Antique Adventure

Before I get started, there are a few definitions I would like to supply to provide clarification as you read:

Antique mall: (n) large indoor space, subdivided by dealer. The mall takes a percentage of the sale from the dealer, which is why you will find items marked "firm" (the dealer has proportionally more money sunk into that item than in others, which he is able to discount, have a percentage taken, and still profit from).

Dealer: (pronoun) one who is knowledgeable about a certain set of collectibles, scours the globe for them, cleans them up, and sells. Dealers can be found at antique malls, flea markets, antique shops, and dark alleys.

Antique shop: (n) a store of varying size which sells antique and vintage things; one owner and one seller, although you can often find things on consignment (usually from a collector who is needing to prune their personal cache)

Flea market: (n) usually an outdoor event which requires a quick set up for the dealer, a willingness to wake at incredibly early hours (for all parties), and fantastic haggling skills. Beware of reproductions, damaged items, and other crap.

Auction house: (n) can be an indoor or outdoor space, in which items are divided into "lots". These lots are brought up by auction assistants for the auctioneer to call. Items are usually boxed by similarity, although things can often wind up in strange combination. Auction houses are great places to get a lot of stuff for cheap (if the crowd is uneducated or uninterested in your items of choice).

Antique show: (v & n) a group of dealers selling items from a specific theme, time period, or mode. I participate in Antique Elegance (Richardson, TX), which is a pretty good mix of bigs (furniture, etc) and smalls (jewelry, dolls, ephemera, etc) from the Victorian period through the 1940s.

Also, for purpose of preservation of trade secrets, I have intentionally left out the names of all of the places we visited. Know that we were in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. If you have further questions, or are interested in going on such an adventure, please contact me!

Antique adventure

Day 1 3.3.09

1-auction house

2-auction house 2 - Picturesque drive down to 95 and them into the city. Under the Ben Franklin bridge and past the old night clubs and perhaps the future Trump towers and casinos of the downtown docks.

3-auction house 3 - one of the best auctioneers I've ever heard. His calling is reminiscent of oooold country music. Melodic. Rhythmic. Interesting.

Day 2 3.4.09

8a on the road! This Hwy thru PA reminds me of being on the autobahn through the German bath towns.

1-antique mall - Lots of everything

2-antique mall 2 - Huuuge antique mall. Bring a coat.

3-antique shop - very expensive, small selection. Car picnic!

4-auction house 4 - lots to choose from! We came on a good auction/consignment day, but things seem to be going expensively. The auction starts at 2p and is scheduled (by lot and room) through 8p. The auctioneer has a rather annoying/grating call--difficult to understand and he has the tendency to contiue speaking in the rhythm and tone after a bid is over. Also, there isn't much order to the way he's pulling boxes. New caller. All in the fam? He looks like the first caller's dad. And now another caller--another annoying one--this one too young to know much. (three hours pass) Ok. We've moved to the garage. They have a table on wheels with a stand for the auctioneer. They move the scaffolding with auctioneer along the perimeter of the room. Hahaha!! But this group of people could use a good scrub down!

Day 3 3.5.09

7a let's go!

1-auction house 5 - all indoors so warm :) There is a snack stand with delicious egg and cheese and sausage sammys. Nice layout--very clear; however the books and folk art are in a separate gallery while china and smalls are going. Bad decision-making to do both simultaneously. The concierge reports that the auctioneer goes about 80-90 lots per hour--so at a good clip. There are auction books that are beautifully photographed for the jewelry and fine arts show next week--compete with full descriptions and approximate value. Attractive crowd that has showered lately! Auctioneers & staff are in suits--things look and run very smoothly. And quick! These folks mean business! But the caller is having a good time and is joking around. Yay!

2-tour guide's basement - Although not open to the general public, Pat's had a lot to offer my mother--mostly because she loves to dig and sort. I certainly found a few good things, too!

Day 4 3.6.09

Late start! But for a reason: we needed to pack the FedEx boxes to ship the goods purchased so far, and we are slowly making our way to the big flea market tomorrow! We'll be hitting shops the whole way down, so it should be an interesting trip.

1-FedEx - There's a bathroom in the basement that you can sweettalk the lady at the desk into giving you.

2-antique mall 3 - don't drive too fast down George street or you'll miss it! This mall was obviously severla different establishments before the mall--the rooms are disjointed and there is not a good flow through the building. We just found an entire back hallway full of great stuff--that we found by getting lost!

3-antique mall 4 - set in a fabulous old farm house, the tiny doorways and severly twisting stairs open to rooms full of beautiful handcarved furniture and glass cases full of surprises. If you close your eyes and tune out the sounds of traffic outside the windows, you can picture a warm home full of laughing childrren and hardworking adults. People perhaps taking respite midday or from the hard toil of battles and war inside this safe haven. I'm reminded by these nonexistent hallways, low ceilings, and tiny walkways that we are a much larger people than those who came before us.

On to Maryland!

4-antique mall 5 - meh.

Across the Potomac and on to Virginia (it's for lovers!)

Day 5 3.7.09

1-flea market - 6 hours later.... It's worth the $10 admission only if you know exactly where you're going or if you're willingto dig for what you want.

2-antique show-cranky people. Maybe because of Richard Wright's death, but who knows.

Day 6 3.8.09

4am let's go!!!

1-flea market 2 - bring a flashlight! This place starts EARLY (there is a Dunkin Donuts nearby) and people are packing up by the time the sun makes her debut.

