Flashback Finds

today's treasures from the past Antiques North of Boston

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Brimfield Antique Fair: An Antique Wonderland

Brimfield Antique Fair showcases thousands of dealers at one of the largest flea markets in the world. It is very popular among dealers, collectors, and anyone in between. Even after talking to Katy at Canal Street Antiques, she said Brimfield is a great place to find her items as well as selling some she already has.

Brimfield is known across the country as a place to find antiques. I have been once and was immediately overwhelmed by the amount of inventory across the property. I am going again this coming year, May 18, and am prepared.These videos give people a heads up to what to expect of the well-known antique fair. With long lines of cars and buses waiting to park and explore, going to Brimfield is a long day. These videos also showcase stories and insight into the people who work and go every year.

These videos give people a heads up to what to expect of the well-known antique fair. With long lines of cars and buses waiting to park and explore, going to Brimfield is a long day. These videos also showcase stories and insight into the people who work and go every year.

Brimfield Antique Fair: The Dealers

The video features a look into the dealers that make Brimfield happen.  Interviewing several of the dealers who show at the fair and their stories of experience. Showing off some of their antiques and their favorite items.

Dealers coming as early as possible, setting up their areas using flashlights in order to see. Flashlights are the indicator of the passion behind these people.

Rhonda and Ray Barske local dealers said, “We’ve been here for 25 years, in Brimfield. We do this full time; to us this is part vacation and part work. We’ve kind of grown up with a lot of people here”. They also said, “Some people go, some people stay. Some people don’t like the feel so they go to another field. It’s a cult”.

Terry Duffy is very excited as he shows a vintage flag from the thirties of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. He collects a lot of flags, ballad boxes, medals, and spears. He arrives at 4 a.m. to unpack and won’t leave until 6 p.m.

Brimfield will see 1500 people come in the course of one day, just to experience the collections. Al Roche said, “The people who used to buy like toy trains, they died out. They got old and died, all right. So now you’re dealing with younger collectors. The trends change every year, and it’s simply that where the standards are set in America. It’s great".

Brimfield Antique Fair: The Collectors

Where as the last video highlighted the dealers at Brimfield, the collectors are shown now. With popping country background music, the video lets the collectors lead the way in what they look for and how to work through Brimfield. 

A lot of collectors come for both of the dates that Brimfield is held, in May and September. Collectors making their way across the fielded maze while pushing their carts. You can tell a true collector by how prepared they are with professional carts waiting to be filled.

Nadine Lombard said, “A couple years ago we found so much furniture, that we had to bring three trucks to get everything home”. The couple comes ever year to find at least one conversation piece.

Vinnie Nguyen comes every year to find devices to make hats. “I don’t wake up at dawn to like a lot of people do with flashlights. It’s a little bit harder, but it makes it all the more fun.

 Theron Long and Gabriel Roman, two people who work for J.Crew come to shop for their stores. Theron said, “You definitely need to have a strategy”.

 “Anything that catches my eye, I just love”, Kenyan, a prop master, says. He dressed prepared and ready with work gloves, a trucker hat, plaid flannel shirt, and cash ready in his wallet. He then bought a large yellow sign that read “Fresh Everyday” with a bagel also on it for 200 dollars. If he has to have it, it ends up in his truck. “This stuff has a heart and soul to it, it just has that history”. He describes Brimfield as “Wonderland, a giant candy shop”. 

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Other blogs to check out…...

Other blogs about antiques can sometimes be tough to find. It all depends what you want to look for. Some blogs feature a shop looking to advertise their products in store, a person who thrifts through different areas, a photographer documenting their finds, and a decorator showing off their arrangements.

 http://antiquesdiva.com/blog

The Antiques Diva & Co. has become Europe’s largest antiques touring company, offering customized, private one-on-one antiques buying tours in 11 countries to both private individuals and to the trade. They offer a wide range of tour options, customizing them to your budget, style and time frame.  The blog features their company’s trips, FAQ’s, information about their offerings, and they places they visit.

