After a huge turkey dinner with family and friends yesterday, I sat back and realized how very much I have to be thankful for. Of course, there is my dear husband who has been with me through thick and thin, my two wonderful daughters who have brought me immeasurable joy and, of course, those fantastic grandchildren, five delights! I am also blessed with two special son-in-laws who make my daughters happy and me smile. Their extended families have been a real bonus and added so much to our lives, especially on special occasions. And a new addition to our family should go mentioned, our new dog, Reggie. We got him through a Westie Rescue and he is fitting in beautifully. We’ve also been blessed with numerous friends, good health and general happiness. I could go on and on, but Collectors’ Quest is about collecting and I know I have some special thanks in that area.

First, thanks to my dad for his great sense of humor! In this business, you have to keep a smile on your face. The times you pass by a great bargain and realize it down the road, turn around and watch your worst competitor hugging it to their chest as they nearly skip to the car. The times you spend way too much on an item that is no longer ‘trendy.’ The cleaning of an item that results in removal of the paint or decals. The breakage or water damage from storage. All of these mini-tragedies cannot be taken too seriously or you will soon quit the business.

Secondly, to my mom who on a minimal budget kept our house a home by decorating with warmth and love. She actually introduced me to my apprecation of art deco items. She had a blue glass coffee table and matching end tables. The lamp bases were tall, willowy ladies and they were quite sultry plus they reflected onto the blue glass and were absolutely gorgeous. She had a shadow box too, the kind with a mirror behind it. She’d put all sorts of figurines on it and change them with every season and holiday. And Christmas was an incredible time, the house had lights everywhere and ornaments hung from garland and she always decorated the windows with the stencils of snowmen, bells, angels and such. Our Christmas tree was always spectacular. Fantastic ornaments everywhere, many of them handed down from her family, some are now on my tree! She taught me and my sister, Vicki, that you could spend very little but fill up the walls. We always had nicely framed family pictures in the hallway. This gave you a chance to discuss family history. I only wish I’d asked more questions.

Thirdly, a big thank you to my hubby. When we first started our lives together, with a very limited income, he was reluctant to let me spend money on doo-dads. He did not always understand my desire to buy rhinestones and dangling earrings. But he never turned down my request to go to a far-away flea market, leaving the house at 4:00 AM and the scarce chance that I’d find some costume jewelry I could afford. He is the only man I know that has this much pride in his home – he actually purchased a sign that lights up with the word “TOUR” so we can take people through the house and show it off. He is as excited as I am to find a new addition to a wall, shelf or curio. He also remains my side-by-side companion at auctions, estate sales and yard sales, always searching for the next treasure. He keeps the thrill of the hunt constant.

Next, I would like to thank my dear daughters. You, too, had to get up out of your snuggly-buggly beds early in the morning for the yard sales found in the classified ads. You’d grumble a bit, but with the promise of a lurking treasure, you’d comply and often be surprised with what you’d come across. (In turn, you should thank me, because you both have beautiful homes!)

Another big thank-you goes out to my sister, Vicki. She loved to sparkle and shine and always took extra steps to compliment others on their clothing, jewelry or style. I try to follow in her footsteps and live by the credo “you can never dazzle too much. ” I’d also like to thank all of the buyers who come to our flea markets, antique booth and ebay site. They enable me to keep going, to try to find that unique item that will please (and hopefully profit.)  I must also mention dear Mrs. Sandstrom, my Office Practice teacher in high school. She taught me to type quickly, now called ‘keyboarding’, which allows me to work swiftly and efficiently in my sales and writing my articles for CQ.

And lastly, to Collectors’ Quest for giving me the chance to express myself and share knowledge and experiences with fellow lovers of antiques and collectibles. 

I am not sure when I first noticed my love for art deco styling. As a young girl, my folks had a coffee table and matching end table set with rich ‘cobalt’ blue glass tops. I always loved them and even though I was never a clean freak, disliked it when I found glass rings or dust on them. I would run for the cleaner and make sure they were shined up! (If my dear ’sainted’ sister were here, she would say it was the only thing I was sure to clean; my room was never ’spotless.’)

One of my aunts, Molly, had a small but lovely home in a suburb of Milwaukee. She had everything appointed very nicely. You should have seen her linen closet! All the towels were color-coordinated and the neat little stacks were tied together with blue ribbons! One of my favorite pieces was a figurine on her little “baby grand” piano. It was a lady dancer, dramatically standing on her toes and with a very ‘flapperesque’ dress. I remember that she was made of a metal material, perhaps bronze, and I always admired her. She had been a wedding gift to my aunt and uncle Gene. They were married in the late 1930s. When my dear aunt passed away, it was packed away and most likely given to my uncle’s wife when he remarried. Boy, wish I had spoken up, but as a child and in that time-frame, you would never be so bold as to suggest they would give you something. It would not have been proper!

