#2 What's a Collectible?

#2 What's a collectible?

Something not old enough to be an antique. But wait there's more.

It also is something to collect. Wait there's more.

Things that were often made as promotions (free Captain Midnight secret decoder badge with five purchases of Ovaltine) or made in limited quantities, either by intent (limited time offer!) or by changes in taste or technology (nobody's buyin' these eight tracks anymore.)

Or not.

Sometimes things became collectible for their sheer nostalgic value -- I always wanted one of these when I was a kid things. And because they weren't produced just to be collected, many ended being tossed after their novelty wore off or they were destroyed through use and abuse because kids played with them.

That reduced the numbers available to collectors. And that made them desirable.

And manufacturers woke up. Collectibles became things that were made for the sole purpose of collecting. And they were produced in "limited editions." At midnight of March 31st we will stop accepting orders and the molds will be broken! Hurry! Get yours now. Before it's too late! In other words, they're only going to make as many as people will buy. Duh. That's a pretty good business model.

In the publishing and art worlds, limited editions have a pretty specific meaning: only a set number were produced and each piece is numbered out of that total quantity: #42/350 for example. You know that there are only 350 of these things in the world and that you own number forty-two. With Disney or Franklin Mint or any of the multitude of others in the collectibles business, there's no clue as to how many were produced. Could be millions. Probably are.

So again, if you want it, buy it. Just go into it with your eyes open.

#1 What's an antique?

I get letters. Usually it's just people wanting to know stuff, and since I'm the expert, I must have the answers.

So question #1.

What's an antique? Inquiring minds want to know. The answer is...who cares?

If you're a dedicated collector, if you're just acquiring, if you're decorating, it really doesn't matter what the definition is, you're finding this stuff because you like it, because it's pleasing to have around.

The only people who really need a definition are bureaucrats: tax collectors, insurance agents, customs officers and so on. They live by rules, their jobs depend on them.

So, bearing that in mind...

The most commonly accepted definition of an antique is: something at least one hundred years old.

There, feel better now? But the real question is why. Why this magic "100 years?"

The story goes like this.

In the 1930s, the US Customs and excise people were reviewing tariff rates and needed a definition for "antique." So they polled the leading dealers of the day, museums, galleries, scholars and the like and the overwhelming response was, drumroll, please, an antique was something that was made prior to the industrial revolution.

Made sense.

And since the industrial revolution had begun making a huge impact roughly about the 1830s, a hundred years prior, that was the number that got picked.

I'm not sure just how true this story is but it could have happened, it's just as likely a story as anything else.

I don't believe that people refuse to buy something because it falls a year short of an "antiques" definition. They may refuse to buy things that are a year short of their own collecting parameters and that makes sense. It's their collection, they get get to decide how they want to collect.

Collectibles used to be things that were collected but weren't old enough to be considered antiques. That's changed too but I'll save that for the next post.

Rozaneh Vintage Clothing

...and while we're plugging friends' shops... Rozaneh is a treasure. Marilyn's shop Rozaneh has found a home on Dufferin Street just steps north of the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto's Gallery District. Have a look, it's worth the trip.

Cheap Chic

our set up

The Toronto Vintage Clothing and Textile Show took place on March 1st in a new venue: The CNIB Conference Centre, a large, open, well lighted space but unfortunately no Cash Machine on the premises. And there was a major snow snow snow storm, stop me if you've heard this story before...

The show's promoter June Troy explained that she tried to get a date later in the month but there wasn't one available that would allow for the dealers to do their set-up the night before. All the Fridays were booked. Still, I'm encouraging her to seek a date later in the year, perhaps late April early May, a date that will take us out of the snow storm season.

We had a fairly decent show but a still a sharp drop from previous years.

shop shop shop

---

While cataloging my library (yes, I have way too much time on my hands, but I found a great program to do it for me, it scans the bar codes and enters all the data...), I found a book on my shelf. This is the book that started it all for me. Published in 1975 by Caterine Milinaire and Carol Troy (no relation,) it is, on rereading, both so dated and so very current, kinda what vintage itself is. Although I'm really not so sure what vintage means anymore, and I don't care. As long it's an appreciation of yesterday, I'm happy with that; whether yesterday is 10 year old designer, 1980s haute, 1950s western or 1890s Victorian. I'm just happy that it's being found, sold, collected, worn, mixed and matched with Gap or Chanel and that it's not ending up in the landfill.

You can still find this long out of print book around if you keep your eyes open, I've seen prices anywhere from the $20.00 to $200.00 range. I'd stick closer to the twenty, It's CHEAP chic we're talking about here, after all.





