Too Much of a Good Thing

We just finished  a marathon of shows and shops in "the land of Oz" where we have visited for more than 10 years each March.

Thousands of people converge on a few small towns for  up to  five days and scurry from shop to show and back again searching for the elusive fabulous antique for collection or to resell.  Dear One and I have cabin fever at this time of year--the daffodils are still hiding--and the brown-ness of northern Illinois makes us want to see the brown-ness of another part of the state.

We are all crazy people as we traipse from show to show--stand in line and race around in  overheated overcrowded rooms.  We remember the days when there was just one show on the weekend--now there are six.  By the sixth one--Dear One and I have battle fatigue.

We found a few good finds.  We also look at it as a research trip--what is selling-what are people charging-what are the new fakes on the market.  Since we are seeing many things we do not collect or sell--I used to be a bit intimidated by the sea of early American antiques--and the amount of knowledge I did NOT have.  Not any more.

This trip--I watched a woman purchase a step back cupboard that was easily painted with "old" paint last week--no wait--maybe last month.  I wanted to rush over to her--talk to her about "honest wear" and how this piece was missing it.  Old cupboards were not painted on the backside.  Where are the decades and decades of greasy finger marks and bumps and bruises and character?  That blue color is NOT old paint.  Use your nose--SMELL it.  Feel the surface.  Look closer lady!! 

I asked a dealer about a  sign they had. I asked my usual "what can you tell me about this piece?"  I happen to come from the part of the county where the product originates.  While the sign had a folk art look I liked--something was "off".  How does a sign come off a tavern if it has no nail holes, no  indications it was in a now missing frame, and no weathered wear? Signs in the outdoor  elements  have tell tale markings.  Not this one.

Then again you find a dealers who knows their stock,  one who is selling something you do not see in booth after booth after booth--and is selling like gangbusters.  After a million of these shows--we know have learned where you stop and where you don't bother.

We found some treasures,  had a stock up from our favorite country grocery store,  our lungs are full of crisp not Chicago air--and we have  a whole lot of enthusiasm for a good selling spring ahead.