Painting it Red (or your favorite color) in Vegas

Painted frames by local artists, at Not Just Antiques in Las Vegas

It takes a little courage for some of us to transform an object with paint, or maybe a little inspiration from an expert. And that's where The Painted Attic comes in. If you're in the Las Vegas  area, you could sign up for a painting workshop in their upstairs Recycled Furniture and Craft Boutique at Not Just Antiques, on June 28 at noon.

Bring an object you'd like to paint: a small box, picture frame, something that would add fresh new color to your décor. The class will provide a brush and a small can of paint for a $45 fee, and help you with your transformation, from preparation to painting to applying a protective coat of wax. The Painted Attic also has quite a few small items to choose from that might be fun to paint. Sign up by emailing callReneeEstates@yahoo.com.

Not Just Antiques is at 1422 Western Avenue near Oakley, in Las Vegas. Call (702) 384-4922 for information. Also visit the store's Facebook page: Not Just Antiques in Las Vegas. Owner Renee Poole is also involved extensively in estate sales, auctions, consignments and eBay sales, and the store website has an Online Shop.

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.

What do men want? Mantiques!

Seasoned antique dealers have always known there are certain items in their collections dear to the heart of male shoppers. While the wife is swooning over ornate old sterling and Meissen porcelains, the husband is drawn to old gas station pumps, toys that bring back his youth, tools and fishing tackle...objects that these days are referred to as "Mantiques." And now there's a guide especially for these objects, Mantiques: A Manly Guide to Cool Stuff, by Eric Bradley and published by Krause Publications.

Mantiques covers quite a wide range of items, from surfing and fishing gear to men's fashions to jukeboxes and barware. And their popularity among buyers has boomed worldwide over the past few years, leading us to lament getting rid of our Generation One MacIntosh computer and Grandpa's shaving mug. This guide will make those antiquing forays Dad used to dread into exciting explorations of everything masculine...just in time for Father's Day.

Also in time for Dad's special fete is a special sale of Mantiques at King Richards Antique Center in Whittier, starting June 9. The most hard-to-shop-for man should get a kick out of something from the store's selection of cameras, watches, glasses, collectibles, sports/auto memorabilia, metal signs, tools, golf clubs, fishing poles, LP's, model cars and more. King Richard's, which has been dealing in antiques for more than 30 years, occupies the historic 100+-year-old Whittier Citrus Association building, which is also home of the College for Appraisers...a good source for appraisals the first Saturday of each month. King Richard's Antique Center is proud to once again win the San Gabriel Valley Tribune 2014 Reader's Choice Award!

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.

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.

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!