Fresh Vintage Looks for Autumn

Cooler weather means a reset and revamp for Elizabeth Kucera Antiques at the Odana Antique Mall.  A recent day at the shop meant a redesign courtesy of Dear Husbola.

For September, we have added a wall of modestly priced art. 

And this way cool piece--from a Buffalo Wyoming ranch estate sale--a billiard/pool cue holder and a large collection of cues made of different woods and designs--all sold together as one look.

As the weather gets cooler--folks seem to be awakened from a sleepy August--and are out and about looking for something to freshen their home.  Dealers are roaming around looking for items to sell in their fall and winter shows.

And we promise no pumpkin spice potpourri at anyplace in the shop!!

The Philcast, Hippie Tom and Why We Love Elkhorn

This past weekend, Dear One and I were in the Twilight Zone--Wisconsin style-- otherwise known as our beloved Elkhorn Antiques Flea market.  We wouldn't miss it.

Each year in May, June, August and September, more than 500 dealers from the midwest converge on Elkhorn Wisconsin to unpack all types of what-cha-ma-callits with the hopes of driving an empty trailer home and have a few bucks in their pocket.

It is not just the show that is enjoyable--it is the whole package--good neighbor dealers around us, from the Tosa Twins to
Shirley and Phil,  the Saturday dinner at Moy's in
Elkhorn (egg rolls and split a hunan beef, medium spice please-- gotta split these hub cap sized portions dontcha know) and the parade of people--most shows in excess of 10,000.  And the tattoos.  LOTS of ink at Elkhorn.

A treat for Dear One and me this time was a visit by Sandy and Phil Cianciola.  Phil has been a Wisconsin radio and podcast personality for decades and I have followed his career since the late 1990s.   I first started listening to his afternoon show on WTMJ in Milwaukee, pre-computer days, when I had to contort the portable radio on the window sill to pick up the signal at our house!
Phil is a rare breed of radio guy--he is a trained journalist and over the years has developed an entertaining and genuine style that absolutely makes you smile every time you listen to him.  He is just an old soul--and his current podcasts are free from politics! We really enjoyed meeting them and chatted a good long while--seems like we have known them forever.   Best compliment I can give them is--I wish they lived next door!!  You can check out Phil's podcast at https://www.patreon.com/PhilCast 

Every Elkhorn show we run into Hippie Tom either coming or going from supper.  Hippie Tom is  one of those colorful characters --and HE brings a smile to your face.  He was on an episode of American Pickers about eightish years ago--and people still want their picture taken with him.  Phil got an interview with him and you can hear it at https://www.patreon.com/posts/hippie-tom-20733421

Our show started slowly--August is always a less frantic crowd--but it really picked up and we sold a record number--and more paintings than we ever have sold there.

So--two things to do.  Get yourself to the September 30th Elkorn.  https://www.nlpromotionsllc.com/    You can get in on Saturday with the dealers if you pay $25 bucks.  Or wait till
Sunday and all the dealers will be set up and admission is only $5.00.  And remember to give Phil's podcast a try.

The Box With A Million Stories

One of the more unusual things I have recently inherited is a metal box of drawers that sat on my grandpa's and great grandpa's workbench.

It is a small three drawer piece, designed to be filled with all sorts of bits and bobs and widgets a geegaws that a handyman might use throughout his handy around the house kind of life.  It is spattered in paint remnants of scores of painting projects.

At first I was going to try to sell it in the shop or take it to the antique market and let people pick through it for whatever they wanted like crows on carrion.

And then I started thinking.  This piece of family history is more representative of family history than a pair of cufflinks or an old draft card.

This box of "stuff" represents a thousand little pieces of life, that were kept together "in case I might need one of these" some day.
Washers, latches, drill bits, brass plomb bob, hooks, screws, nuts and bolts, small corks, more screws, more widgets and more thingie-ma-bobs than I know what they were used for.  Even some of those "Real Brass Do-Dads That Fit Into The Metal Strip That Allow You  To Position A Shelf At Different Heights" (and never have the right number or the right size.) All of these bits started out someplace--as none of the items are new--Pieces from several houses over several generations.

It actually reminds me--on a small scale--of the drawers and drawers of hardware that real hardware stores used to have.  The kind of drawers that the Helpful Hardware Man (sorry ladies, there were no employed hardware ladies then) could go to and in an instant pull out what you needed even if you did not know what to call it.

My Drawers of Treasure are now displayed on a table in our living room.  Please don't hesitate to ask me if you need one of those clampie things that is really called a rolled barrel butt hinge--I have a couple of spares.

To Pluto and Back

We just got back from selling at Elkhorn Antique Market in Elkhorn Wisconsin.  Great weather and huge crowd makes Lady Antique Dealer a happy gal.

Elkhorn market takes place in May, June, August and September each year for the last 30-some and is owned and operated by wife and husband team extraordinaire Nona and Skip.  Elkhorn is clean, well laid out and organized to benefit the attender and the dealer alike.  We think we have been selling there for more than 10 years.  Great crowd, easy set up, Wisconsin friendly.

I say this with a smile on my face and fondness in my heart--we have been to planet Pluto and back--and that is the beauty of Elkhorn.

