Treasure Trove lives up to their name

Treasure Trove in Stockton, CA is having an estate sale this weekend (July 23-24) that would be worth the drive from anywhere.


The list of items up for sale is breathtaking... An antique primitive blanket chest dated 1857, a set of antique oak barley twist carved figural chairs, original paintings, a huge book collection dating back to the 1700s including a very large Lutheran pulpit Bible dated 1736...Meissen, Waterford, an ornate iron and brass bed, vintage Japanese tansu...

"One of our best," says Annette, and we'd have to agree! See more details at EstateSales.net, or call (209) 547-0433 for info.

A Little Sweet Romance

I've been finding some delightful antique and vintage eye candy on Facebook and various websites. Today the Internet took me to South End Antique and Collectible Mall's Facebook page. Guess I'm in a mood for romantic feminine touches, and I found plenty to like in the bedroom setting on their cover photo and this sweet fainting couch. South End's bright, well-composed photos were a pleasure to look at.


I could swear I smelled roses and lavender when I looked at these photos. Amazing how it lifts the mood. Soft lighting, filmy draperies, floral tapestry, pink coverlets and throws...I'm not a pink kind of person, but here it's just perfect.


Want a romance in your daily grind? South End Antiques and Collectibles Mall is in an old pickle factory on Hwy 99E in Aurora, OR, a popular destination for antique, vintage and collectibles shoppers.

News Flash: Scottsdale, AZ

Antique Trove in Scottsdale is midway through a storewide three-day sale. Visit their website at www.antiquetrove.com, and see their Facebook page — lots of irresistible items! Shown here, a color-themed shot (in my favorite blues!) of garden décor, a beautiful wicker buggy overflowing with flowers, and a very decorative birdcage.

Saving the world?

I don't know if it'll help save the world, but the shopping vintage/recycled/used movement has definitely taken off. I remember my mother insisting on buying new when I was growing up, and then she discovered thrift stores and became addicted. Some of my best memories are thriftshopping with my mom. My only regret is that she never got to go to an estate sale.

I've been buying vintage most of my adult life, partly because of economics but also because it's more fun!

Another reason I like to buy at flea markets, estate sales, antique stores, vintage stores, garage sales, etc.: often I can actually find something that wasn't made in China! Some items were even made in the USA! Then there's the damage caused by the clothing industry to the environment and the Third World. So maybe if enough of us did it, we could actually save the world.

Doggie Night at Cottage Jewel Soiree

If antiques, art objects and pets are a big part of your life, there's a special event with your name on it in Danville, CA Thursday evening, May 22. Cottage Jewel invites animal lovers to come in that day and select a 1950s rhinestone collar for 20% off, so you can spiff up your furry friend for a "bitches in bling" photo opportunity. From 5-8 pm local author Peggy Stevens will be signing copies of her new book of poetry inspired by her rescue cat Tommy.

Marcia Harmon often keeps Cottage Jewel open late for evening soirees like this, and also hosts workshops in creating found art. Next workshop is Sunday, June 8, 1-4pm, to learn how to make exquisite mini book pendants. The store, which offers a blend of antiques, vintage, period jewelry, artisan wares and novelties, is at 100 West Prospect, Danville. Call 925-837-2664 for more information, or to sign up for the June 8 workshop, or visit the website at www.cottagejewel.com.

Coming up this Sunday the 29th: The biannual Antique and Collectibles Fair in Old Town Clovis, CA. More than 80 dealers will bring their finest finds for your selection. Wanda Leon, for instance, has just gotten back from an exhaustive summer-long buying trip along the World's Longest Yard Sale and who knows what she's brought home. Also, you can bring something for a free appraisal by Kathy Osterberg. Admission and parking are free.

Photo: oldtownclovis.org

Old Town Clovis is one of those lovingly restored downtown districts that take you back, so that a stroll through the streets feels like you've been transported in time. They've set a wonderful example for any American community looking to revive their heritage.

You can check out ongoing events in town on a blog, and there's a virtual tour you can take on the Old Town Clovis website. Antique Fairs are held in March and September, sponsored by Business Organization of Old Town.

If you go to Clovis, meander through the many antique shops in Old Town. You can refer to a map of shops in Cochran's Guide, just select Contents and then click on Clovis.

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

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

One look at the determined look on the faces of

these opening-day Brimfield fans, and you just want

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

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

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

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

42,000 Digital Guides...and counting!

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

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

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

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


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

A Vicarious Visit to the Ultimate Expo

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