Preview June 29th – July 1st

Auction July 1st  10:30am

Next weekend is the summer antique market at the Red Barn in Round Top, Texas.  I’m excited about going!  The summer fairs are often smaller, have less customers, but you can often find people more willing to deal.

(Note to everyone: summertime is always slow in the antiques world – what a great time to try to strike up a bargain on some of those items you have been considering buying)

One of the aspects of the world of picking I love so much are the stories.  I can never get enough of the excitement someone expresses when telling about a hot find.

My friend Ed Akers whom I’ve never met but have conversed with online (isn’t the Internet great?) for years told me about a find he had in Florida.

“I was garage saling one Saturday for cool finds for my antique biz and found this vase. The person was only asking $7.00, I asked if the would take $5.00 and they agreed.

The vase is a Bauer design by Russell Wright.

Ed went on to tell me, “I have seen pillow vases by Russell Wright selling on ebay for $300 – $600. I even found where this style was offered at $1200.

It just goes to show the deals are still out there to be found.

Another friend of mine (who asked to be anonymous) just scored a bargain at Rago’s Great Estates Auction; a sculpture by a contemporary artist that they could not identify. It was by Hollis Fingold, an artist who she happened to be quite the fan of. The sculpture cost her $150.

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/7526731

I’d like to propose a challenge to my readers. Who is the ultimate picker? Who can take the least amount of money and turn it into the most? Or if not the least amount of money, who can create the greatest amount of return on the cash they lay out?

Post your finds here!

Happy Hunting!

Reyne

DESIGNED BY ARCHITECTS

Furniture, lamps and objects designed by important international architects
July 1st, 2010

More than 200 furniture, lamps, carpets, objects, architectural drawings, photographs and books from Art Nouveau, Bauhaus, design of the 50-70ties until the present day.

Auction June 23rd & 24th  9:30am

Preview June 22nd

Jackson Rooms sessions include American, Continental, English and Asian Antique and Semi-Antique Furniture including bookcases and dining tables.

America’s favorite new TV show launched its first episode of Season 2 on June 7^th.  A staggering 4.3 million viewers tuned in to follow Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz on their next great picking adventure.

Mike & Frank are once again on the hunt for more – Rusty Gold – digging through barns, salvage yards, and a burned down storage facility in search of forgotten treasures.

The first episode we watch Mike get taken advantage of by Buddy the Booby Trap man.  Had he only listened to Frank!  I couldn’t help but whistle the theme to “Sanford and Son” while watching them climb around some the broken down bus filled to the brim with junque.  It would seem like they have to pick many a pile before striking gold.

Finally, they get a lead on a property with a few cars.  Over the years I have managed a few car collections, and have found a few great cars in barns myself.  It never ceases to amaze me how one day you pull a car in a garage, and then it is left to sit for 10-20 years.  At the end of the day, the 1950 Studebaker they managed to score was a well earned reward.

So it’s no mystery I like this show.  I love what it represents; two guys who have a passion for adventure, and who get excited every day with the thrill of the hunt.  That aside, I wanted to know more about these guys.  I wanted to really know how deep their passion runs for this stuff.

I emailed Frank a few weeks ago, alas his taping schedule has kept him tied up, and I don’t think he spends as much time on email I do – so I hit up Mike for an interview.  I have to say it’s really weird interviewing someone. It is usually me in the hot seat.  I thought about a lot of questions that have been asked to me over the years and then trashed the list and decided to “free style”.

Poor guy sounds exhausted when I first get on the phone with him.  He’s been on the road up to his ears in rotted hams and dust bunnies.  I really felt bad about taking some of his downtime away for my interview, but don’t you know as soon as we started talking about picking, he completely came back to life.

I learned we had a good bit in common.  He started Kindergarten at the age of 4, and so did I.  He was raised in a single family home, so was I.   He had a thing for bikes at the age of 4.  At 4 I was racing my bad-ass red tricycle around the house with my mother’s sunglasses on narrowly missing the wall as I took the corners at amazing speeds.

Seriously, Mike’s passion for collecting did start at the age of 4.  One day on his way to school he saw a few bikes in the trash at someone’s home. He ended up cutting school and took them all back to the garage at his home. This is where the similarities stop, because I didn’t start cutting school until like 10^th grade.

His interest in vintage items didn’t end as a kid.   In later years, he wanted to decorate his home with vintage things, and to this day, he still has a passion for bicycles.   I must sadly admit I never kept that red trike, or the bubblegum pink Huffy I had.

I know earlier I said I decided against the standard reporter questionnaire, but I did want to know one thing.  Did he have a Fine Arts degree, or any formal schooling for the world of antiques?  I get asked that question a lot.  In case you are wondering, the answer is no – and I was betting that was going to be his answer as well.   Sure enough, he had learned from the school of hard knocks; trial and error; experience.  I personally think you learn more that way in this business.

The conversation came to a serious note at one point when we talked about picking.  He noted the level of thrill he gets from being first to pick things.  He expressed how he did not want to be the middle man, or have an item sold to him that had been sold a few times around.  There is a simple old school joke that explains it all; “There were two antique dealers on a deserted island…business was good!”