2-flea market 3 - bring a flashlight but there's a huge indoor section. And restrooms! The best deals are certainly outside, especially because all of the merchandise is staffed with it's dealer--inside you run into dark or roped booths that you cannot look at or purchase from because the dealer is not there.

3-flea market 2.5 (indoor market) - 4 hours later and the flea is totally cleaned up

4-antique mall 6 - cranky staff, but decent selection of smalls.

All who went on this adventure bought incredible things. My jewelry and smalls have already made their debut at Forestwood Antique Mall (ask for showcase 374). I'll be posting pictures soon.

It was exhausting, it was educational, it was definitely worth it! If you are interested in going on your own Antique Adventure, please let me know!

Antique Adventure

Sorry for the delay on posting--I've been in the NorthEast, hunting for vintage goodies to sell! I'm working on editing the daily journal of the trip--look for the post soon!

Antique Elegance

Happy weekend to you!
Today and tomorrow are dedicated to Antique Elegance--a fantastic show in Richardson, Texas.
There was a fabulous fashion show this morning that spanned from the late 1700s through the 1960s. Pictures to come...
If you haven't had a chance to come by, you still have from 10a-5p tomorrow.
I'll see you there!

If you don't have a chance to make it, I'll have a writeup with highlights next week.

Forgotten Laura Hunt followup post

Sorry all! I did go to the Laura Hunt estate sale--and...well...it was slightly anticlimactic. Nothing too expensive. Nothing so extreme. Nothing Rococo and ridiculous. Just some basic furnishings from a few homes that she had done and will be redoing soon. Sure, there were the $10k Lion's Head Tavern doors from the early 1900s and the $8k chandeliers, but that was to be expected.
The only thing I am KICKING myself for is there were two vintage, used Louis Vuitton trunks going for $150! I have never seen the prices so low, and I completely missed the opportunity to own these beautiful leather pieces! I'm going to have to remember to call her office tomorrow and see if they are still available.....

Laura Hunt Estate Sale

What used to be Harold's in Highland Park Village is currently under transformation to accommodate an estate sale hosted/thrown/sponsored by Laura Hunt. I cannot wait to see what this space will hold! I'll report tonight on what goodies (extravagant and rococo, I'm sure) are found!

Reduce, Reuse, Antique

I'm a firm believer in recycling, which is why I buy vintage. It's recycling in its own right!
My Magpie mother and I have a showcase at Forestwood Antique Mall in Dallas. Mom (Commandant's Cottage Antiques) does child's play things and various smalls, while I (Thieving Magpie) do jewelry and accessories (of course!). Here are a few snapshots of what is currently in the booth....





























go HERE to see more recent pics from the space! (and click through the rest of my pictures to get an idea of what else we have carried in the past)

Vintage vs. New: The Battle Continues

I will start this blogging adventure with a topic I am very familiar and comfortable with: jewelry.

Just a brief background of myself and my experience with baubles: I have always loved jewelry. Not necessarily in the same way that all little girls liked to dress up and play with their mother's gems, I mean I really love jewelry. So much so that I brought my mother's diamonds and pearls to show and tell in kindergarten, only to have them confiscated by the school nurse (and family friend) and transferred safely back to my mother's hands. So much so that I was started a charm bracelet that was filled up with over 50 charms by the time I graduated from college. So much so that every summer, for six years, on my way to summer camp, my parents would drive through Kerrville, just so we could go to the James Avery home and store. So much so that my first antique auction purchase was a garnet and sapphire vermeil ring that I still wear to this day. So much would be the key phrase. I probably have more rings than I do socks, and more earrings than I do underwear. I wholeheartedly believe that you can change any outfit's intentions with jewelry. You can make jeans and a tshirt sultry and a little black dress simply and day-appropriate. Although Coco Chanel had very good intentions, I do not believe in her "remove one piece of jewelry before you leave your home" rule--I say add, don't detract. The more the better. Layer, stack, bangle. Now, please hear me: I am NOT an overkill kind of girl. I believe jewelry should be worn in moderation, and (of course) in taste. I certainly ascribe to quality over quantity...but sometimes a girl just wants to have fun!

Back to the present. Not only do I love and appreciate new jewelry, I also have a great affinity for the antique/vintage/old. This is where today's post is headed: Do you save for the things of the past? or splurge on the things of the present?

I think you can do both.

Take for example, if you will, my 15 carat smokey topaz that sits high aloft a 14k gold band and swirl setting. (Please note: tasteful 6-prong setting. Quantity and quality are not synonymous when one is choosing a prong setting.) This is a gorgeous cocktail ring, similar to the styles of the 1950s and 1960s, but purchased from an estate containing more pieces from the 1920s and 1930s. This ring is a classic eye-catcher for all the right reasons. It's slightly larger than socially appropriate for day wear, and slightly undersized for typical cocktail, allowing me to wear it day and night. It's classic proportions and timeless style are just as appreciated now as they were then.

In Texas, this is considered a "rang", not a simple ring.

However, such things do not come cheaply. This is why I fully support the current jewelry trend of bringing back vintage at a fraction of the price.

Banana Republic, 18mm smokey topaz and 18k gold-plated brass $49

This is a GREAT alternative to a truly vintage piece, not only because it is priced so well, but because you will be able to wear it for years, and you won't be heartbroken if you break it.

The moral of this story is: purchasing and wearing vintage is great for the environment (it's recycling at its best!). However, when push comes to shove (and the budget is a consideration), well-made imitations of the real thing are certainly a better alternative to nothing at all.