Susanna Pickle's Blog (7)

An English carpenter once told me when checking the quality of antique, look at all the unseen spaces.  Like the insides of drawers, the back of an upright bookcase, the hardware that cannot be seen from the outside.  He told me  those areas often use "less pretty" woods and hardware, but even if not aesthetically pretty, the materials can still be high quality.  And sometimes you find a really pretty piece of wood or a brass fixture as pretty as the front drawer handles.  He called these…

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It's all the Antiques Roadshow's fault.  I'm often asked by shop patrons or people at shows "How much is this worth?"  I don't mind the question as it usually leads to an interesting discussion with a new antiquing friend, some of whom become customers.  

Everyone has something that used to be great-grandfather's and they want to know how much its worth.  Other people seek out and collect something specific, like carnival glass, flow blue pottery, clocks, steamer trunks, etc.…

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The more I interact with other dealers and collectors, I find there is even more to learn about the china and pottery I sell and collect. Members of this site have taught me by sharing bits and pieces of information, through direct interaction and by reading all of your posts, questions and answers. 

 

Our experiences shape our knowledge and what we know about what we collect and sell. And everyone's experiences are different. I spent a few years in England, listening to people…

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I love to shop. Shoes. Clothes. And antiques. Many people venture into an antique shop, see the treasures within and are immediately captured by the uniqueness of something that was once mundane (like a salt-glaze crock) that now makes a unique makeup brush holder on your dressing table.



Buying something new (to you) in an antique store is a very green way to personalize your home. It's a natural recycling of an item built to last for decades that has outlived its original purpose.… Continue

I'm fascinated by salesman samples. I picture a road warrior of yesterday with a donkey and a cart making the rounds to houses away from the beaten path. Or a mom and pop general store like my great-grandparents used to own in Germantown, TN with a catalog and a couple of miniature tables or bookcases. Continue

When I meet collectors of antique china as either a new or potential customer, they are eager to tell me what china pattern they collect or want to collect. But within that conversation is a second question -- what pieces are you looking for?



Many flow blue collectors have been collecting for years but are still searching for the elusive piece: the last four punch cups, a lid for a sugar bowl, a creamer, an under tray or under plate for a serving piece. Because the dinner, supper,… Continue

As I browse through antique stores and visit friends' home where their prized antiques are displayed, I notice there are two obvious kinds of collectors: Continue