Auctions: General – Estate - Farm . This arena for collecting requires a good deal of time, but can produce real bargains if you have abundant discipline.

Most auctions are advertised in local newspapers, local “Shoppers” papers, or antiques publications. One widely read in the Upper Mid-West is the “Auction Action Antique News”, another is the “Antique Trader” in both printed form and on the net. Also try “Antique Week”, and search at local antique stores for publishers in your area that provide free trial copies or charge a nominal fee.

The listings often have an overview of the main items that can help you determine if your type of collectible will be available. When the list is available before hand, one can determine the importance of attending and the opportunity to do your homework on the values.

If you have not attended an auction, may I suggest some principals to follow.

A preview time is normally listed along with the start time. Go as early as possible to the preview, (often the venue is open one to two hours before the listed preview time).

Carry a pen and pad, magnifying glass, magnet (if you’re after metal items) and bring along a seat cushion, (folding chair and proper clothes if outdoors), packing boxes and old newspaper for wrapping material. Many of the auctions we attend last all day, food is generally available but a cooler with snacks and drinks is always a good idea.

Most auctioneers do not allow returns even if you think the item was misrepresented; that’s what the preview time is for, so don’t bid if you have not studied the item first.

You will need an assigned number to bid, and there is a small charge for the number. Before you pay, ask if your credit card or check is acceptable. Some auction houses have strict rules on checks. (Some have a liberal policy and even accept wifey’s checks, the one with a rubber plantation as the background picture.)

Many auction services charge a buyers premium, a percentage that’s added to your bid price. Be sure you know the percentage before you start to bid. And keep track of the items you win as a caution not to over-spend your budget and as assurance the auction service did not make an error in tabulation.

Wifey and I separate upon arrival, each with the required equipment. Since she has many collections and sells both on the Internet and through an antique mall, our buying goes beyond just what we want to keep.

I start listing items of general interest, often box lots where the auctioneer has lumped together some like items that may only yield one gem among several also-ran’s. I list the lot or box number or main item of interest and note any flaws and give a “drop out” price. I move to the single items looking for reasons not to buy based on condition. If an item is in perfect condition and interesting, it’s also noted in case wifey didn’t see it.

Wifey looks for things most “sellable”, writing down the item and condition, then moves to the pieces of secondary interest and last to additions for our collections. Again listing the item on paper and mentally assigning a value, (My sense of value is flawed compared to hers).

Just before the gavel drops for the first time we meet at our seats and review the lists to confirm what should be bid on. Perseverance, patience and discipline now kicks in, as your items may not come up for many hours.

The auctioneer will explain the rules that govern the day’s events. Some allow their helpers to bid, some accept proxy bids. (Bids placed on an item when the buyer does not stay). There are rules also on multiple items, and this is important:

1. A Lot = all the items for one price.
2. Choice = Your bid only buys one of the items in the lot, take two or more and your bid is multiplied.
3. Times The Money = Your bid is for only one item but you just bought the lot at your bid times the number of items. If six plates are offered at “Times the Money” your one dollar bid just cost you six, and you own six plates.

After many auctions a sense of familiarity with the auctioneer’s style sets in.

The super fast talker, often leaving out important details of the item for sale.

The slow plotter, thinks of himself as part stand-up comic, with inside jokes to his staff and buddies. He’ll drive you crazy waiting for the next item to come up.

The Informer, slower than the fast talker, informative, with a good business sense, but still plays to the audience.

When at an auction, one tries to judge the crowd. There is always:

The Type A bidder wants to establish his or her presence early, bidding with complete disregard for an item’s worth, hoping to stop other bidding on things they want by inferring they will out-bid anyone. (It is fun to see two of these Type A’s at the same sale.)

The true collector, willing to pay extra if the item fills a hole in a collection. It’s always one of your collections too.

The casual bidder, looking for a super buy, if no one bids on an item, they start.

The local, buys an item for its usefulness, easy to spot, they bid on the Tupperware, chain saw, frying pan and box of never sent holiday greeting cards. These types exist mostly at estate or farm auctions.