And a big Thank You to Mailie Raef for her kind words and link on her blog: www.vintageshoppingguide.com

http://www.vintageshoppingguide.com/article.aspx?id=34

Art Deco Weekend 2008

Art Deco Weekend, the annual celebration of all things deco in the home of America's largest deco architecture preserve, kicked off last night with the traditional vintage car parade along Ocean Drive, Miami Beach. Cruising is a big thing on Ocean Drive, so much so that some nights the "No Cruising Signs" flash and cars are forbidden. But on this night everyone came out, and the weather, which had been chilly and threatening rain, cooperated.

Doris Eaton Travis, 104, and the last surviving Zeigfeld Girl, sat in the first car, a Cadillac, of course, as The Parade Marshal. Cars of all vintages, many from the South Florida Car Club took part and bringing up the rear were the hunks from the Miami Beach Fire Department.

Vendors set up on Ocean as well and sadly very few of them had anything either vintage or deco. In years past there was quite a bit but what I think is generally reflective of the antique business as a whole, folks just ain't buying' it.


for more info:
http://www.mdpl.org/ADW/2008/doriseaton.html

Lost and Found, Baby

I think we're all thrilled when we find something, whether it's something we lost or that someone else did.

This week I found a pin: a little gold filled Victorian pin with patent dates of 1910 and 1913. Okay, so technically it's not Victorian.

I'm calling it a bib pin. These little decorative pins are worn today as lapel pins, either singly or or in groups, but I've always known them as bib pins: used to hold an infant's bib in place. The first one I ever bought was at auction. It was silver and had the word "BABY" in high relief.

The thrill of finding the thing often outweighs the thing's value. It proves that some things are free, although they came at a cost to someone else, and that from time to time we get lucky!

While on Facebook, I made another find. The daughter of a friend, another antique dealer. She's finished school and is traveling through Australia.

The daughter of another friend is teaching English in Japan. And I'm following her progress as well.

It was lucky to find the pin, and I was lucky to reconnect with these kids, and that's what Facebook is supposed to be about, I think.

You can find me snooping around on Facebook.

Looking to get lucky.
PZ made me strike that, but I thought it was a good line.

Vintage Cufflinks & Studs

Okay since 'tis the season for much merriment and dressing up and shopping, it's time for a little shameless self promotion. Our new domain is up and although the site's been up for awhile under a subdomain name, our antique and vintage Cufflink and Stud-set site finally gets a real name of its own: www.vintagecuff.com.

Now go shop.

My Dogs Are Barkin' and the Day Is Gettin' Dark

it's always about territory

Funny thing about territory, or maybe it's called a comfort zone, once you've established it, you're reluctant to venture outside its borders.

For the first time a Toronto vintage paper show was held outside of Toronto.

A little back story first.

Marlene Cook creator/promoter of the Sunday Antique Market, the Old Clothing Show, Woofstock, a Festival for Dogs, also created and ran the Old Paper Show, a Toronto tradition since its inception in the late '70s, I think.

Always held downtown, the venues changed over the years but never north of let's say Queen St.

And always an anticipated and well attended show. Marlene then got involved with the creation and running of Woofstock and couldn't devote the time required to produce the Old Paper Show as well.

So a couple of seasons went by without one. And her dealers became antsy.

Jeff and Wendy Gadsden, promoters of the terrific Christie Classic Antique Show, stepped in to fill a need. Calling theirs the Vintage Paper Show, it was also held downtown.

Until now.

With the unavailability of the show's past venues, they decided to make the Vintage Paper Show a part of their successful Vintage Style Show held at the International Centre, out near the airport.

One admission fee got you two shows. Benefits for everyone I think. Attendees for one got the other as a bonus, and dealers who don't normally have paper brought along a few bits to mix in with their regular stock.

I saw many of the downtown people but not all of the usual suspects. On the other hand, we did see a number of faces that don't normally venture into the city. Unless they absolutely have to. Under subpoena for example.

The show seemed well attended, lots of bodies milling around, many with packages, but I don't have any real numbers.

So here's the comfort zone question. How many sales were lost because there's no easy non-car transport to the International Centre? How many sales were gained by accessing a customer base that really hates going into the city?

I dunno, I'm way out of my comfort zone just thinking about it.

As usual, Alan Davis has topically and graphically exciting historical posters

Too Cute For Words

Time for another road trip out to view the fall colors. We picked a great day, all cloudy and foggy, and probably still a little too early in the season.

Oh well.

We started with a trip to Southworks Antique Mall in Cambridge. The usual assortment of stuff, always a well varied selection, including dealers with seasonal spooky Hallowe'en treasures.






