Those of you who have been reading my blogs over the past year or so are well aware of my love for the sparkly! Long before it was called ‘bling’, I have loved to dazzle and shine. I’ve told stories of my dear departed sister who was a rhinestone queen, of treasures I have found and reasons why I just love jewelry.

While antiquing in Florida a few weeks back, I picked up a copy of The Antique Shoppe newspaper. We always like to keep our options open and be prepared to visit new venues when we travel. This magazine had some nice articles and one, especially, drew my attention. It was called “Kids These Days!” and told the story of a professional dealer at the West Palm Beach Show. He is only 16 years old! Sean Bunnell is from Miami and it figures he’d like the business since his folks have been dealers for longer than he’s been alive. But I really liked his style! At a very early age he became attracted to jewelry and to get his business started, at the ripe old age of 12, he sold his go-cart. He took the $450 proceeds and invested in a jewelry inventory. The article goes on to say that he “focuses on diamonds and upscale timepieces such as Cartier and Tiffany.” Way to go, Sean!

I often tell my grandchildren that you will rarely make any profits on buying new things. While there are exceptions, it seems that unless a piece of furniture is over 70 years old, or from a particular maker, or of extraordinary quality, it won’t sell for what it originally cost, much less increase in its value. The same goes for many items from china to metal-ware to jewelry. I have encouraged them to learn what they can, ask questions and get educated on antiques and collectibles. Our oldest grandson will soon be 8 years old and he has ‘the eye.’ He’ll walk into our house and see a new piece of glassware or a porcelain teapot. He’ll ask about it – where did I get it, why did I like it, etc. I just love that! His dad collects sports items so he does understand the ‘leave it in the wrapper’ concept, but I try to emphasize it is important to enjoy your items, not just stare at them on a shelf.

Our oldest granddaughter is nearly 19 and she has grown up with rummaging; first with us, then with her parents. She has found some pretty neat items and I have listed them on ebay for her. She’s had to pay me back for the fees, but the net profit goes to her and I think it’s a great learning experience. I strongly encourage the entrepreneurial spirit.

For years we have been going to auctions and have often seen a young boy with his dad. He was a collector of sports memorabilia and since he was too young to bid, his dad would do it for him. He was very disciplined in his buying. If it went over his ‘limit’, he’d drop out and when the items he had interest in were finished, so was he. He’d pay and leave. He probably started at about 11 or 12 years old and is currently in his late teens, able to bid on his own. He does the same thing. Watches for the things he wants, bids to a point, then drops out. I often wonder if it is for his own collection or if he sells on the net. I will make it a point of asking him next time we meet!

I sure wish I would have started my collection and ‘business’ sooner. I have always tried to ‘upgrade’ by buying what I could at the time, then selling it off when a better example comes along (price permitting.) But I never had a ‘chunk’ like Sean’s go-kart profits when I was his age. Who knows how many drawers, cases, and boxes would be filled if that had been the case?

So my dear readers, don’t hesitate to educate your children, to encourage their buying and selling when possible. Rather than a lemonade stand in your driveway at the garage sale, how about a toy sale, or sports cards or…you name it! Learn from the youngest professional dealer at the West Palm Beach Antiques Show – and good luck!

 Ahh, spring in Wisconsin and time to enjoy all those lovely colors! Yellow, purple, gold, pink, a beautiful sight for sure. Oh, no, I don’t mean the daffodils, tulips and violets, although they are wonderful as well. I mean Yard Sale Signs.

We wait all winter for these signs and the chance to ‘hunt’ for our antiques and collectibles. It is exciting, even though some folks do not know the basics. First and foremost, the sign must be large enough to view when you are going 35 miles per hour, perhaps rushing to get the last minute groceries for lunch or drop a kid at school. You need to make a mental note of exactly where the sale is in case you don’t have the time to make a quick U-turn. For example, some people use a deep pink construction paper and then light pink writing, absolutely impossible to decipher.

Or they put the word “RUMMAGE” in large lettering and the location in teeny-tiny writing! And it really helps to put an arrow in the correct direction so you actually know where to turn. But I digress.

Ever since my sister, Vicki, was 9 or 10 years old, she wanted to stop at every sale she saw or heard about. She liked Barbie dolls, Beatles records, and horse figures. But her real ‘addiction’ was rhinestones – pins, necklaces, bracelets, anything that twinkled.