In the world of collecting, items are often picked, then sold to a dealer, then another dealer and maybe even a third dealer before finally going to a collector.  Wolfe has no interest in being on the receiving end of a phone call from a dealer offering their newly polished prize up for sale.

Mike & Frank have been in this business for quite some time.  With all they have seen, I had to know what would be the ultimate pick.  Mike, the ever passionate bike guy gave me not one, but two answers; First, was anything Harley Davidson, pre 1910.  Second would be a Blackhawk motorcycle.  Apparently this bike was made not far from his home and a complete model has never been found.

So any of you reading that happen to have one of these in your backyard and you want to be on TV, you know who to call.

In the meantime I’ll be watching to see if the antique Gods smile upon you and grant that wish.  However, may I note that I’m pretty sure the oil lamp you were looking at in the first episode of Season 2 is called an Aladdin lamp.  Perhaps you could have rubbed it and made a wish!

Happy Hunting guys!

Reyne

Discovery Auction – June 18th  10am

Great Estates Auction – June 19th  12pm

Furnishings by Gustav Stickley, L&JG Stickley, Charles Stickley, Stickley Bros, Limbert, Roycroft, J.M. Young, Plail.

Pottery, Ceramics, metal and Glass by Rookwood, Grueby, Newcomb, Ohr, Fulper, Marblehead, Saturday Evening Girls, North Dakota School of Mines, Wheatley, Hampshire, Peters & Reed, Van Briggle, Kipp, Heinrichs, WMF, Heintz, Tiffany Studios, Steuben, Durand, Weller, Roseville, Dow. American Art pottery by Grueby, Fulper, Volkmar, Marblehead.

There are many great reasons to start a community site. Steiffgal created MySteiffLife so collectors from all over the world would have an online destination to learn and share information about vintage playthings from this remarkable toy company from Germany.

“Hello Steiffgal,

Just found your wonderful blog on the internet. And I am happy that I can clarify the mystery over the name of Revue Susi for you.

Revue was a German people-magazine from 1946 to 1966. Its mascot dog was Susi. But I believe that Susi was a dachshund (as there was a prize winning game, where you could win a sibling of Susi and the dog to be won was a dachshund!).

In the attachment you can see a picture of Susi on the front cover of the magazine.”

Best collector wishes from Germany, Claudia”

Claudia, on behalf of all the Steifflife readers, many thanks for this wonderful information on Revue Susi and the delightful magazine cover showing her probable namesake!  What an interesting story!  Steiffgal is certain that everyone would agree that this photogenic pup certainly lives up to her the covergirl (Steiffgal means cover dog!) legacy.

Do you know any Steiff insights you would like to share? Send them to Steiffgal at Steifflife@gmail.com so she can share them here with our wonderful growing community of Steiff collectors.

Have a question about one of your Steiff treasures? Let’s talk! Click here to learn more.

Reyne returns to the Urban Market outside Houston to ask various vendors about their wares, while she hunts for nuggets of valuable information to pass on.

Market Preview going on now, 12PM to 7PM until July 10 & 11 when the market time changes from 9AM to 4PM for our Grand Opening.

WHO WE ARE:

• The largest year-round vendor market in the Philadelphia Area consisting of 200 vendors!
• Vendors selling ORGANIC, locally grown and produced FOOD and food products, ARTS and CRAFTS, CLOTHING, ANTIQUES, vintage goods and collectibles.
• The Market at the Piazza will continue year-round every Saturday and Sunday, from 9AM to 4PM on both days.

200 SELECT VENDORS VEND FOR ***FREE*** OUR GRAND OPENING WEEKEND:

• $100,000 being spent on press to advertise!
• Our GRAND OPENING WEEKEND is Saturday July 10 and Sunday July 11, 2010 from 9AM to 4PM on both days.
• ***The Grand Opening Weekend is FREE for all 200 SELECT vendors.***
• Vendors MUST apply online at www.marketatthepiazza.com.
• You will be selected via EMAIL to participate in the Grand Opening.

ABOUT THE MARKET AT THE PIAZZA:

• There is no place like it in the region!! Located at the award-winning Piazza at Schmidt’s complex in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia
• The Market at the Piazza is easily accessed by public transportation and highways, with abundant parking at 2nd & Germantown Avenue!
• The Piazza is doubling the size of its current parking lot.
• The Piazza is an absolute lock on becoming a NATIONAL TOURIST ATTRACTION – recently featured as one of “SIX PHILLY GEMS BEYOND THE LIBERTY BELL” on CNN

WEEKEND BOOTH RATES:

• $100/weekend or $75/day, after July 17th: $80/weekend or $40/day
• Student discount: 20%
• Bulk discount: 10% for 5 ,6, 7, 8 or 9 weekends, 15% for 10 or more weekends

HOW TO BECOME A VENDOR:

• Call us: 215-467-4603
• Email us: vendor@towerdev.com
  
• Apply online at: WWW.MARKETATTHEPIAZZA.COM
• Tables, tents, and chairs are available to rent every day!
• Reserve in advance or pay same day – it’s that easy!

The Piazza at Schmidt’s
2nd & Germantown Avenue, Below Girard
Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, PA 19123
215-467-4603 – vendor@towerdev.com
www.marketatthepiazza.com