http://euroantiquemarket.blogspot.com

A blog about an antiquarian, Shawn Stucker, who travels the French countryside in search of antiques. This blog is more of a journey with Shawn to find antiques for his shop, European Antique Market, based in Louisville, Kentucky. He travels throughout France and England, buying entire estates, purchase most of their inventory at markets and buy in volume. The blog features a photo gallery of finds in which he eventually sells in his shop, and can be seen on his shop’s website.

http://shabbynest.blogspot.com

Wendy Hyde, a Utah interior designer and decorates as her passion. She designs with a budget and offers tutorials, consults, as well as documenting her favorite projects. She shows off her finds, transforms them, and how to DIY. Such as, how to make an upholstered headboard or custom chalkboard.

http://vintagerescue.typepad.com

A blog that prides themselves on rescuing vintage treasures, or as they call it, “patrolling the ‘hood”. Vintage Rescue Squad was born a few years ago to re-sell their glammed-up finds. They are a dealer that digs through flea markets and other venues to find “junk”. They feature their finds in multiple shops and on their blog. Inventory includes everything from 1932 milk bottle caps, to rusted bathtubs, to cow skulls. 

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The New Age of Antiques

Diamonds & Rust is the creation of Jacob and Janelle Bannon. Being the vocalist, lyricist, and graphic artist for hardcore punk band Converge, Jacob and wife have passions for the arts. Including vintage art; they have been collecting mid-century and industrial furniture, taxidermy and clothing. Years after founding the record label Deathwish Inc., the couple open the shop.

Diamonds and Rust offer vintage and antique items alongside new items from companies and designers including Pendelton Woolen Mills, Field Notes Brand, Thomas Paul, Izola, and many more, which create the mixture of new and old. 

Where Diamonds and Rust differs from other antique shops is their new age business style. They focus on connecting with the media and branding themselves. 

With today’s technology and connecting culture, the need to compete is essential. More and more stores are opening online sites in order to reach customers in anyway possible. This is the same for antique shops. Having an online store gives a new outlet for users to shop.

Brick and mortar stores are being more obsolete as years go on because the advancement of technology is competing with time and efficiency. Online stores offer a quick and easy way to shop and find hundreds of items available. It is a way to create a new kind of shopping.

Diamonds and Rust online shop allows users to buy products whether it may be furniture, storage, clothing, textiles, lighting, “wild things”, décor, and much more through their outlet. The store is open 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Another large part of connecting with customers through technology is social media. Social media allows potential customers to interact and share information fast and in volume. This is a great aspect for a shop like Diamonds and Rust because technology word of mouth is a powerful thing. Technology word of mouth meaning sharing a Facebook post with your 1,000 friends, retweeting photo with your 600 followers, or liking an Instagram for your 400 users to see. Diamonds and Rust uses social media in this way as a free guide to the viewing public.

http://diamondsandrustshop.com/collections/decor

@Diamondsandrustshop

Instagram.com/diamondsandrustshop

https://www.facebook.com/DiamondsandRustShop

 Diamonds and Rust warehouse and studio space is located at 100 Cabot Street in Beverly, MA.

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What To Look For

Overwhelmed by the thousands of items, it can be hard to know what to look for at an antique shop. A red and white polka dot clock in the shape of a heart may catch your eye, but is it worth the $100 price tag? It is sometimes hard to know if your getting ripped off. There are somethings to look for in an antique:

-Unusual

-Never seen

-Quality

-Purpose

If you can find an antique with these qualities, it’s worth it.

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33 spots to shop for antiques - The Boston Globe

Soon after antiquing caught hold in America in the mid to late 19th century, Boston became an epicenter for buying a piece of history. In 1904, a Boston directory listed three antique shops; 20 years later, there were 47. Interest in old treasures has only escalated since then. When the WGBH-produced Antiques Roadshow debuted in 1997 in the United States, it was the sole TV program on the subject. Since 2008, more than 50 reality shows on antiques and collecting have aired, fueling the hope that there’s gold in every attic. The pleasure of antiquing, though, transcends the “score.” This guide, focusing on larger and group shops within 30 miles of Boston, can help you map your search.

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Interview: Main Street Antiques- Essex, MA

By. Kevin Connolly

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When In Essex….

