Time for an Auction Escape

Dear Readers-Forgive the absence this month--as our room renovation project, otherwise knows as "the project that never ends" has been consuming us--has been taking a great deal of time.  But this morning dawns warm for December--very warm--and Dear Husbola is going to futz with his bees and daffodil planting and I am off to beautiful Lake Geneva for an auction!

Not just any auction--but an auction at a lakefront property.  They seem t have some mid century things--and they appear a bit quirky.  We love quirky--we SELL quirky.  I am quirky.  Therefore--off I go.

More to report later.  Plus--I have to tell you about the incredible 1915 circa Louis Vuitton suitcases I bought.  And a set of incredible folk art plant stands.  Good pickin's lately.

Antique Tin Ceiling Tile Patina

There are two words that strike more pure glee in an antique dealer's heart than any others.

"Original Surface".

I am no exception.  If I can buy items with their original time worn surface or patina--all the better--and they command a premium when selling them on.

This past weekend--I went to a local auction that had many architectural items in various degrees of condition.  The auction was held in a late 1800s old storefront--and a building that had been closed up since the mid 1980s.  MOTHER LODE of patina--with plenty of free dust thrown in.

I bought three types of tin ceiling tiles.  The back alley of this store had tiles, door, shutters and other bits and bobs stacked up.  My photos might not quite do all the colors justice--but you get the idea.

A little soap and water and these pieces will be perfect.  Great old paint.  Can't fake that.

From Antique Dealer to Bootlegger

I had three opportunities to change hats from "antique dealer" to " vintage bootlegger" this past week.  All three adventures were new ones for me--which makes them extra special-and a bit amusing.

#1-  A dealer/picker we know offered us the opportunity to purchase numerous oil paintings.  After repeated attempts to get together--our only option was to met at our huse, before church for us and a charity golf game for him.  So--before the sun was up--he drove his car to our house-backed it up to our vehicle--and we unloaded 20 boxes of paintings into ours.  All that was missing was me blinking a flashlight on and off--and jumping out of the bushes with a box of hooch.

#2-  There has been a run on the yard signs of Our Political Candidate of Choice--and none to be found in our area.  I went to a town 1.5 hours from here--where Our Political Candidate of Choice's Running Mate is from and located the campaign office.  It was in a quite isolated downtown area--many gray dark buildings--except for this office.  I walked down a dark hallway-wondering if I was in the right place--and stepped out into a well lit office buzzing with activity and music playing.  All that was missing was the clinking of glasses and three knocks on the door "Bugsy sent me!"

#3-  Gould's fresh apple cider is legion around these parts.

At a farm in rural Elburn Illinois, this vintage farm presses fresh cider for a few weekends each year.  No additives-no pasturization--just a medley of apples put in a huge press and gallons and gallons and gallons of crisp juice fed into vats.  We parked higgelty piggelty on the grass and walked into a rustic clapboard building and lined up.  Bring your own jug and get a 50cent discount.  Otherwise--you get to the counter--  where a smiling Pendleton plaid bedecked young woman gives you a sample of cider and asks "How many would you like?"  "Three gallons, please."    It takes a few minutes as she opens the tapper and the carmel colored liquid fills the jug.  "It takes awhile so it does not foam up" she says.  All that was missing from this adventure was the huffing and puffing copper piped still around the corner. 

Best part of the cider is--it freezes well.  Not sure if real bathtub gin freezes.

Mall Checks and Veggie Run

It was a dark and rainy day--and I needed a break.  That usually means driving a hour-ish to the malls we are in--and picking up our monthly checks.  I take the opportunity to take up some fresh inventory, reduce some prices, move around the inventory and general primping.  There is an added bonus this year.

Pearce's Vegetable Stand north of Walworth.  It is like the stands I remember in Wisconsin from my youth.  And when I learned that this one has been in place for 45 years--it IS a stand of my youth.

It only opens mid summer--and I wait for that day eagerly.  Open air and hjammed with homegrown glory.  Wagons of potatoes-eggplant-squash-sweet corn picked 10 minutes ago--and TOMATOES.  I have made several trips this summer--and I am freezing sauce like a house afire.  And YELLOW tomato sauce.  Marvelous.

Yesterday they had three flatbed wagons filled with pumpkins and gourds.  I snagged two mottled flesh pumpkins.  And a few tomatoes-

You Have to Love Box Lots

We go to many auctions in southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois--and we were beginning to think that the age of the box lot was passed.  Thanks heavens it has not.  Not even at the swanker auctions.

