Terrific Scandinavian Trunk

I waited all day at an auction earlier this summer.  An estate auction in Town With No Name Illinois that was a true estate--wagons and wagons of "stuff" and rows upon rows of furniture in all manner of condition.  Ok furniture--but nothing special still I saw THIS.

Dated 1867.  Beautiful grain painting and super decoration--you can see the condition of the paint--and there were touches of the most terrific royal blue--you can't see these flourishes in the photo.  And pristine.  The inside of the trunk was clean, no musty fusty odors--and--drum roll please--the original lock and key.  You just never find them with the key.

We took this trunk to Odana Antique Mall in Madison--a beautiful mall with delicious quality room ready antiques.  The trunk did not last a New York Minute!  Thank you happy buyer,

Did I tell you I got TWO trunks at that auction?  To be continued...

Our New Space at Lauren's Antiques Delavan Wisconsin

My Dear Husbola is a master in the art of diversification.

Ever since I have know him--he preaches "don't put your eggs in one basket" and he means it.  Whether it is picking stocks or planting in the yard or ordering his packages of honey bees--he believes in picking things that are very different from each other. You may not know or care--but each of our hives has a different nationality of bees.  Who knew there was a choice?  But I digress.

We are now selling in THREE shops--Odana Antiques in Madison,  On the Square Antiques in Walworth and our newest venture Lauren's Antiques and Art in Delavan Wisconsin.  Yes--the antiques and vintage trade is rough these days--trying to sell people things they do not need--but it remains a challenge and is in our blood.  Dear Husbola says we should not just count on one place to sell--what if one shop goes out of business?  SOOO, diversify we did.

Lauren's place has been around for many years--I might guess 15-ish.  She was the manager for many years and had the opportunity to purchase it a few years ago and took the plunge.  She runs a very friendly, laid back shop--and when you meet her--you get the impression nothing could surprise her or anger her.  But she is a shrew business woman with an easy laugh and smile- the shop works--and has a loyal following.  The rent is reasonable and the lease is month to month.  She has few rules--but you better follow them.

Lauren's Antiques and Art is in an old five and dime store--so it has large bright windows and a wide floor plan.  Our space is on the first floor--and "somewhere in the middle",  across from a large coin selling booth.  We took the space on July 1--and since it was so hot here these days--we made a quick trip up to put come things in--to be fine tuned later next week.  We are going to focus on vintage--and affordable--and colorful--with an uncluttered fresh look.  The shop is pretty jammed full generally--and we hope to make our statement by not being so full--so you can actually see what you are buying.  Delavan has a busy downtown--a wide brick street, cafes and close proximity to the lakes that tourists love.

You can't miss it.  Main Drag Delavan--Hwy 11-middle of the block.  South side.  A great pick around kind of shop.  Two levels.

And say Hi to Lauren.

Some Women Should Just Not Wear Shorts

Dear Husbola and I have returned from a good Elkhorn Antiques Market this past weekend--the weather was grand, the crowd was relaxed--quite a bit slower than the market in May--which gave us some time to reflect on some observations--not all related to antiques.

What is that shopper going to do with the broken sawed off ladder we saw them hauling to the exit?  Or the wire egg basket that looked like it was run over by a truck?

I should have bought seller Chippy Shabby's incredible blue french chairs-and they were marked SOLD early on Sunday.

I had been dreaming about a Lion's Club brat all week--with kraut--and it did not disappoint.

The 1940s  INCREDIBLE chippy aluminum flamingos are now in our living room.

Lady Who Also Sets Up in Our Building?  Your  loud voice grates on my nerves ALL DAY LONG.

We sold more "men's things" than "women's things" this month--and we have to remember that.  Two fabulous hunting watercolors and a folk art painted wall tackle box from Canada.

Good stuff sells at Elkhorn.  Not just the aforementioned egg basket like items.

Tattoos  Tattoos Tattoos.  Still makes me wonder  what they will look like on 80 year old arms.

I am married to a very very VERY good and indulgent man.

Shoppers at Elkhorn skew younger and edgier.  THANK HEAVENS.

And--last but oh so not least--Some women should just not wear shorts.

An Acre of Tables and Blue Ball Jars

Continuing with my weekend auction report of last week, we ventured about 65 miles to an estate auction in Wisconsin that promised five generations of untouched glory.

Auctioneers know that nothing gets the patrons juices flowing more than tantalizing--just a little bit--in their advertisements and promising there are untold treasures in the estate--and many have not seen the light of day for decades. Five generations of dusty treasure.  Well it worked--and off we went.

Arriving very early--we were able to get a parking space directly across from the property.  This is essential if you are buying and have to hike your mother lode back and forth to your vehicle.  The auction grounds greeted us with a heavily tree shaded house and rows and rows and rows of set up card tables--each table piled high with stuff.

Oh this is THAT auctioneer.  This is a well known auctioneer who does not auction items one by one.  He stands next to a card table and offers choice.  So you might be bidding on on items and your neighbor bidding on another--you don't know till the auctioneer says SOLD and you claim your prize.  You also have the option of taking more items from the table at that price.  The auction is a mad house--with people jockeying from one table to the next--and it is easy to miss items.  There were a couple of auctioneers working two rings--no snoozing here.  And they do get through a great deal of inventory quite quickly.