I must say a lot of my desire to be the “Sparkly Grandma” came from her. She rarely paid more than 50 cents for any item (admittedly this was many years back), and even at a tender age was not afraid to negotiate. I was several years older than her but would stand back and watch her go! She was never aggressive, just a little girl explaining she had limited funds, her allowance to be exact and an occasional $5 gift for a birthday.

The sellers understood her situation and would do the best they could. She was definitely not one of those ‘darn old dealers’ and they knew she would treasure the item, so they often knocked the price in half and I do recall a few times that they would just give it to her and say “Enjoy!” She’d smile sweetly and thank them and then give me a little look that said “see, I can do it better than you.”

This continued on through her teen years, while I was starting my family and would not be able to go as often as she could. She’d call excitedly and say “you’ll never believe what I found today, you’ve got to stop over.” And I’d make the trip and view her gorgeous Weiss rhinestone pin or a Miriam Haskell necklace. I was buying Gerber baby food and Zweibach cookies and diapers and there was not much expendable income. I never begrudged her the thrill of the hunt, well, maybe a little. Of course, the tables turned later when she was having her kids and I was back in the work-force.

At one point in her too-short life, they ran a successful business. She would go to antique stores, high-priced auctions, estate sales and the like and bring back fantastic items to decorate her home. It was a virtual showcase! Antique carousel horse in the corner of her living room, German dolls in 1890s baby beds, vintage draperies, curios filled with elegant glassware. And, of course, The Jewelry Room! She actually had a small room, probably once a sewing room, filled with cabinets, display cases and even framed pieces of ‘bling.’ Guests would just stare in awe of the incredible pieces she had.

I was with her on numerous occasions when she would approach a lady in a store, or restaurant and rave about their pin or necklace. She’d comment that she had noticed its loveliness, even across the room. They would always smile and say they appreciated her comments, often telling a little story about its origin. Some were purchased, others a gift from a loved one, or a piece passed on through the family. Both Vicki and the ‘adorned’ would leave with a smile. I learned from her and often compliment people on their jewelry!

They ended up selling the business, and with it many of the treasures she had gathered through the years. Then they moved out of the area. Sadly, we’d only see each other once every 8 weeks or so. We’d be so glad to get together, that is until the flea market gates opened, or the estate sale started. Then we’d go our separate ways, meeting back to compare notes in an hour or two. But it was our bond and one we shared until she became too sick from cancer to participate. She would often call and ask what was new and I knew she was wondering what had I found at recent sales. I would go to see her and she would become very animated when I displayed a piece of jewelry I found or told her of a cottage print I had added to my collection. She never begrudged me my treasure-hunting and actually enjoyed hearing about it, even though she knew she could not participate.

One of my favorite memories of her was a trip we took to Florida, about a year before she died. Her energy level was low, she’d lost all of her hair, but she would wear a large Eisenberg pin on her turban, a necklace just filled with charms, and earrings that would dangle to her shoulders. Now it was her turn to receive compliments. We’d stop in a restaurant or store and people would ‘levitate’ toward her, often commenting on her jewels. She’d smile and tell them a little story about finding it when she was only 10 years old and even remembering the paltry amount she’d paid for it. She’d been adding to the ‘charm necklace’, which had over 150 pieces, for 20 years and it was quite a sight. Somehow she would recall the origin of each one! She could not have been happier, it just made her day!

Vicki passed away but memories of her shopping expertise and desire to shine, even in a dark time, have stayed with me and always will. While to many, costume jewelry is just ‘foo-foo’ and not necessary, it was part of her very being and I carry on the tradition to this day. She was a ’shining example’ of a true collector who let nothing stand in her way of the hunt! So go forth and sparkle!

Growing up in Wisconsin has its pluses. The four seasons, while challenging at times, can be wonderful. Lovely, green, budding trees and colorful flowers in spring, warm, sunny summers with beautiful parks to enjoy a picnic, gorgeous changing colors in fall, and the splendor of white, glistening snow in winter. (At least the first 3 or 4 storms.) But winters are sometimes unbearably long and ever since our daughters were little, we’ve ‘escaped’ south!