Essex is considered by many to be America's antique capital with over thirty shops within a mile of each other focusing on antiques. Essex is a collector's, dealers and decorator's paradise with art, furnishings, and accessories ranging from "early attic" to fine American and international antiques all housed in antique buildings in close proximity.

Every shop has its own distinct character inside and out. There are specialties in mid century modern, arts and crafts, period American and European, Asian, Americana and Victoriana antiques. The diversity of antiques and antique services in historic Essex makes it an important antique center.

Andrew Spindler Antiques and Design, 163 Main Street

Andrew Spindler Antiques and Design: Andrew Spindler, owner and establisher of the shop, is a Brown University and Yale University graduate of literature. The small and intimate store offers an organized array of scholarly and stylish finds including unusual and fine quality period furniture, works of art, decorations, lighting, and decorations from the 16th to 20th century. His venue distributes to collectors, dealers, designers, and museums nationally and internationally. 

Alexander Westerhoff Antiques, 18 Eastern Avenue

Alexander Westerhoff Antiques: Since 1988, Alexander Westerhoff has been operating to designers, retail clients, architects, and antique collectors around the country. With it’s 4500 square foot open and white spaced Essex location, the fine quality antique shop features items from the 17th through the 20th century. The stores sells a fine selection of Period European, English and American antiques, lights, accessories and specialty pieces like an 18th century Gueridon is showcased. This store is made for the person passionate and dedicated to antiques and admire the origins of each piece. 

Landry Auctions, 164 Main Street

Landry Auctions: Since beginning in 1940, Landry Auctions has devoted its business to the appraisal, auctioning, purchasing and selling. Their collection includes fine art, furniture, silver, jewelry, oriental rugs, prints, sculpture, and decorative arts. The shop’s experience in the business enables them to evaluate and arrange sale of estates or single objects. From Neolithic Chinese pottery to French post-impressionist paintings, the shop can arrange a purchase, sale, authentication and appraisal.

APH Waller & Sons Antiques, 140 Main Street

APH Waller & Sons Antiques: As one of the oldest single owner shops north of Boston, the shop offers a vast collection of items. Featuring collections of period American and European furniture, painting, marine art and artifacts from the 17th to the early 20th centuries with an emphasis on American art from local artists. With their guarantee to be represented with respect to age, condition, and origin, APH Waller & Sons has been buying and selling for almost 40 years.

Howard’s Flying Dragon Antiques, 136 Main Street

Howard’s Flying Dragon Antiques: A family owned and operating store, packed wall-to-wall, on the curb, and ceiling-to-ceiling with antique items. With items ranging from signs, furniture, typewriters, glassware, canoes, lock sets, hats, handmade miniature boats, to golfing supplies. Items hung from the raptors, piled on the floor, stacked on tables, and every nook and cranny between.

Michael Bider’s Antiques, 67 Main Street

Michael Bider’s Antiques, Auctioneers, and Appraisers: The antique store has been serving the Essex community, Greater Boston, and New England since 1975. This is a full service company with experience running over 200 auctions to estates, businesses, families, legal firms and individuals. Their antiques range from canes, textiles, rugs, art glass, musical instruments, cameras, and more.

David Nelligan Antiques, 38 Main Street

David Nelligan Antiques: The 15 year old business of David Nelligan sells fine quality English and European furniture and decorative objects, paintings, oriental art and more that caters to designers, dealers, and collectors. The store also provides appraisal services for estate and insurance, auctioneer services. 

Main Street Antiques, 44 Main Street

Main Street Antiques: Main Street Antiques prides themselves on being an old fashioned kind of antique shop. The kind of antique shop jam-packed with four floors of antiques and collectables from the 18th through 20th century.  With items ranging from dollar postcards to $10,000 diamond rings. Diamond rings are a specialty with over 100 options, prices ranging from $100 to $10,000.

The White Elephant Shop, 32 Main Street

The White Elephant Shop: The shop opened in May of 1952 and is one of the oldest antiques shops on the North Shore. Providing fair prices for unwanted antiques, collectibles, and used items such as telephone booths, jewelry, posters, pottery, books, slot machines, and vintage Coke machines. The shop was also voted the “Best Antique Shop on the North Shore” two years in a row by Boston Magazine. 