Nice day--hot but dry--and we picked up a bunch of treasures.  Some incredible unused--11 yards to be exact-screen printed classic 1960s fabric--a beautiful splint basket  and a great lamp to name a few.

Summertime---estate auctions--auctioneer hyperbole--it doesn't get any better.

Reflections from an Auction Filled Weekend

This weekend was wide open for us--and we quickly filled it with an auction on both Saturday and Sunday.  This is prime time to select good area auctions--and to find two good ones in one weekend can be a challenge most of the year--but not in the beginning of beautiful June weather.

First auction was way west of Chicago off of Highway 34.  A large house built in late 1800s that had always been in the same family. A grocery store magnate built it for his sisters and it has been in the same family all these years.  The auctioneer was one I was not familiar with--but it was a father son duo with a few other relief auctioneers.  A tree shaded yard and 12 flatbed wagons--plus rows and rows of furniture welcomed us--and our good parking place right across from the house.  There were about 150 bidder cards--and many of the other patrons knew one another--including a large handful of dealers.  I am not known in that part if Illinois--and I love floating around and listening to snippets of conversation:

1.  "I don't know what got those five chickens--we do have some fox around here though."
2.   "Call Ron in the city--he'll know what these kind of trunks bring."
3. "Barbara-how high do you want me to go on that box of fabric?"  "Not more than 15 bucks."  (box won for $22.50.)
4. "What time do they start serving lunch?"  "Not till 10am-but you can have a bismark from the BP right now if you want."
5.  "How long till they get to the furniture?  It is going to get way hot and I want to work in the garden some today."
6. "Did you see the wood-work in the house?  And the walk out attic?  I only dream about woodwork and an attic like that."
7.  "Let's rent out our house and buy this one."

Gotta love it.  What a crossroads of humanity.

We were diligent and did not bid on "just stuff" that we might have bid on a few years ago.  Shops, malls and shows are chock full of "just stuff"--and we are looking for the unusual.  Even if we come home with less inventory--I want it to be sellable.

Loot for the day-- several goodies including two fabulous  did I say FABULOUS  painted Scandinavian trunks--one dated 1867 and one dated 1814.  Just love a good country auction.

Next post:  Sunday's loot.

(zucchini blossom photo at top of blog?  In France and Italy you find these treasures in farmer's markets.  They are INCREDIBLE stuffed with all sorts of fillings or even fried up with a dipping sauce.  Can't find them in northern Illinois markets though--)

Memorial Day, Ebay and Rhubarb Pie

Happy Memorial Day!!  Quiet weekend on the Street With No Name.  We have packed the car for a trip to Madison and Odana Antiques this week.  We have had strong sales and need to restock and freshen the booth.  Treasures include a 1900s point of purchase display stand from the American Hoe Company and a terrific inlaid table with the date 1912 in the intricate design.

Ebay is calling my name--and I have listed a few things including vintage medicine bottles and an English needlepoint and inlaid slipper stool.  Needlework seems to be hot hot hot right now on ebay--and I still have several pieces to list.  In the shops--needlework can sit for months without moving.

Since it is almost 100 degrees today--what a great day to make oven baked bbq ribs and Dear Husbola's favorite rhubarb pie.  After all--the kitchen is already hot--what is a little hotter?
I love the Rhubarb Custard Pie Recipe from my Grandmother's vintage Betty Crocker Cookbook.  Pillsbury dough sure makes it easy.

Rhubarb Custard Pie- Circa 1950               400 degrees 45 minutes

Do not prebake lower crust.  Everything goes raw into the hot oven

Filling--4 cups raw sliced rhubarb
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
dash salt
1/2 teas cinnamon (says nutmeg but we prefer cinnamon)
3 beaten eggs

Top with crust.  Egg white wash and sprinkle sugar.  Make a few slits.
YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY.

Enjoy your holiday.

NATO Summit or Elkhorn Antique Flea Market

As this year continues to just fly by,  my calendar tells me that May 19-20 are significant for a variety of reasons--the weekend brings both the NATO summit to Chicago and it is the antique flea market opening season in Elkhorn Wisconsin.

This blog will always be a "politics free zone" so I will not comment on the summit.  But I will urge you to jump in your car--and come to the nicest antiques event in the midwest.  The Walworth County Fairgrounds hosts this market four times a year--and we think the first is always the biggest and the best.

More than 600 dealers--in and outside--selling all manor of vintage treasure.  We will be in the North Hall--firmly in a covered space, concrete floor and next to good restrooms and the grilled brat seller.  Yeah we have heard that many customers never make it into the buildings--but we beg to differ.  Of the 10,000 folks who go through in a weekend--we get a large part of that--and enjoy doing the show.

So--if transportation nightmares  are not your style and personal safety is a priority, make the journey to Elkhorn Wisconsin instead..  Early buying starts at 1pm Saturday for a premium admisssion and Sunday starts at 7am till 3pm for five bucks.  Grab yourself a spring perennial, a bunch of home grown asparagas and rhubarb, a Lion's Club brat or a Future Farmer's of America breakfast sandwich, wander on good footpaths and under mature trees  and peruse stall upon stall upon STALL of vintage and antiques treasure--and leave the craziness to downtown Chicago.