Many of our collectibles have a sea-side theme, items from the beach and ocean. Most are displayed in our sunroom, which hubby refers to as ‘the lanai.’

We’ve picked a lot of shells through the years and found an antique, glass car battery case to be an excellent vehicle for displaying them. (Hubby put a wooden top on it so I don’t have to dust them.)

One of my favorites ‘from the depths’ is coral. The pieces come in so many beautiful variations and make incredible display items with glass fish, paperweights and figures of birds.

I have recently been introduced to the work of artist Frank Schirman of Hawaii. He made fantastic figures from rare, exotic, black coral, mostly of the handsome Hawaiian people. These are from the 1960s and 70s. The detailing is just a delight. While you can find some on the internet, prices are definitely escalating. You can see why people appreciate them!

It’s also fun to get pictures of children and grandchildren with their special beach combing finds. Our oldest granddaughter discovered a sand dollar years back.

Our youngest granddaughter loves flamingos like grandma. Our middle granddaughter will be experiencing her first visit to the ocean this year and we know we’ll get great pictures of her as well.

It has also been fun to collect sharks’ teeth, but as I tell the kids, “only grab them when they’ve been discarded and lying in the sand.” Pretty clever, huh?

While many of our sea-worthy items have been found at the shore, others have been located at flea markets in Florida. That’s where I came across this huge claw! It measures approximately 12” long. How would you like to run across the original owner? I love to set this out with a ‘bowl’ of sand and shells at Christmas. To some, this may not seem to be a seasonal pair but when I mention it is “sandy claws”, friends catch on. My family members choose to simply groan.

We have actually come across living star fish on the shore, tossed up in a storm. Once they were recognized as ‘alive’, they were gently sent back to the deep. The only ones we display were found at The Shell Factory or similar tourist attraction. The Shell Factory is huge and offers an unbelievable selection of items from the sea and beyond.

Another collection I simply adore is ’sea-side’ jewelry. The earrings, pins and necklaces are such fun to wear and especially so when at a beach bar such as Sharkey’s on Venice Beach.

It’s always great to add to this collection. (Hint to those reading – my birthday is coming soon.)

Our memories and souvenirs keep us toasty-warm in the long, cold winter when we pick them up, smile and recall the times we shared at the beach and make plans for our upcoming vacations.

We recently entertained some friends from out of state. They had not been to our home for about 9 years and were inquisitive about where we found our “treasures.” It made me stop and think about just where I did find them. And it brought back some fond (and not-so-fond) memories – I’m happy to share them with you!
Probably my “all time favorite” is our dining room chandelier. It is brass and has a lot of prisms and glass beads. Quite lovely. But it did not always look this way. When I first found it, it was in 3 bags, seated on the floor of a garage.

My sister and I had gone to a rummage sale. She always beat me to the costume jewelry, which was her ‘addiction.’ So I did not even bother rushing to the table where they were displayed. Who wants to be elbowed out of the way every time? Not me.

So I sought bargains elsewhere. I was looking at some porcelain figurines on a table and my foot bumped a bag and I heard a “clink.” I asked the seller what was in the bags. She replied “my sister and her husband are opening a bread & breakfast. They decided to replace the old lighting fixtures with new ones and those bags hold the parts of their cast-off.” I was curious and picked up one bag.

To my amazement and great pleasure, I found a very large, cut glass prism! I looked further and found a lot more. The next bag had the brass arms and the third held the strings of beading. I tried my best not to be too excited and casually asked “how much do you want for this?” Her reply got my heart racing “$5.00” she said.

I am so used to bargain-hunting that before I even thought about it I blurted out “would you take $4.00?” “Oh, sure” she said, “my sister will be glad to get rid of it.” I paid promptly.

When we got to the car, my sister showed me her little pins, then asked if I had any luck. I tried to stay calm and said I thought I had been lucky.

We got to my house and hubby and I pulled it out of the bags. We were in awe. I knew it was in pieces but he can ‘fix anything’, just ask anyone! So, he took it to his workshop and in two days we had it up, replacing our other chandelier. (On an even further positive note, we sold that newer one for $35 at our sale. Probably to the lady who wanted to open the B&B!)
Another of my ‘bests’ is this charming framed picture. It features a little girl who resembles “little red riding hood” and the frame is beautiful. My hubby actually found this one. We went to a ‘block rummage sale’ with a lot of houses that participated. I went to one side of the street, he to the other. Along the way, he yelled to me “do you like this picture?”