While still in Cambridge though, we found another shop: Greenspot Antiques which is chock full. Of stuff. Of all descriptions but their strong point, indeed, specialty, is miniatures. Now usually, when I see miniatures or so called salesman's samples, my gag reflex kicks in. Usually they're godawful and cheesy. But these at Greenspot Antiques in Cambridge, truly are wonderful.

I even managed to buy something: a great old silver, crested, Dunhill lighter. Working! Not a miniature, but one to fit my manly hand.













And off to St. Jacobs. This is tourist/Mennonite country and this is definitely where cute comes to die.

First the Waterloo County Antique Warehouse, located just on the edge of town. This I think should be the model of group shops: large, well lighted, lots of helpful friendly staff. (With one caveat, I'll get back to this. Just watch for the steam coming out of my ears. It's not pretty.)

Bought a couple of things and now, food!

We stopped at the Farmers Market (only open Thursdays and Saturdays I think), for quick snoop and had an Oktoberfest (naturally) sausage while P had the apple fritters.

They also had the largest supply of Crocs I've ever seen in one location, so I bought bright yellow ones. Had to. Couldn't help it. May have to go back for more.

And now into downtown bustling St. Jacobs.




Okay it usually is bustling, but today it was raining. No too much bustle.

It really is quaint in that demeaning way that city people have of phrasing things and they have lots of visitors and tourists taking snaps of all things adorable so I suppose the St Jacobs Antique Mall has a reason for their attitude.

And it's not just an isolated experience, I've noticed it before on previous trips: no dealer discounts, no public washrooms, staff that seems bothered by you. I just kinda get the feeling that they'd be much happier not having to deal with the public at all. Where the attitude seems to be: "This would be a great place to work except for the customers always bothering us and wrecking the displays. Just send us your money and stay home."

Or maybe it's just me.

I used say that I wasn't in the antiques business, I was in the tourist souvenir business. So If you're going to run a business that's in an environment that depends on tourism for its livelihood, put in a damn toilet that's open to public.

I know people can be pigs and there'll be work to keep it clean. Get over it.

When I was set up at the Toronto Antique Centre I intentionally picked the spot next to the toilets as my location. It was good for business: people had to get by me twice, coming and going; I had two extra chances at showing the merch.

And it worked. People who perhaps had come to see one dealer in particular and hadn't planned on looking through the building, still ended up at my shop.

Nick Graham founded Joe Boxer on this philosophy: The Brand is the amusement park, the product is the souvenir.

And the more fun a tourist/visitor/potential customer has, the more likely they are to take a souvenir home with them, whether it's a piece of antique jewellery or a two old crows garden decoration.

And it's no fun having to find a washroom. A few other shops have a "no washroom" policy as well. I can understand it if you're a little mom and pop shop, but if you've got multiple staff, you should have a toilet open to the public.

The city should have something available. It may have been but I just didn't see any signs.


And another thing while I'm ranting. I'd picked up a pamphlet at the Antiques Warehouse showing their two other locations: one in Elora, another in Stratford.

Elora is sorta close and kinda on the way back to Toronto so, armed with the map on the pamplet, off we go.

I may be directionally challenged, cartologically challenged, numerically challenged, but folks when I have an address, I can usually get there.

An hour later we're still driving in circles. And we start channeling the Bickersons.

When I got home and checked the website, it seems that there's only two locations now. We were driving around, going nuts, having a marital discord moment, looking for something that wasn't there.

Antique Warehouse people, listen up! Print new pamphlets! Or put stickers on your old ones. Have signs on your pamphlet rack or on your damn doors or something.

Okay I feel better now.

My, aren't the leaves pretty.

Naked in the Library

So there I am leafing through my November issue of Toronto Life and there's this full page ad for Maus Park Antiques. Placed opposite a headline for a Linda Griffiths interview with the headline "Suffragette City", I was amused by the juxtaposition.

I'm easily amused.

You've come a long way, baby.

What a fool I've been. I totally forgot that nudes have been used to sell motor oil antiques for years.

The more I looked at this woman artfully draped (that means the naughty bits are cleverly hidden so we can concentrate on the beauty of the female form without being overly stimulated), where was I, oh yeah, she's draped over these 19th century library steps, the more I thought to myself: "Geez, that looks uncomfortable".

Not to mention painful.

Now, I haven't seen a rate card lately, but I'm guessing a full page ad in Toronto Life is the $12,000 plus range. And I'm guessing Maus Park is no slouch in the antique business, being CADA members and all, so I just have to stare at this ad and wonder: naked in the library, leatherbound books, distressed leather club chairs... I better stop before I do myself an injury.

Personally, naked women have lured me into many shops, but I don't think I'm taking the drive to Paris this time. I'm over it. No more library steps for me.