We attended an auction recently--and the best goods that day were to be found in box lots.  Some auctioneers take each little consigned widget and auction it off separately.  It is much easier for a dealer to make money if several items are thrown together--sometimes actually in a box and sold at one price.

Last weekend I struck auction gold in a box of books.

I love books about plants-vintage household hints-and copies of classics.  This was a botanical find. 

Treasure included:
Herbs for Daily Use in Home Medicine and Cookery by Mary Thorne Quelch (early 1900s)
Farm Weeds by George Clark (1909)  Jammed with color drawings of weeds--incredible!
Gardener's Assistant  by Robert Thompson (1904)  Full of color botanical drawings.

Today is supposed to be cleaning house day.  Instead--it is 15 minutes cleaning-15 minutes reading.

Viva La Box Lot!

Elkhorn Flea Market August Report

Dear Husbola and I have just finished selling at Elkhorn Antiques Market.  A terrific temperature day for selling--and the crowd was strong.  We observed less buying this month--and feel buyers'  hands are staying in their pockets a bit more as the end of the summer rolls around.  The great weather was a real blessing! 

With the good comes the start of a bad trend that we don't like--and we heard this complaint from several dealers we spoke with over the weekend.  Good natured haggling has turned into insulting offers from a small percentage of buyers.  Big time.  And we know the reason why.

Reality shows have hit the television now for several years.  I don't want to be libelous--but you know the shows we mean.  TV shows that try to make instant personalities out of mediocre dealers or designers--they hit shops, shows and private homes and offer ridiculous prices--RIDICULOUS low prices for items.   We got that yesterday.

Courtesy in dealing and buying means everything to this Lady Antique Dealer.  Of course we deal with people. Of course we have a better price.  Ask me for my best price and I will give it to you.  Please do not offer me $10 for an item marked $50.  Please do not stand in my booth and pick at me--several times even--for a lower price.  I smiled at you and told you my best.  Take it or leave it. Do not point out a flaw in a 100 year old item and think by insulting the piece I will sell it to you cheaper.  But they do this--just like the "televison stars" do.  I even had a woman lowball me with the phrase "come on--take $80 CASH".  Really Girlfriend?  Did you think I was going to take kettle corn as payment?  Do you think that by offering CASH that I don't have to report my earnings?  Think again.

Blah! What is it about the five losers I encountered makes me forget the scores of buyers that were courteous?

Nellie Parkinson and Her Fabulous Sauce

A break from antiques today as I mine through a towering pile of recipe cards.  Yeah right--"someday" I'm going to organize them in a book.  But not today.  And not tomorrow.  I did promise a few recipes on this blog--and this is a vintage recipe after all.

I found an old card--quite stained--and titled "Nellie Parkinson's Chili Sauce."  A flood of memories came over me--as this was a favorite recipe of my Grandma Lenore.

As a child--many summer months were spent in sand country in central Wisconsin at my grandparents' Christmas tree farm.  A small cottage built by my grandfather, nestled in 30 acres of pines of all types that were planted and groomed and harvested for Xmas trees.  Surrounding neighbors--not even close to earshot-- lived on farms--mostly planted for Green Giant and Birdsye crops.  There were many year round residents--this was working farm area--not a resort community.  One of the neighbors was Nellie Parkinson.

Nellie was old when we knew her.  I have no clue how Grandma Lenore got to know her--but since Lenore could get the body to talk back to her at a wake--she must have struck up a conversation with Nellie in the grocery store or laundromat.  Lenore was a superb cook--and she probably would discuss recipes and "what to do with all these tomatoes" with Nellie.

Hence--the chili sauce.  Of coures it is a recipe card with no amounts and the scantest of directions (so I have added some proportions.)   But boy it's tasty. It should cook down to a dark rusty brown and the consistency of a thick salsa.  As a companion to red meats of all kinds-on chicken--YUM-ME!!

Nellie Parkinson Chili Sauce
12 ripe tomatoes (if you are lazy-leave the skins on)
6 apples (same thing about the peel)
3 medium onions
2 cups vinegar
4 cups brown sugar
3 red peppers
1 heaping T. salt
1 heaping T cinnamon
1 heaping T ginger
1/4 t cloves

cook it till thick.  a couple of hours maybe.  on a slow flame.  Then I freeze it in small containers.