The dreaded dealers, you know the type, sitting around till the end when leftovers sell cheap, bidding on box lots. Hoping their rivals need to leave because they have grandkids with a birthday party that day.

The meeky, bids early and drops out after one bid.

The hop-iner, waits till all bidding has stopped then chimes in with one bid hoping to have exhausted the top bidder.

Show Discipline.

1. Be aware, the transactions can move faster than your hand can come down so you over bid your drop-out price.
2. You did not check the item during preview time and now realize it’s damaged or the encrypted description from the auctioneer meant the item was a reproduction.
3. You and two other people decide you can’t live without “This Blue left shoe”.

These occurrences can leave you feeling like a gambler on a losing streak. Attend a “practice auction” before you are ready to jump into the fray. And have an exciting time doing some people watching.

If your selection has not been offered and it’s late into the sale, most helpers will take requests and bring up a prized piece. One service we have attended adds a small charge for this added service.

Once you’re comfortable with the procedure, an auction is time well spent. Many of our prized possessions were obtained this way.

And good luck adding to your collection at a bargain price.

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I must have been about 9 or 10 when I got this framed horse print at a rummage sale. It’s one of the very few childhood purchases that I’ve actually saved all these years. Most of my doggie figurines, pink spaghetti ceramic cats, and toys were sold at family rummage sales years ago. And my Breyers went to my younger female cousins. But this print I saved.

Because it’s something vintage that I’ve actually owned a long time, it was one of the items I brought into the Trash or Treasure event to be appraised.

Susan Kime, Paintings & Prints Specialist at Ivey-Selkirk, had the pleasure of appraising the print. I was praised for keeping the label on the back of the print (if they only knew that we save everything at our house, they would know this only encourages the hoarding insanity), and from this label we learned the following:

Title: Early Speed
Artist: C.W. Anderson
Type of print: A Limited Edition Signed Original Lithograph
Print Maker: Associated American Artists

She wasn’t familiar with the artist — which only made me feel hideously old. After all, every little girl has to go through a horsey stage, so clearly her lack of familiarity with Anderson (whose books were published from the mid-30’s through the 60’s) was the result of having loved newer/younger horsey folks.

When Kime, the consumate professional, admitted she wasn’t familiar with the artist she looked him up in a magical art database for recent sales of his works. There she discovered that C was for Clarence, W was for William, and that my lithograph was worth approximately $100 to $150. Which I felt was rather generous for an artist most folks either have never heard about or have forgotten. (But it seems to be a fair estimation after all — maybe even low? Then again, as Dad says, it’s still there.)

But I won’t forget Anderson. And not because the print has been assigned a monetary value.

First of all, C.W. Anderson, artist turned author, is as much a part of my childhood years as Walter Farley. In fact, the Billy and Blaze series was read prior to Farley’s Black Stallion series. Of the few books I owned (versus those I read at the library), several were also by C.W. Anderson and I did keep those. And I add copies of his books whenever I spot them. So the lithograph is valued for sentimental reasons.

Second of all, Anderson’s work is beautiful. Many a horse lover will tell you that he was one of the foremost horse illustrators of the 20th century, so there’s artistic value in my print.

But the real joy in this lithograph by Anderson lies in what makes collecting fun for me.

When it comes to collecting, I generally don’t have a list or any other sort of scholarly approach. I sift through piles, stacks and racks of junk, until something — that elusive something — catches either my intellect or imagination. It would likely be easier to hunt if I had a list, or if like the crow that something was easily spotted by the eye, such as a sparkle in the sun, and I tracked it. But hunting that way it is rarely my style; nor it is necessarily my goal.

Truth be told, I like the sense of discovery of finding an object and the hunt comes in when I want to find out more. The best objects are the items I don’t know about and the stories I’ve yet to learn. Often I can be (nearly) satisfied with spotting something and spending hours researching it, following the trail (like Billy & Blaze!) of its connections to other persons, points and places — even to things I already own. Of course, if I had deeper pockets (which were not full of pet hair and lint from the washing process, but filled with dollar bills), I might not remain so content to live without these objects. But for now, as things are, I can be — or just have to be.

