Tongue-in-Cheek Advertising

Wouldn't this be sweet in the powder room? A tintype image of a nun with soulful eyes was used to promote Cherry Blossom perfume, toilet powder and soap in this antique advertisement, with the promise, "Nun Nicer." Found at Susantiques in Aloha, OR. 

The Collaboration Concept

What I like about antique and vintage stores is that most of them seem to find collaborating rather than competing does much more for the bottom line. The more stores there are in a downtown district, for instance, the more likely a shopper will pull off the freeway, brave downtown traffic, park and tour all the shops.

(The Cochran's Guide encourages that spirit of cooperation by offering free display ads to groups of shops.)

An example: events like the Shop Hop mentioned in our previous post bring people downtown, where they can stop somewhere for coffee or dinner, do some extended, relaxed browsing, and stimulate the local economy.

In Junction City, OR, ten stores are collaborating on a Girlz Night Out sales, drawings and other surprises. Time and Again Collectibles and Gifts at 177 W Sixth Ave will sweeten the deal with a Syrup Tasting of new flavors for all the waffle fiends out there. Ten stores are involved, a great evening's stroll with the girls (I'm sure they'll let in guys, too).

Tomorrow night in Phoenix, Pearly Mae's Resale and Home Again Furnishings and Antiques, neighbors at 4314 and 4302 N. 7th Ave., are having a Happy Hour Sale tomorrow, Sept 18, with both stores open until 8pm.  (Home Again is continuing their sale through the weekend.)

We contribute by promoting events like this, as well as in-store sales, on our Facebook page. If your store is in the Guide, and you're having your own sale, or a community event like Girlz Night, the Happy Hour or Shop Hop, we hope you'll let us know so we can help you toot your horn!

Photos: 1) something new from something old, a spoon bracelet by Spoon Candy, at Time & Again in Junction City, OR.
2) Gorgeously ornate wrought iron patio set at Home Again in Phoenix.
3) Tropical seating ensemble at Pearly Mae's Resale in Phoenix.

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.

Remember these?

Albany Antique Mall in Albany, OR has a new dealer specializing in old advertising signs, some with chalkboards, some with thermometers. Visit the store's Facebook page, at Albany Antique Mall.



Albany is gearing up for their 18th Annual Antiques in the Streets and Classic Car Show on Sept. 12, when antiques, vintage finds and classic cars will be on display on the downtown streets. For more info, go to their website.

Packing it all in

Ever wish you could be around when a container of wonderful old stuff is first cracked open and its treasures revealed? In their current blog, Aurora Mills Architectural Salvage notes that June is when containers from their buying trips arrive, and they show a photo of a container just after it's been opened. They call the game of packing it all in "Heavy Object Tetris" because getting it all in is like creating a puzzle.

Very interesting pieces all packed into a container, just arrived at Aurora Mills

Beyond the fascinating architectural finds that are their specialty, Aurora Mills carries furniture, art, lighting and industrial elements that lend themselves to all kinds of creative uses. In addition to items from factories, bakeries and offices there are goodies like old gym baskets, work benches, old bottles complete with labels, an oak beer keg... and they post photos of most of these ready-for-reuse items on their website. And you can catch up with the latest news on their Facebook page under Aurora Mills Architectural Salvage. Aurora Mills is at 14971 First St NE in Aurora, OR, phone (503) 678-6083.

Back to the Future

Do you love the Mid-Century look? We're talking about the Mid-20th Century. That postwar era so many of us grew up in and fondly remember.

Barbara Johnson at Timeless Antiques & Collectibles in Aurora, OR, finds blogging on her website the perfect way to show detailed photos of specialties in her store, such as the ever-more-popular mid-century lighting and Heywood Wakefield furniture in complete sets, which go together like ice cream and strawberries.

Lamps from the Fifties feature those fiberglass shades that conduct light so well, and ceramic or metal bases, and creative switch design that allow for brighter or dimmer light.

Heywood Wakefield's designs from the mid-Forties into the Fifties emphasized curvy, clean lines, compact shapes, and honey blonde woods that brighten a room, and futuristic abstract upholstery patterns that collectors are beginning to appreciate again. Furniture from that era is often worse for wear (we're talking some 65 years ago, after all), so Barbara does her research and comes up with the appropriate fabrics and finishes to make the pieces look like Mom just proudly brought them home from the furniture store. Sweet memories.

If You've Got it, Flaunt It, Part II

Want to bring out your Inner Spielberg? There's no better reason than to make a video of your antique store. That's what Collector's Mall in Milwaukee, OR, did, and they uploaded their creation on their website, mainstreetcollectorsmallandsodafountain.com. The result is a warm, welcoming tour of the store, complete with special focus on what makes the store unique: a rare, authentic 1950s soda fountain with a young soda jerk who proudly whips up a cherry coke and a banana split, for a great nostalgia rush.

Main Street Collector's Mall occupies an old drug store building, c. early 1900s, with an authentic soda fountain that still serves up breakfast, lunch and anything ice cream

Very popular model of the Starship Enterprise at Main Street Collector's Mall and Soda Fountain

Darlene and Pete Davis, owners, make sure there are plenty of photos in their Gallery as well, so anyone considering going to the Portland area is going to want to make a stop in Milwaukie while they're at it...especially this time of year for First Fridays celebrating art, food, live music, poetry, dance and community, from 5-9pm the first Friday of every month. And then there's Farmer's Markets June-September with music and crafts.