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How Do You Know It's Worth It?

Vaulted ceilings, sunny large windows, with original brick walls and wood floors make this giant mill into an antique mall. With 18,000 square feet, Canal Street Antique Mall boasts treasures from sixty dealers in Lawrence, MA.

With affordable prices and such a large capacity, there’s ample amount to see on two floors. The mall collects everything from massive Coca-Cola signs, vintage toy guns, groovy colored lamps, authentic furs, to early 1900 furniture.

Owner Steven Fortier says: “People stay for hours. I’ll never throw you out.”

Katy: a local dealer and in charge of the shops social media.

How did you start with the shop?

I started 2 years ago… I had my third child going to college and I needed a part time job. I felt like I was too old to be waitressing, so I started dealing antiques. And ive been here ever since. I do a lot better than if I was waitressing. Steve (the owner) he owns the mall and theres 60 different dealers in here. All of these different spaces are different peoples.

What do you think of the prices?

I think its all different. Some are more expensive, but it depends on the person, if they want it they’re going to buy it.

I think compared to Boston prices, we’re very reasonable. We have a lot of dealers from Newburyport that will come here to buy… dealers from Boston will come here and buy. I think we have much competitive prices. Because our rent is low, we’re in Lawrence.

Where do you go to find your pieces?

Today, I went picking at Lynnway, it’s a flea market in Lynn, MA. It’s down and dirty, its rough and tumble. I pick there every Saturday. Then I went to an auction, I bought this (shows a metal scale). Then there’s an auction in Malden that I go to. There are two or three auctions I hit up every week. I work a lot.

Have you always antiqued? Or did you just start when you got this job?

No, I just started. I always liked antiques and its something I’ve always admired. But I knew nothing about it, Steve is an amazing wealth of knowledge, he has taught me, like you can’t believe how much he’s taught me.

How do you know what to pick?

Exactly, you make bad calls; you make good calls. And you learn from your bad calls. You buy something for fifty dollars and are lugging it around and can’t even get forty dollars for it…. that hurts.

Is there anything that you look for or are your favorite things to find?

I look for things I’ve never seen before. So I know if I haven’t seen it in here, then it’s going to be pretty rare. Because you can see pretty much see anything in a place like this.

What was your favorite thing you ever found or sold?

One of favorite things is the first thing I ever made a killing on. I bought an Elvis painting on velvet in an auction for two dollars. Everybody laughed at me…and I sold it that summer for 100 dollars. So I felt like I made a huge profit and it was a cool moment.

What’s your favorite thing about doing this?

It’s like gambling. When I’m at an auction and I’m bidding on something, I’m gambling that I can make three times what I’m going to pay for it. It’s a rush, it’s a rush to buy something and sell it quick. You’re dealing.

Another Local Dealer:

How do you know what to look for?

I’ll tell you what that most important thing is to find things that are eclectic, very rare, and unusual. It doesn’t always make them extremely valuable, but I like it. The most unusual it is, the better. There are certain things like a Tiffany sterling tea set; of course we know to buy. I’m talking things that can be reused, reinvented, aesthetically appealing to the eye, and if you can incorporate that into useful, it’s the best thing you can get.

What was the most unusual item you ever found?

You might not want to write this, but okay. My most unusual was an antique rattrap shaped like a loaf of bread, with a rat that had fossilized inside. With the bones and all, that’s most memorable.

The most valuable, I got a cameo.

You have to see at different levels. You don’t get my name, but I know what I got, I have an MBA, a genius IQ, dyslexia, and ADD, okay.

I knew what I got, I was at a flea market and two people had the chance to buy it in front of me. And I’m watching and waiting, they didn’t buy it. It was a cameo (antique jewelry with hand-carved scenes or portraits of people or animals in three-dimensional relief) only gold filled, but the secret was it was from around 1915 and had a very macho looking woman playing tennis. I got 5,000 dollars, and I only paid 100. So you have to look outside the box. 

