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I have been interested in antiques since I was a child. My grandparents, who were more like parents to my brother and me than our own parents, owned an antique shop. I started going along with them to auctions, garage sales, estate sales and flea markets when just a wee thing. Grandma and grandpa both had exceptional eyes and a vast knowledge of American antiques and collectables. Grandpa's specialty ranged from weaponry to fine furniture. Grandma loved pottery, jewelry, dolls and fine glass. I was taught well.
By the time I was a teenager, I was knowledgeable enough to be trusted to run their booth at flea markets while they went off hunting for their own bargains. No one stood a chance against us at garage sales. Before my grandpa could stop the car, my brother, grandma and I would be out the door casing the tables like pigs hunting truffles. By the time grandpa made it out of the car we had already cleaned out the good stuff.
No one was more fearsome at an auction than my grandma. Auctions can be highly competitive affairs requiring steady nerves and total concentration. Many a time I would overhear someone mutter "Uh oh, Louise is here" with a look of resignation. I love the entire scene. Listening to a great auctioneer bid calling is mesmerizing. Every auctioneer has his or her own style and the best ones are highly sought after and given a sort of celebrity status in the industry.
Needless to say I became a collector at an early age. My first interest was paperweights. I received my first paperweight as a birthday gift when I was five. I still have it. Over the years I began assembling a collection of paperweights that other collectors envied. When I was ready to leave Illinois and head out on my own to live in Denver I decided to sell the collection. I had them entered into a specialty auction in Chicago. The collection fetched over fourteen thousand dollars.
I've gone through many different collections over the years as my tastes have changed and refined. Currently I enjoy American pottery, Roseville in particular. We also have a growing collection of art glass, some antique and some modern. But my favorite thing to collect the past ten years has been Delft tile. My earliest tile is from about 1585 and the brunt of the collection dates to the 17th century. I also have some lovely tiles from the Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts periods.
Delft tiles circa 1650-1675
Polychrome Delft tile circa 1625
Delft tile circa 1585
Art Nouveau Delft tile circa 1900
Porceleyne Fles Arts and Crafts tile
All of this is leading up to something, I promise. You see, I'm turning 50 in September. I work as an executive assistant in the State of California university system. The day I turn 50 is also the day that my health insurance for life kicks in. I began realizing the magnitude of this several years ago. The freedom this gives me to pursue other career options is not lost on me. One thing that has been simmering in the back of my mind is going into the antique business. I've long dreamed of being the proprietor of my own little shop specializing in things I have a personal taste and eye for. Recently that idea has evolved a bit.
My brother and his wife are coming to visit me at the end of August. It's going to be a lot of fun, but it's also going to be an educational experience for me. My brother never lost his love for antiques either and has started up his own enterprise on eBay. He's been doing quite well at it. He does the buying and his wife keeps the books. Last year they grossed nearly six figures. My brother also has a full time job which he has now decided to quite at the end of the year to become a full time dealer. He has generously offered to spend time teaching me the ropes.
I'm going to start small. I have quite a few boxes of various items that I think would sell well. I have no expectations of this being a cash cow, but if turns out to be something that yields real returns then I will sink the money back into inventory and go from there. Provided I enjoy doing it, I may well be making a career change within a few short years. And who knows, I just may get my little antique shop yet.
Now onward and upward to the Tops!
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July 28, 2012
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