils dilate: a pleasingly-arranged page with beautifully-detailed photos, harmonious color, easily-read type, judicious use of spell-check. My point is that artists and craftspeople aren't the only ones who create beauty; I've seen some exquisite blogs on the subject of antiques and décor.

When you visit Arte y Pico you'll find much of it in Spanish, but there's English, too so don't be daunted if your español is poquito or none. Her award title, in English:

"...translates into a wonderful phrase in Mexico, “lo maximo.” LOL! It will never find its counterpart in English, but if it HAD to, it would be something like, Wow. The Best Art. Over the top."

So now I'm inspired to do some delving in the coming week and bestow the first annual Cochran's El Maximo awards to five antique blogs. In the process, I'll learn a lot more about what's appealing, what's genuinely valuable and what entertains, cybernetically-speaking.

Who do I think I am, presuming to hand out awards? My credentials may not be impeccable, but I've been in journalism 37 years, edited and published Cochran's Antiques and Collectibles monthly for 11 years, and have now been co-publishing Cochran's Collector's Guide for 20 years. Will that do?

I'm inviting you to spread the wealth, too. Following the guidelines above, you may choose five antique blogs you believe deserve the accolade "EL MAXIMO!" Send your list to me and I'll pass them on to my readers. And it would be only right to list them, on your own blog as well, if you have one.

While we're all looking for the most deserving blogs, my partner Jim, the graphic artist in the family, is doing some delving of his own, looking into a new banner design for this blog. For a theme, we're thinking along the lines of Art Deco, maybe with a sleek 1920s Rolls Royce in the background. Hmmm, did they make Rolls in the 20s?

Oh, and I'd better ask him to come up with a design for the Cochran's award, too! He's going to be a busy guy.

A Bloglist To Reckon With

2008-07-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

My bloglist at right is growing by leaps and bounds as I discover other bloggers who are interested in antiques and collectibles. Many, I have to warn you, have an agenda: they want to sell you something. But hey, when did we ever shrink from shopping?

I did find one blog, with the unlikely name Dumpdiggers, that offers a lot more than items for sale. Rob Campbell, a self-described Canadian "relic hunter," is only 31, but he has the heart of a seeker and loves to chronicle and share his research. On his blog is a Swicki (new term to me) that led me to a whole mob of other relic hunters, all of whom have their own fascinating stories to tell. Oh, and some people with stuff to sell.

Another link, Nancy Matson's "Workin' It," led me to an informative interview with an antique dealer, Michelle Staley, of My Granny's Attic. Michelle has stuff to sell, but also some research information to share that can help us become more informed and smarter collectors. For an example, see her Forum page for a feature on "Blown Three-Mold Glass and Lily Pad Glass," an article on how to clean silver using sour milk (!), how to identify Roman coins, and a Q&A section called Ask Amelia.

And another blogger who likes to research and "ain't selling a thing" is Chris Proudlove in the UK, who's written on everything from advertising antiques to whimsies. Visit Write Antiques when you have plenty of time to get acquainted.

I'm greedy for stories, how-to tips and such. And I'm greedy for more links, too. I do visit each of these, not wanting to inflict long-expired blogs or egregiously excessive sales pitches on you, dear reader.

Antique or Born Yesterday?

2008-07-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

Red coral amulet bracelet from Tibet, at Traders City

I got a call this morning from a lady in Santa Rosa, CA, who told me about a "fabulous" collection of oriental jewelry she was trying to get evaluated. It had belonged to the aunt of a friend of hers, now in a nursing home, who used to do extensive traveling in the Far East.

"I've taken it around to the local shops, and everyone wants it, but they all want me to name a price," says the caller, who doesn't have a clue what any of it's worth.

Hmmm, the Far East, huh? A red light went on in my head. By far the biggest, most authentic-looking supply of fakes in the world comes from those crafty reproduction factories in the Far East. And I suspect that, with its huge Asian population, the West Coast has more than its share of this beautiful but bogus bling.

Yet I know there are experts out there willing and able to open the can of worms associated with oriental jewelry, and I wanted to help this lady connect with someone reliable. Preferably more than one authority.

I also wanted to give her a quick answer, so I recommended Googling "jewelry appraisals." I also urged her to photograph the collection in good light, so she could supply photos not only to local experts but perhaps someone at a distance who might have a better idea of its value.

I urged her to get written estimates if possible. When she's got some numbers, she can go back to those dealers and hopefully negotiate from a position of strength.

Part of the problem is the distinction between "antique" and "vintage." The word "antique" is bandied about far too often, while the word "vintage" feels safer -- the silver bracelet your mom got for Christmas when she was sixteen would be considered "vintage." Unless I see a piece in a museum, I tend to cringe in disbelief when I hear the word "antique" linked to jewelry.

P.S. I added a couple of vintage costume jewelry blogs to my bloglist at right, so you can delve further into the subject.

Fooling with the Faux, the Fake and the Forgery

2008-06-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

Would you be able to tell which of these is the real Picasso, just by looking?