So when I took my C.W. Anderson lithograph down off the wall, carried it in to the appraisal event, and then returned home with it to tell you all about it, I once again had a reason to research Clarence William Anderson. And to do so was to discover him anew — this time, through more adult eyes.

Prior to his fine horse lithography, and his horsey books, Anderson was an illustrator who was clearly affected by, if not officially a part of, “the golden age of illustration”. This era is officially listed as having lasted from the 1880s until shortly after World War I, but as many of the great illustrators of this time continued to have or build great careers for another few decades, many consider its end to be 1960. Publications such as The New Yorker and The Saturday Evening Post are popular examples of such legendary illustrations and illustrators. Anderson himself did covers for The Saturday Evening Post. But, of course, my love of the risqué means I am more interested in The New Yorker…

From 1926-1934 Anderson had cartoons published in The New Yorker — and in 1935, Anderson published And So To Bed, presumably his first book. This work is clearly not for the kiddies. Thank goodness I’m no longer one.

And thank goodness I could discover something new. Even if this time I’m not so satisfied with just doing the research — I want to own this book. And perhaps a few of those New Yorker issues…

Hey, maybe I should start one of those collecting lists after all. Naw, like many collectors of C.W. Anderson’s works, I keep my eyes open for his name and snap up stuff when I see it… Adding the earlier non-horse items to my sifting and scanning is easy enough.

Now that I know it exists, I know what I’m looking for.

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I’m not a fancy guy. I don’t play video games with my pinky pointed up, and I don’t know which forks go on which side - and while I do enjoy a nice sushi dinner, a woman in a black dress and the jazz of Charles Mingus, most of my own daily wardrobe consists of t-shirts and jeans. And it has since I was ten. Maybe it’s time for change. Maybe it’s time for a lot of things. Maybe it’s time to get off my back, MOM.

But after over a decade of wearing t-shirts, I’ve accumulated an alarming number of them. They’ve been collected in phases of interest - there’s Nightmare Before Christmas, various comic book characters, and different musicians, and those shirts with random animals that your grandma gets you because you said that you didn’t hate animals once and you don’t know how to get her to stop. Hey grandma, I don’t hate hundred dollar bills either. While I’m no longer, at the ripe old age of 20-something, interested in displaying my love of Harley Quinn or Jethro Tull across my chest, I need to do SOMETHING with these shirts. They’re taking over the attic and garage and I think that one hissed at the dog.

Oh, sure, there’s always donation - but a good majority of these shirts are pretty badly faded from over-use, and some especially awesome ones have sprung holes in revealing areas. I don’t think that giving away garbage really counts as a charitable act, and I’m not young or hip enough to wear a t-shirt that I’ve awkwardly patched up. Or embedded with safety pins, or written band names on. Those were the days, when I could both embed and write without fear! But man, did I collect a lot of t-shirts, and like a fine bottle of milk, many did not age well.

I went on a search for a list of ways I could repurpose old shirts, not unlike my search for ways to repurpose old records. Still, many of the options presented to me were too hip for my particular personality. I don’t have the body to transform shirts into sleevelessness, and while the dress designs were really pretty amazing, I also don’t have the body for those. Or enough gender ambiguity, either. It’s already disconcerting to see the resurgence of the kilt at comic conventions.

The best idea for my particular situation was actually a tremendously simple one - throw pillows! No longer must we suffer through the stodgy autumn-scenes-with-tassels of the older generations. No more sad-looking dogs or ungodly burlap floral patterns. You can transform your t-shirts into throw pillow covers and get one final use out of them.
Throw pillow blanks are fairly easy to find at your local craft shop, be it a Michaels or an AC Moore. Online tutorials are, as ever, helpful - and it’s not exceptionally difficult to cut a square out of the front of your shirt. You have the option of adding a zipper, or simply add a fold-over flap. Ultimately, though, throw pillows are a perfect sign of being mature and domesticated, and when you juxtapoz sophistication with pop culture, you have the perfect icon for my generation. For me, it’s all about finding that balance between youthful jubilance and attractive sophistication without repelling any girl that you might bring back to the ol’ homestead.