Fellow dealers are pleasant and happy small talk abounds.  The cares of the country and world are left at home--and topics usually include what good  (or bad) shows have you done recently, what are millennials buying these days (or not buying more like) and will the crowd be as strong as last month.

After set up--which for us involves setting up lights and hanging paintings- and advance dealer sales--we head off to Moy's in Elkhorn for chinese food.  But not before a stop in their bar for a drink made by one of two women who have been bartending for more than 25 years.  People in the know are aware you order one entree to split at Moy's. After all--this is Wisconsin Restaurant Portion Land dontcha know.

We used to stay overnight locally--but we now travel further out.  Elkhorn motels inflate their prices on flea market weekend--and Lady Antique Dealer gets nuts when she has to overpay for mediocre.

This Elkhorn, the weather was spectacular and the crowd was huge. The true definition of diversity was developed at this market.  The visual and lifestyle variety of people is worth the price of the modest $5 admission.  Just Off Their Boat Lake Geneva Types  attend as well and Young Families Pulling Junior in the Wagon Eating Popcorn at 8 am Types.  To illustrate--notably striking were the two young women dressed identically in black, one with dyed lime green hair that matched the lime green hat band and purse sported by her friend.  Tattoos?  I'll give you tattoos.  I think I saw the entire Canterbury Tales inked on the arm of one woman--or maybe it was the skyline of Milwaukee--I did not get close enough to be sure.

Gotta love it. 

You Can't Win Them All

I didn't realize how spoiled I was for customer oriented auction houses--and the customer service provided to us from our favourite auctioneers.

Until today.

Dear One is occupied elsewhere,  it is gray and drizzly at the moment, and I ventured out of my usual territory to attend an auction by a company I was unfamiliar with.  I had viewed their site online and saw some wonderful mid century chairs that really interested me.  The drive would be an hour-ish, the auction starting time reasonable and off I went.

I arrived on site about an hour ahead to view the sale--and the crowd was already huge.  It easily swelled to 200 people. 
They were there for all the tools and hardware and traditional man type things.   I was very warmly greeted by the clerk.  She directed me to the one of the auctioneers to answer my question of the order of the sale--I knew that pieces of furniture are usually not the first items that are sold.

Let's cut to the chase.  I really had been waiting and waiting and WAITING.  The drizzle started and my patience was thinning as I heard the auctioneers auctioning choice on a large box of belt buckles.  $2.50 each belt buckles.  It was going to be a long day.

I had viewed the chairs I was interested in.  Strangely, they were in the basement of the house, in a very poorly lit room.  Normally in "these parts" the items are brought out of the house for good viewing.  I was glad I had a strong flashlight with me--and saw the four of nine chairs that I could be interested in.

Waiting waiting WAITING, I decided to double check on something with a couple of the ring men.

 "If I am successful in winning a few chairs in the basement, will you bring them up the stairs for me?

" Ha ha Lady.  We are selling as is, where is, when they are sold they are your responsibility."

"W-w-w-what?  I am by myself and I could not possibly get them up without help.  I can load my truck, but the steps are steep.  Quite a hazard actually."

"Yeah, right. Not my problem  Bring somebody to help you."

And that was that.  It took me exactly four minutes to walk to my car and drive away--to drive away with my eager bidding card and full checkbook.

My interpretation.  This Deadbeat Auctioneer was able to get this estate to auction by keeping their costs down---not much sale set up- which was attractive to the consignor.  This means--sell the stuff in place-- you don't have to pay set up people- and let the buyer deal with it.  I wonder what happens if someone is injured loading stuff out--who is responsible?  The hapless consignor who does not know that they hired a Loser Auction House?   

Live and learn.  How can I still be learning after being in the business this long?

Who Was Irene?

I always get a little funny feeling in my stomach when I see old photographs or portraits for sale in various antique selling venues.
Someone's family decided that the often unnamed people in photos do not warrant keeping the pictures around.  And who can blame them? Pictures of people and we do not know who they are?  This is the stuff of estate sales.

But then--what about paintings or portraits or drawings of mysterious people? Often for sale and let's face it--This Lady Antique Dealer has several of them on her walls at home and in the shop.

This drawing of Irene is very bittersweet to me.  This pencil drawing on thin paper and framed and matted is signed by the artist Luigi Corbellini, an Italian American artist who dates from 1901-1968.  Inscribed on the lower left "To My Amour Irene".

Who is Irene?  Didn't Irene have family that would have treasured a drawing by a good listed artist who was in love with Irene?  I guess not.  Lucky me to pick this up recently at auction.

She is beautiful and by week's end will be for sale for $295 at the Odana Antiques and Art shop in Madison Wisconsin.

Julius' Ducks

You never know what you will uncover when clearing out an estate property--sometimes the quietest finds can be the most interesting.  I uncovered a few treasures while cleaning out my aunt's flat last spring.

My great grandfather  Julius was an interesting character--a company executive, a house designer and builder, a watercolorist, a rose and dahlia grower, a decoy carver and painter and a duck hunter.  If truth be told--DUCK HUNTER would be in capital letters.

Dear Julius is going to be a subject of a feature article forthcoming in a national sportsman's magazine.  So I will not give any hints and leave the story unfolding to a nice decoy collector who is writing the article.

I sure wish I could spend an afternoon with my Great Grampa.