We have a room that is decorated with art deco items and it is one of my “quiet places.” (Good thing there is no computer in there or I’d never leave!) Several of my favorite pieces are the pictures by Icart, which I have mentioned in another article. They are sexy, sultry and graceful.

A table lamp that we found is also very deco and when the light is on, it has such a unique look. It is because of the blue light bulb that has paint that is worn off – it gives it almost a lightning-flash design. When this reflects on MY blue glass table (not the one mom and dad had, but quite similar), it is dazzling!

I recently found another lamp with a lovely lady with long, flowing hair. Made of plaster and in a very ‘retro’ green coloring, I was quite attracted to her. A dilemma, however, is prevailing. She has significant paint loss and I wonder if I should try to match the color and repair or fully repaint her. Or sell her and let someone else make the decision. She deserves to be loved again, after sitting in a dark basement for a lot of years. I found her there, behind a work bench and wondered if the old gent intended to re-wire her or maybe even paint her. Covered with cobwebs, I gently brought her to the check-out table, requesting a price. “Oh, that old thing?” was the response. “How about $2.00? Does that sound fair?” It sure did! Well, now that I have her I am guilty of the same poor treatment. She has been in my basement for about 4 weeks and I am still unsure of the best way to proceed. I’d better decide soon! Perhaps writing this blog will motivate me to take action, one way or the other.

Art Deco is one of the loveliest styles you can find. Whether you collect the pieces from the 1920-40s, when it was in its heyday, or buy newer items ‘in the style of’, you will certainly get rave reviews from visitors. Checking out antique stores, estate sales and auctions has worked for us. Happy hunting and enjoy!

 I purchased my first Icart print about 15 years ago. Quite frankly, I bought it because we had a West Highland White puppy named Windsor and this beautifully framed picture had some dogs from the terrier family. Several Westies and a Scottie dog too. It also featured a very sultry lady. They were resting on a fainting couch, the lady with long legs and the dogs gathered in song. I love whimsy and dogs and vintage prints so this was a ‘no-brainer.’ I found it at an estate sale and the lady was quick to point out that it was not an original! No kidding! Had this been the real thing, it would have been in the thousands, not $50! It was proudly hung in a hallway and all who viewed it commented on its charm. Our Westie was non-committal.

When we moved to our present home, we did a room in ‘art deco’ and naturally hoped to add to our Icart collection. But, alas, these are not easy to find in good shape and if they are, the cost can be pretty high. A local auction house sent us a flyer with a picture of an Icart print soon to be auctioned off. It was from 1926 and entitled “Smoke.” It, too, has a seductive lady, this one wearing not much but a smile and a lot of strategically placed feathers. She rests on a bed of fur. In her hand is a smoldering cigarette. Her expression is confident, very sensual, bordering on the aloof. I held off on raising my paddle for numerous other items so that I could place a significant bid on this picture. And win it I did! She is on a wall in our déco room and other than a young granddaughter who is not fond of ‘nudies’, she is appreciated by guests and family alike.

A recent visitor to our home commented on the pictures and asked what we knew about the artist. I had to admit, not a lot. So I went to our ‘library’ of collectible books and found that Louis Icart worked in Paris from 1907 as an employee of a post card company. He then started printing magazines and fashion brochures and in 1910, he created a series of etchings. These were of fashionably dressed women. His later prints were often of blatantly erotic females, often surrounded by fur – either in the guise of a sleek canine companion or a lavish bed covering. I’ve seen some especially desirable pictures with Borzois!

I “Googled” the name Louis Icart and learned he was born in 1888, passing away in 1950. Not all of his art was ”erotic”, however, and we found one called “The Arrival” that showed a rather demure lady leaving her coach. A fantastic print and suitable for any room or style preference!

Another one is called “The Accident” and features a lovely lady in an elegant gown. Her back is turned to us, quite curvaceous! Her playful kitten has been pulling on the threads from the dress, causing it to unravel and ultimately fall apart. Suggestive, yes, but just so adorable. Wish we could find that one!

The art deco period officially began at the 1925 Paris World’s Fair – the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratives et Industriels Modernes. That’s where the term itself derived. Its seeds were sown well before the 1925 Expo, however, perhaps as early as the last years of the 19^th and first years of the 20^th century. It is characterized by linear, geometric designs. Furniture, decorative arts, jewelry, book bindings and even games were designed in this style. Art deco items are highly sought after and hard to find at reasonable prices, but we never stop our search for them.

While Mr. Icart’s pictures are suggestive with numerous nubile young women displaying their wares, they are definitely elegant and classy! I wonder what he would think of the depictions of today’s ladies and their show-all pictures. I may be old-fashioned, but I’ll take his stylings any day!

