Problems viewing videos?

voxant.com

Worthologist Cliff Sophia shows and describes an antique flintlock musket that has been converted to a percussion rifle. Cliff owns CS Arms in Upperville, Virginia.

WorthPoint – Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Problems viewing videos?

voxant.com

Worthologist Thom Pattie examines and evaluates an antique Carl Zeiss telescope at Treasures from the Attic, a fund raising event held at the Metz Middle School in Manassas, Virginia. Proceeds from the event support the Manassas Musuem.

WorthPoint – Get the Most from your Antiques and Collectibles.

This past weekend was the D.C. Big Flea, a huge 2 building antique show in Chantilly, Virginia. It is a two day general antiques and collectibles show. The show’s promoters, D’more, advertise well and really get the people in the door.

Before the show, I was worried about how sales would be because of the high fuel costs and general economy. During set-up, I bought 7 early hooked rugs (1920′s-1940′s). Pre-show sales to other dealers were terrific. I sold a few pieces of sterling silver, a late 19th century oil painting, and lots of china. If my Friday sales were any indication, Saturday was looking hopeful.

Customers lined up early and anxiously awaited the 9am opening. I think that the weather helped because it was forecast to pass 100 degrees and I’m sure people wanted escape the heat and humidity. Sales started briskly with some transferware, chintz china, and depression glass. A hand-painted tea cart sold to a woman who wanted to start a tea house. White ironstone and creamware were popular as well as hooked rugs. Saturday was consistent with sales and people.

Sunday is generally pretty slow at least until 1pm when the after church crowd comes. This slow period allowed me to browse more. I enjoyed talking with a dealer of Native American arts and learned ho to tell the diference between Mexican blankets and Indian blankets(it’s all about the fringe). I also purchased a Heisey console bowl in the Plantation pattern. Sales picked up around 1, and remained steady until closing.

After the final tally, this has been my best show in 8 years! We enjoyed catching up with our “regulars” and meeting new friends. We are anxiously awaiting the next show here in September.

Even before I finished setting up, people were browsing (there is a farmer’s market right beside the pavillion). I made several sales before the ‘official’ opening. I sold mainly limoges, chintz, linens and victorian glass. Most sales were under $50, but I had several sales $100+. One customer puchased 5 pieces of hand painted porcelain.

The other dealers were very pleasant – next to me was a warm, funny woman that dealt in vintage clothing, linens, and other curiosities. I learned new and interesting things talking to a dealer who specialized in elegant glass, and even purchased something for myself – a cut glass creamer and sugar set.

A perfect Saturday in May – enjoying friends and antiques (and even making some money). I’m looking forward to another show here in Manassas in October.

As a part of the baby boomer generation Holidays have switched from answering questions from the family about what I would like as a gift. Now we share memories of collections and the past.

I have collected items since I was a child. Growing up on a farm in what was rural Virginia at that time I have been interested in all types of things that I would find. A rusty buckle, horse shoes, an Indian arrow head, civil war bullets that survived after 90 years of plowing and shinny pennies!

Collecting can let your imagination run wild, transport you to another time and dimension. You can look at the future or travel a hundred years in the past. What a joy it is to dream and recall past adventures, even if they are in your mind.

Now I just collect memories and try to pass them on to my children and their children. As Chris Hughes said in his blog on “Hearing the Veterans story” things get lost if you don’t share or ask questions about them. Sharing memories, stories and the past keeps us aware of how things do change and how much is lost if we don’t share.

Just returned from the “D.C. Big Flea Market” at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, VA. This is a relatively big show held 5 weekends a year. With about 600 dealers, it really makes for a fun afternoon. Despite its name, this is anything but a flea market of tables piled with old clothes, books, and children’s toys. The high quality of furniture, antique items, glassware, and some many other great collectibles it really should be called the DC Antique Fair.

In January 2008, the DC Big Flea, as we call it around here, will celebrate its 10th anniversary. I attended early afternoon on the first day and it seemed busy, but not overly crowded. Just enough traffic to keep moving at a good pace. Back 10 years ago, according to a couple of dealers I talked to, the aisles were quite crowded and business was quite brisk. “It is nothing what it was like 10 years ago”, one veteran dealer told me. So, has your business dropped off. “Oh, yes, significantly. I’m not even sure it’s worth continuing.” Talking further, I found that the promoter, like all promoters, have raised their booth rates and shortened the traditional 10 x 10 space to 8.5 x 10 to pack in some more dealers.

As a booth co-owner at the Strasburg Emporium in Strasburg, VA, I mentioned that booth business in many of the traditional antique malls is down this year, including mine, and with the current economic and military situation isn’t really expected to recover any time soon. Yes, I was told, but the antique business has been dwindling every year for the past several years. Too many of our customers, I was told, are much older and many are retiring or just no longer collecting. There aren’t enough younger folks taking their places. In fact, he went on, many of the retirees are saying that the children and grandchildren really aren’t interested in Grandma’s collection of glassware or whatever either. What do you do with your collection then, he asked?

And Ebay. We just don’t want to go there, he said.

So, if the traditional fairs and the antique malls aren’t making the money and the traditional collectors are no longer in the collecting business for whatever reason and the young kids aren’t interested, what is the future of collecting? Perhaps WorthPoint can help as an online resource, but what about the items themselves?

How do we bring in younger folks to the world of collectibles? I ask you.

In the four hours I had available, I was able to visit fourteen studios and the Artists Atelier. I will do a separate blog post for each studio.