If there's anything visual that trumps a picture, it's "moving pictures" with sound. The video camera used to be a pricey and tricky-to-operate item but now technology has put vidcams in iPads and smart phones, as well as digital cameras. So making videos is now accessible to all of us who have the patience to experiment and learn. Have fun with it, fine-tune it and upload it. Make your website come alive.

If you've got it, flaunt it

So you have an antique store, and you'd like people to come in and browse the awesome collection(s) you've spent weeks putting together for display. But advertising copy can only go so far. People want to see what you've got, and then let something irresistible grab them and bring them in the door. That's where cameras come in.

Digital cameras have made photography so much easier! I remember when I published a monthly antique magazine and had to take roll after roll of film to the processor, where they'd charge me beaucoup bucks to even look at what I'd come up with, and there was no tweaking possible. If a shot was great but a tad too dark, there was little to nothing I could do about it. And digital cameras are capable of dealing with less-than-optimal lighting situations, too.

Now there's PhotoShop, but even more affordable, a nifty program called Preview (came free with my Mac) that allows me to crop, lighten, turn a photo on its side if that's the effect I want. But the best thing is just to take a LOT of photos, until you get over that attitude that "I can't take good photos." Take enough shots of anything, you're bound to come up with something you like.

How do you get the photos up where people can see them? A website is a great way to do that. Witness Hollywood Treasures' (of Eugene, OR) website, with a gazillion photos on their home page. It would be very hard to go through all those shots without seeing something you'd love to bring home. My favorites are a glorious, understated yet graceful chandelier and a handsome dive helmet of brass and copper. Not only are they very attractive pieces, but the photographer took great closeups of them. (OK, I confess, I did a little creative cropping too...)

Maybe you don't have time or the expertise to put together a website. You can still get your photos online, when you're included in Cochran's Collector's Guide. Stores in the Guide that don't have websites can have a free web page, similar to Hollywood Treasures' home page but with a descriptive paragraph and a map to your location. Take a look under the Free Hosting/Links to Shops Currently Hosted menu above for examples.

Whether you've got a website or a web page with Cochran's, the next important step is to get the web address out there, on your business card, flyers, maybe a poster on your front door, your Facebook page, Twitter...anyplace your store can be publicly viewed. And take fresh photos when new items come in! Your camera could be your new best marketing friend. And it doesn't even have to be a real camera, you can use an iPad, or a smart phone. Just start clicking away!

That Time Again...

Here at Cochran's we have begun work on the 2015 edition (our 26th annual!), to be published in early October. Right now we're contacting everyone who participated last year, plus a number of shops that contacted us after we went to press, to let them know our deadline (August 31!) and rates for next year.

If you have a store or antique-related business or produce an event in the five Western states (WA, OR, CA, NV, AZ) please click on PARTICIPATE in the menu above and see what we have to offer. Then click on your state on the little map, and you'll see the rates for that region.

Cochran's entire 152-page travel-size map guide is printed and distributed to the stores and shows in early November, and then uploaded on this website at the beginning of the new year. Click on CONTENTS in the menu above to visit any of the five states and their stores. Or see our Events section directly after our color section, to see antique fair and show schedules for the rest of 2014.

Hot Off The Press: Cochran's 2014 Collector's Guide

When Sue Keith at Susantiques in Aloha, OR got her boxes of the new Collector's Guide, she went right to her computer and made a color-coordinated sign to place on her counter. She's been doing this every year since she started advertising in the Guide. Everyone who walks into her shop leaves with a Guide.

We love you, Sue! Thanks for helping us celebrate our Silver Anniversary!

Books should be reaching the southernmost point, Arizona, by the middle of next week. Happy antiquing!

Take Hubby Shopping for Mantiques

Men have been deeply involved in antiques since the first caveman started collecting old bones, but still when a lot of guys think of antiques they picture spindly gilded furniture and pretty dishes, not really their cup of tea (hope that remark doesn't sound sexist). They get that glassy-eyed look when you want them to go with you shopping in antique stores. But now there are stores that boldly offer "mantiques," "architectural," "industrial" items that definitely spark a man's interest.

One we just came across this morning is called Acme Garage, in Medford, Oregon. They describe their store as follows: "At over 6600 sq ft, our co-op is packed with high-octane vintage items." When you go there, you might want to bring a truck!

Guys! Imagine this "settee" in your man cave!

Check out their Facebook page for a preview. It's a guy kinda thing, from the banner featuring four pin-up girls reminiscent of mechanics' calendars, on down...a miner's carbide lamp, advertising signs for once-popular petroleum products, metal lockers like you had in high school, stuff from dismantled post offices and bowling alleys, giant sign letters, 1950s billboards, neon signs, repurposed furniture and all the elements a fella needs to do some repurposing on his own...Well, you get the idea. Lots of photos for inspiration.

 They've got a sign out front that says "Drop him off at Acme Garage...Free Mansitting." So next time you're in Medford stop at 2784 West Main St, bring the hubby and don't be surprised if he has the time of his life.