Pillows aren’t your only option for your sagging t-shirt collection, as shirt designs also adorn some very attractive handbags. And yes, as a male with a lot of important accessories (sketchbook, pencils, cellphone, iPod, lip gloss), I carry a man purse. It’s either that or a fanny pack, and no one in the history of the universe ever looked attractive lugging one of those around.

As someone preoccupied with turning ‘things into other things’, like wood and screws into robots and paper and ink into illustrations, I must resist the compulsion to transform shirts that I still actively WEAR into sexy throw pillows, because nothing says ‘let’s get these pillows out of the way and have some fun’ like, well, throw pillows. And of course by ‘fun’, I mean building a fort. Of course, you can also use the raw fabric to make stuffed animals, though the shirt material is usually prety stretchy and doesn’t hold a shape all that well, but the designs are undeniably too good to go to waste.

So don’t throw things out. Make things out of ‘em.

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The serious collector pursues any and all venues where their “heart’s desire” might be lurking. In recent blogs, we have discussed finding items for our own collections at some of these events.

The specialty shows, such as “Depression Glass Show”, “Comic Book Show”, “Antique Shows” etc. bring together vendor and collector into the same arena for several days of viewing, dickering and dealing. Finding a desired trinket, missing piece for your collection or just drooling over additions you didn’t even know existed, makes these heart racing events.

Prices are more or less fixed, with some room if you ask. The more specialized the show the better are your chances to find the perfect item and to inform a dealer what you are hunting for, and how you can be reached if they find it.

Antique Flea Markets also bring together vast groups of vendors, and can yield treasures for your collections but require more patience and lots more effort to find a hidden prize.

With fortitude, you may find a seller or two that handles items of your fixation. But more often you’re left to scour stall after stall looknig over items you didn’t really want. (Careful!! that how the next collection starts)

Dedicated collectors identify their specialty at flea markets by asking, wearing a sign or T Shirt, “I collect Blue Left Shoes”.

The advantage at these markets are many vendors have no strong suit that have under valued the item you want, even giving a discounted price before you ask.

Antique Malls take up less time per visit, are great for a rainy day activity, but require diligent searching and have firm pricing with discounts on a single item only when it reaches a certain price point. Items costing sometimes as low as Twenty, some as high as One Hundred dollars, and never more than 10 percent is discounted. But remember a glass dealer may not have a clue what a vintage Thom McCann Blue left shoe is worth and that give you a chance to find a nice Deal.

Yard, tag, garage sale or whatever they are called in your area, produce the best bargains but consume a great amount of time finding what you want, if your focus is limited.

Choose a neighborhood with a population demographic in relation to what you collect. If you’re looking for 78 rpm records, you’re not likely to find them in newer areas with baby clothes in their garage sale listing.

Stand Alone Antique Stores. I search these places out, but find most have price tags with faded numbers and for good reason. But when you find one with enough items of interest, it’s amazing how intriqued the owner is in closing the deal at a generously reduced price.

You will observe that if the store owner has Blue Left Shoes, he’ll have a dozen of them in all styles and sizes. So don’t pass these places without a quick stop, you will waste little time because the owner always knows what’s in-stock.

Auctions: General – Estate - Farm. This arena for collecting also requires a large amount of time, but can produce real bargains if you have abundant discipline.

Most auctions are advertised in local newspapers, local “Shoppers” papers, or antiques publications. One widely read in the Upper Mid-West is the “Auction Action Antique” news, another is the “Antique Trader” in both printed form and on the net. Also try Antique Week, and search a local antique store for publishers in your area that provide free trial copies or charge a nominal fee.

The listings often have an overview of the main items that can help you determine if your type of collectible will be available. With a list before the auction date, one can determine the importance of attending and the opportunity to do your homework on the retail values.

I have lots more info to help you through your first auction and will get to it next time.