So how did you know it was valuable?

You just know, gut.

If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not making money. You have to take a chance.

Steve: The Owner

The shop has been here for eleven years…opened by someone… bought by somebody else… then I bought it from them. I became a dealer here then years later bought it.

What is your favorite thing to buy and sell?

I prefer to buy furniture… because with furniture if it’s wood you can fix it. If you buy it from Ikea you can’t. It’s not quality furniture.

If you buy an antique, and you want to sell it years later, you’ve either made money or save and sell later. It’ll be worth more money.

Katy: It’s an investment, where if you buy from a box store, you’re going to end up seeing it on the curb in two years…because it’s not salvageable. 

Has business grown since antiques seem to be more in trend?

The trend is recycling. We’ve been growing for years. The place has been here for eleven years. We advertise, we’re on the radio, Facebook. It’s been growing.

Well I think you guys have something going because nobody has this much size and room.

When I first started as a dealer, it was only this room. Then one of tenants next door moved, and I thought I should rent that space, then two of them moved out, why don’t I rent that space. Two weeks ago we had a father and son from Belgium come in, they come twice a year…. fill containers and go back to Belgium. We have people from Hong Kong come, and same thing with Taiwan. We also get people from the movies, that movie American Hustle. All the furs in that movie were rented from right here. Other movies, TV shows, commercials come here. Now we’re a destination.

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Four Favorite Finds at the Pickering Wharf Antiques Gallery, Salem MA

  For the modern day treasure hunter, The Pickering Wharf Antiques Gallery is a place to explore and find something of interest, like a pair of glasses or a Willie Nelson album. The store hoards hundreds of items for anyone who is looking for a special piece for their newly renovated house, an addition to their button collection, an unknown book from the past, or just a hobby of sifting through history.

In this quaint and nestled in shop overlooking the harbor, the Salem store is the “oldest surviving business on the wharf,” said the manager Jacquie Satin. The shop offers antiques and vintage goods for $2 to $1,000, from 25 private dealers.  The exclusive collection of furniture isn’t the largest attraction, but the “smalls’’ are. Including nautical items, jewelry, political buttons, books, textiles, lighting, pottery, music, glass, sports memorabilia, postcards, vintage military toys, and cast-iron kitchenware. With inventory frequently changing, new things can be found at each visit.

 Some of my favorite things found in the shop aren’t historically fascinating and prized possessions but caught my eye. Especially, this fleur-de-lis metal sculpture. Fleur-de-lis, literally translated from French as “flower of the lily”. I have always been interested in the symbol after seeing it while visiting New Orleans several years ago.

The metal sculpture was hand welded by a local craftsman and is now on sale at the gallery. This piece would be a great stand out item in a living room, bedroom or office to bring the space more character. The hand-made, rusted, beaten up structure is a unique find that would be the statement to any area.

Another strong theme throughout the shop is The Beatles. Having been formed in the 1960s, The Beatles have become widely regarded as the greatest and most influential act of the rock era. The owner seems to be a fan, due to the amount of memorabilia displayed and for sale. 

A Beatles fan can easily find numerous artifacts from the band here. Whether it’s a poster from a concert, a Life magazine about Paul McCartney, a book about the band’s career, or a pin showing some love towards them in 1967. I was surprised that every corner I turned in the store, I was sure to find some sort of memorabilia for the band.

What also caught my eye was finding money and coins in the shop. I was able to see some currency I had never seen before, and frankly didn’t know existed. I had never seen such old and rare looking bills of orange and red tinted hues.

My mom has always had a two-dollar bill saved in a dresser; people rarely ever see or use them. They usually end up being tucked away in old cases and other stored places, such as my mom, as souvenirs or maybe gifts. There were also some Morgan dollar coins in the glass case on display. This United States dollar coin was minted from 1878 to 1904, and can range from 24 dollars to 1,000 dollars depending on the year and condition.

 Lastly, one of the items to catch my eye is the Prince Charles and Lady Diana Royal Tea Party china, made to commemorate the marriage between them.  This 1981 English Royal Tudor China ware was a surprising find and would be very important to a collector of the royal couple.