What are the chances that the Picasso print you paid the big bucks for at auction is the real thing? Was it Sherman who wrote that note that's the centerpiece of your Civil War collection, or maybe Sherman Schwartz, the master forger? Do you know how to research the provenance (ownership history) of an object of art or memorabilia, preferably before buying it?

It's not just a matter of a few frauds out there that you might stumble onto. The burgeoning forgery industry has become so vigorous, according to an article in Art Business News, your chances of acquiring the genuine article are sinking below fifty percent!

If it was marketed through Hong Kong, its likelihood of being original is something like 25%, according to research by Smithsonian Magazine.
The FBI says some 70% of the signed memorabilia in circulation is bogus.
The International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) concluded that a disappointing 10-20% of the works they've researched were the real thing.

Scary, huh? Looks like your options are to 1) jump into the cesspool and trade in faux because "everybody else does it" and if you were fooled, the next guy can be fooled, 2) avoid the art market entirely, or 3) Smarten up and learn to do your own research.

Call me Pollyanna, but I glimpse a silver lining in this dark cloud. If you put as much energy into researching a piece (admittedly a boring enterprise for most of us) as you do in hunting it down (the exciting part), and you come up with proof of its authenticity, you have a shot at an investment that will only become more valuable as the fakes continue to flood the market. You can't always count on the information a dealer provides. It's not in his best interest to open that can of worms, lest he turn out to be humiliated or, worse, get a reputation as a purveyor of fakes.

Here's a good place to start your own detective work: Nicholas Forrest, founder of the Art Market Blog has provided a list of reliable resources for researching provenance that could come in handy if you're planning to bid on a particular item at auction, or see an item on the market that you've been looking for. A few hours' research can make a big difference. And who knows? You might even enjoy it. Thanks, Nick!

Let's Go to a Show!

2008-06-28T17:13:00.001-07:00

One of the (literally) coolest places to be in Arizona for the Fourth of July weekend is Flagstaff, at 7,000-foot elevation near the 12,634-foot Humphrey’s Peak, surrounded by pine forests. And that’s where Wanda and Robert Jones are hosting their 22nd Annual Arizona Antique Show at the Coconino County Fairgrounds. Wanda says booths for this popular show are already sold out, and they’re expecting some 5,000 shoppers at the gate.

Wanda has been broadcasting a regular segment on “Your Life, A to Z” on Channel KTVK, Channel 3 for the past few years. They also produce shows in Phoenix (still to come, Nov 15-16 and Dec 13-14 at the Arizona State Fairgrounds, and Yuma. They're by far the largest antique shows in Arizona, well worth the trip.

And if shopping 'til you drop isn't enough reason to head for Flagstaff, that same July 4 weekend is the 53rd annual Flagstaff horse races, also at the Fairgrounds.

•••

Almost any antique dealer in the Portland, OR area will tell you the biggest event of the summer will be July 12-13 when Palmer/Wirfs puts on their Antique & Collectibles Show at the Portland Expo. Many stores will close for that weekend so everyone can spend a day or more (the $7 admission covers the weekend) wandering among the 1800 booths shopping for everything from vintage toys to estate jewelry, from vintage clothing to armoires. Too big for a single hall at the Expo, the July Palmer/Wirfs show fills Halls C, D and E, and even spills outside to a huge courtyard outside Hall D. I recommend if you’re going with a friend, take walkie talkies!

•••

If you're on the East Coast, the Brimfield, Massachusetts mega-fair tent city extravaganza, actually 23 antique fairs in one, is July 14-19. That's right, almost a whole week. Nobody can do it justice, even on roller skates, in a mere weekend. It's the largest antique show in the world, according to one website (there are several). From its beginning in 1959, the Brimfield event has grown to cover a one-mile stretch of Highway 20, each individual show placed on a field owned by one of the neighboring landowners. The town of Brimfield has sanctioned specific dates for each event, one in May, the one in July and the last will be Sept. 8-13 this year. But in spite of the town's efforts at unity, there are pockets of anarchy. Some fields will keep different hours and dates in addition to the official ones, advertised independently. Some allow dogs, others strictly forbid them. Some fields, such as J&J are considered "premium" and charge admission of $5-$6, while others are free. The website mentioned above has a database that may be useful for those looking for specialty items and an active chatroom

where fairgoers compare notes.

•••

While on the subject of antique events, I've discovered another blogger on Blogspot who's focusing on antiques and he recently posted on the Randolph Street Market Festival, an urban and somewhat upscale event that used to be called the Chicago Antique Market. Daryl Lambert has probably attended thousands of such events in his 40 years as a collector, author and dealer, and he has this advice for staying focused and avoiding burnout when you're surrounded with antiques:

Remember to take your time as you approach each booth at a market or flea market, and see if you can pick out the better pieces from a distance. As you practice, you will be able to eye the items that are of interest, and the other items will quickly pass from your eyesight.

Antique Roadshow's Internet Freebies

2008-06-26T21:14:00.000-07:00

Living in Mexico, lacking satellite TV (maybe next year), I haven't seen "Antiques Roadshow" in quite a while. But the popular show has a very informative Internet presence as well, available without subscription or fees, including a handy glossary of terms that could at least get you started talking like the cognoscenti ("people who are especially well-informed on a given subject").