My husband and I have often been called ‘creative’ and I suppose, at times, thought to be a bit odd. But we love to recycle the antiques and collectibles that we find and put them to good use.
For example, we found this charming little item that was from an old ‘lift’ or elevator. It was sitting in a box at an estate sale, along with other hardware items such as door knobs, hinges and the like. It looked like it was SO out of place. But then I wondered, ‘what was its place?’ I bought the box lot and thought about it on the way home. My husband, who is so talented, took one look at it and said he could add a battery to it, making it light up once again! He made a wooden frame for it too, then mounted it in our hallway. When you push the buttons, it tells whether the ‘car’ is going ‘up’ or ‘down.’ Our youngest grandchildren really like it and stop us when we enter the hall and ask which way we are headed. A sweet little find!

The grandkids all love this little guy (and our son-in-law has asked that it be left to him in our will!) Although this ‘butler’ was originally intended to hold calling cards of well-respected visitors, we ask him to offer candy to all who enter. And, boy, does he get the business!

Another item we’ve put to good use is this ashtray. Extremely ART DECO with the shiny chrome finish and geometric, almost skyscraper, shape. But no one in our family smokes and although I found it very attractive (and in exceptionally good condition) I was not sure if we could find a home for it. But then I lifted the lid and there was quite a ‘well’ in there, a lot of room. I thought to myself “how about using it for poutpourri?” And that is just what it does. We have a room with a lot of deco items and this just fits right in!

At a recent auction, I found my paddle lifting up for this metal plant stand. While I am known as the ‘black thumb’ of the family, I thought it had a lot of character. I knew better than to put a plant inside! Instead, I found an old glass ceiling light shade, plopped it in and added a very large candle! It does look rather cool!

I was shopping with my sister when we came across this old screen from a fireplace. It is metal and quite heavy. We think these were used to cover up the fireplace during the summer months and to prevent drafts. This lovely ‘lady on a swing’ now has a place of pride in our dining room!

But my all-time favorite is this old ‘fisherman’s net’ display. You see, my dad and brother had quite a collection of old fishing lures. Some in great shape, others, not-so-much. I had been keeping them in a shoe box in the attic. When I came across them one day, I berated myself for not finding a way to enjoy them. So I went to an auction with some fishing items and came across this net! They now hang proudly on a wall in our sunroom. We’ve hung an old fishing creel at the top. We’ve added a few baits and bobbers from time to time, but most of them bring back memories of going fishing for crappies, blue gill or perch with my dad and brother. There is one lure that has a unique memory – not an especially fond piece of nostalgia, but a memory nonetheless. We were at a picnic and swimming in a lake one bright summer day. All of a sudden, I jumped up, screaming, thinking a fish had bit me! My brother rushed over to see (probably to give the fish an ‘atta-boy!) When I lifted my foot, we found a fishing lure! My brother begged me not to step down again, not because of the anticipated pain, but he recognized it as a ‘top quality’ lure and did not want it ruined. That’s a big brother for you. In any case, it now hangs on my wall and often brings a chuckle.

I realize that not all antiques and collectibles can be used. They are in bad repair or too large, but whenever possible, it is best to ENJOY them and share them with friends and family. That breathes new life into them and makes your house a home.
“Gotta Collect? Then You Gotta Connect - Join our Collectors’
Community”

Throughout history, women have used cosmetics to enhance their natural gifts. Lipstick was applied for a more kissable mouth, rouge for a becoming blush on the cheeks, and at one point lead was used to achieve a pale complexion (yikes!). For eliminating shine, loose powder was the cosmetic of choice, and where there was powder there was a compact.

The compact came into popularity after World War I and could soon be found in the purse of the average modern woman. Due to a decrease in production it fell out of use during the years that World War II was raging, but came roaring back in the following decade. However, the advent of pressed powder in disposable containers was the death knell for the old decorative compacts. Though the use of compacts has fallen to the wayside over the years, these attractive containers have emerged as a hot item among collectors.

Designs followed the trends of the times, such as the Art Deco compacts popular in the twenties and thirties. Compacts were often made of metal and were decorated with enamel, paintings, gems and even butterfly wings. Some were outfitted with gadgets that played music at the touch of a button. Others were created by famous designers, such as the Coty “puffs” compact designed by noted glassmaker Rene Lalique.

Condition is key when purchasing compacts for a collection, particularly since these items were used often and knocked around in handbags. Make sure the compact opens and closes properly. On the outside of the compact, look out for scratches, scuffing, chipping and damaged paint. On the inside, check that the mirror is not loose or broken. Finally, keep in mind that the value of the piece will increase if the original powder puff and powder sifter are still inside.

This article about collecting compacts includes tips for caring for your collection. http://www.lady.co.uk/articles/0146artA.cfm?framed=y