Most people appreciate the vocals of the finalists on American Idol, but we all know, deep down inside, that the horrible, toneless singers who attend the auditions are the more entertaining. People without the sense to recognize their own lack of talent are comedy gold. YouTube’s got them, they were the antidote to crotch-hits on America’s Funniest Home Videos, and every talent-based reality today uses them as bread-and-butter of their ‘hook the audience’ first few weeks. But, what did they have in the old days?To tell the truth, they still had “reality shows” without calling them “reality shows”. There have been variants on The Gong Show and Star Search going back for years, into the early days of radio when the day’s programming was often filled with whoever you could get to come in to the studio for an hour. While amateurs might not have always made it to the big-time, there’s always been the chance to be seen. And even then, you know, there were a couple ways to break through despite their “talent”…

Our first example is one of the most famous among our audience. Mrs. Elva Miller, a 59-year-old grandmother, shocked the sixties by releasing an album. No, she wasn’t profound or talented, except for a profound lack of talent. If you’re a musician who wondered if a ‘friend-of-a-friend” in the music business helps, Mrs. Miller is a prime example. Having had a personal recording leaked to Capital Records by friends, she ended up in the studio, producing her first album: Mrs. Miller’s Greatest Hits. Depending on where you read, she was either in on the joke, or caught on soon after. Her singing peaks off the ’so bad you have to hear it’ scale — Radioman Gary Owens (yes, that one) called her “the most interesting new voice for your record collection.” Her fame — selling hundreds of thousands of records in weeks — got her on Ed Sullivan, a fan following, and several more records. Click Here to listen to her take on These Boots Are Made For Walking, that Nancy Sinatra song that’s just one step above spoken word and a favorite of drunk karaoke singers for its simplicity. Her first album, including covers of several 60s pop and rock hits, is quite common, but the later albums dwindle in print-runs. Her ‘drug-culture’ album, Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing, appears quite rare.

Being already famous helps — as both Star Trek stars, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy proved. Both released their own albums in the 60s and 70s, experimental fare — spoken-word interpretations of pop songs from the former, a catchy but bizarre song about a hobbit from the latter — received mixed responses, but both ended up with cult followings of their own. Although Nimoy put out more albums, Shatner was more, er, “successful”, when his performances from The Transformed Man became a running gag seen everywhere from the MTV Music Awards to Family Guy. Amazingly, Shatner was fine-tuning his gig: twenty years later, with a talented crew of musicians aiding him, he released the excellent and critically-acclaimed album Has Been. Vinyl copies of The Transformed Man turn up for sale from time to time, but are not particularly common.

If you haven’t got friends in the business, you could always buy your way to the top. Self-published musicians are probably the most common vinyl train-wrecks, ranging from bad lounge acts trying to promote themselves, to untalented hacks who think they just need to get ‘out there’ and their fame will follow. My collection has numerous examples — if I go to Google and the musician’s names turn up bupkus, then I know I probably have a winner! If you’ve got deep pockets, you could take the route of Dora Hall. Mrs Hall, a grandmother like Mrs. Miller, had the might and power of the Solo Paper Cup company behind her, financing several albums, and even several musical television specials. While Hall isn’t overtly untalented, most people will recognize that giving this lady her own TV specials may have been setting her up for ridicule. Here, have a listen to Mrs. Hall’s work: Click here to listen to Hotel Happiness, from her “Remember” album. I’ll give her credit, though: her version off the earlier album Singin’ In The Sunshine is actually better than this one. Because Hall’s albums were often giveaways with purchases of Solo cups, they’re all over the place and nobody much is saving them…except me, of course.
Like Mrs. Miller and Shatner, Hall has her detractors and supporters. It all depends on what you’re looking for: you don’t watch the first three weeks of American Idol for talent — you’re looking to be entertained. And, by crumb, depending on your sense of humor, a little talentless music can hit the spot. My wifey, however, doesn’t quite agree with me. I had Dora Hall’s “Remember” album on the record player one afternoon. D went out for a very long smoke break; when she returned, I asked if she wanted be to start the record over for her, so she could hear what she missed. Boy, the daggers her eyes shot me were worth it. These old records are just plain fun, no matter how you look at them.

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