Admittedly, the glossary is somewhat limited...only one word for the letter "N." But take a look, see how many terms you already know, and you might pick up a few new ones.

"Tips of the Trade" with articles on everything from Asian Art to Toys and Games is packed full of useful and interesting information, including historical background that always grabs my attention, and sources that can help identify the genuine article and rule out fakes. I could easily squander an afternoon on this section alone.

'Tres Personajes' by Rufino Tamayo. Image from a blog titled 'The Brooklyn Days: An Artist Wanders Around Brooklyn' which includes a short account of the painting's discovery in a trashpile on the street
•••

Then there's a section of short videos of Roadshow segments. My favorite: the tale of a long-lost painting, "Tres Personajes" (1971) by Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991) that was dumped on a street in Manhattan and later sold at a Sotheby's auction for $1.049 million. It had been originally bought by a Houston couple, later stolen from a storage facility, and ended up years later between two garbage bags on the curb, to be found by a writer and admitted "dumpster diver," Elizabeth Gibson. She walked by, almost passed it up because it was too large for her apartment, then grabbed it a scant 20 minutes before the garbage truck arrived.

Don't Cast Away That Crusty Cast Iron!

2008-06-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

A few of the many Wagner and Griswold cast iron cooking utensils at Susantiques in Aloha, OR

They're heavy and they're not exactly maintenance free, but well-seasoned old cast iron pans are considered indispensable by many cooks, and very much in demand by collectors, particularly brands such as Griswold and Wagner.

Sue Keith, of Susantiques in Aloha, OR, has been accumulating cast iron cookware for years, in various conditions, and recently she got some sterling advice on how to get off the black, funky crust that might otherwise be difficult-to-impossible to remove. A cast iron collector advised her to place the pan in a plastic bag with a rag moistened with about a cup of ammonia. She placed a box over the bag to contain the smell and left it alone for more than a week. Here's a photo of a Wagner skillet after this treatment, and before she scraped off the crust, cleaned it and treated it with Pam, producing an almost-new-looking, well-seasoned pan.

Here are some tips from Antique and Collectibles News Service for cleaning and seasoning cast iron:
1. Hand wash with hot water, and a sponge or a stiff brush, no synthetic detergents (non-fatty oil based soaps). Dry on the stove at low heat and then apply a thin coat of solid vegetable shortening or a spritz of PAM, wiping off the excess. Until you've used your pan a few times, avoid using it to cook acidic foods such as tomatoes or beans, and remove the lid after cooking so condensation doesn't remove the seasoning.

2. Rust may sometimes appear on cast iron, but it can be removed with steel wool or a wire brush, then re-season.

Here's a novel suggestion: lightly sand rusted surfaces and apply Coca-Cola for at least ten minutes. Wash with mild soapy water, thoroughly dry over low heat and apply the Crisco or Pam.

Now here comes the controversy: A&CNS says to place the pan in a cold oven, set it for 400 degrees and bake for 90 minutes. Sue, however, who has cleaned, de-rusted and seasoned a LOT of cast iron, says to skip the oven treatment. "I think it would burn them again. Just put on the Pam and rub with a cloth, or if removing rust, with steel wool."

3. Set your burner at medium to medium-high temperature settings, and don't place a cold pan on a full flame.

4. Store with lids off, upside down in a warm, dry place.

A Blog is Born

2008-06-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

Twenty years ago our little 40-page free map guide to the antique stores of three counties in Northern California was launched from Petaluma as a sister publication to my monthly newspaper, Cochran's Art, Antiques and Collectibles.

The monthly (along with its 12 deadlines a year) has faded into history. But the map guide--still free but now 200 pages!-- has grown to cover the five western states, from Washington to Arizona. It's still the only free map guide of its kind in the US.

We may be focused on antiques, but we're learning to use the tools of the 21st century. A few years ago, we hatched a free-access subsidiary website (where you now find yourself, dear reader) and as of today, I'm starting a brand new blog.

Blogging about the antique world gives me lots of opportunities to indulge in what I enjoyed most about the monthly: researching and writing about antiques and collectibles, and interviewing people who are knowledgeable in the field. In a manner of speaking, I'll be reviving much of the monthly's best features without killing any more trees.

In our Comments readers can suggest specific antique subjects of interest, and I'll do my best to follow up. You'll be welcome to correct any mistakes and if you're so inclined, shower us with praise. We're starting an ever-growing bloglist and resource list with links that will cover everything from auctions and shows to how-to articles and news of interest.

The Internet made possible a way of life we at Cochran's only dreamed of a few years ago. One of our greatest pleasures has been sailing the coast of Mexico, and with the advent of e-mail, VOIP phones and fax, we moved ourselves and our publication South of the Border in 2006. Our home is now a five-minute walk from our boat, S/V "Bliss", in San Carlos, Sonora. Each year, when the annual Collector's Guide has been published and distributed, we'll continue our explorations, and you can follow along if you like, by visiting my other blog, 1st Mate. Welcome aboard!