I could not see it well, but what I could make out, I definitely liked and responded to the affirmative. He brought it to the car and I took a better look. And instantly loved it! I asked “how much” and he smiled broadly and replied “$5.00.” Yikes!

I rarely find nice jewelry at yard sales and especially so if my sis was along. But we went to a sale along Lake Michigan, ritzy place, and the lady had a lot of Oriental items. Not being a big fan of this décor’, I thought I’d be leaving early. But on her table, underneath a shawl, was a ring. It was gold (I thought it was “the real thing”) and had a green stone. She had $25 on the tag, but instantly said she’d take $20 for it – this was her third day and no one had even inquired about it. I paid her what she wanted.

It just FELT right. When I got to the car, I pulled out the magnifier and verified that it was 14K. The stone turned out to be jade. I wore it for a year or two and then sold it at our antique booth for $125. That was about 7 years ago and someone is probably writing a blog about the bargain they found at our booth. The circle of (antiques) life. Ahh.

When you are ‘into’ antiques, you don’t often go to the sales that advertise ‘kids toys, toddlers clothing’, and the like. But I was with a friend who had grandkids and she wanted to stop. “OK”, I said, “but make it snappy.” I looked at the books and games, nothing old enough to add to the collection or sell. But then something caught my eye and by the stuffed animals and Barbie tricyle, I saw a face peering out – it was a metal horse. I looked closer and discovered it was a very old child’s toy.

Made in England, called a Mobo. It had some wear to the paint, but overall, it was quite nice. He only wanted $15 for it, telling me it was ‘old and had been ridden by numerous kids in the family.’ I did not quibble – paid him and popped it in my trunk. Hubby looked at it and was uncertain – nothing he’d seen before. We put it in the garage.

About a month later he was at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant. There, on a shelf above the check-out counter, was another one! He was excited and asked to chat with the manager. When she arrived, he inquired about the horse – what did she know about it, how old was it, was it for sale, and if so, how much?

She was taken aback but responded that these antique items are not for sale and she really knew nothing about it. It was a fairly new restaurant and she explained that when they were ready to build, a ‘team’ of pickers would come to the area and get nostalgic items – they’d also select other antiques from a warehouse and bring them in.

He was a little disappointed, but at least felt it had enough value to be so displayed. We took it to a summer flea market and put a ‘ridiculous’ price of $100 on it. It sold in 12 minutes. We have since seen two others in antique malls. We’ve learned they were made in Kent, England, are circa 1947, and actually called “Mobo Bronco” riding horses. One was in very poor condition and that price tag was $225. The other was in a condition that was similar to ours and had a tag of $350!

Another blogger somewhere, is bragging about this treasure they found from the ‘rubes’ in aisle 11. But we made our profit and had fun – so there!

Another time we went to an estate sale. It was the last day, sometimes a good time to attend. Usually things are half-price or at least there is room to wiggle. We saw these beautiful candle sticks in the basement. The gent who was in charge in that room said they had been in a trunk and not noticed until earlier that day when the trunk had sold.

We thought they were beautiful, but when he said he wanted $50 for them, we played our ‘good cop and bad cop’, being hesitant to make a commitment. Then he thought for a moment and said ‘oh, prices are 50% off today so they could be yours for $25.” Scooped those up and put them in our dining room. A wonderful find!

We continue to shop for additions for our home and some to sell. While it may sound easy, just yesterday we went to 11 garages sales, put 30 miles on the van, and came home with just $4.00 worth of ‘goodies.’ And that’s a pretty strong word for them. “Mediocres” would be a better word. But who knows what the next garage, front yard or estate sale might hold?

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I suppose I deserve the teasing. My youngest daughter tends to wear conservative jewelry. Gold, silver, nice semi-precious stones. She always looks wonderful and never jingles, clinks, or tinkles like I do. For I am addicted to large, dramatic, over-sized earrings. And it is partially her fault.
You see, I did not get my ears pierced until I was in my 30’s, being perfectly happy without ear decoration. Then both my daughters gave me a Christmas present. A free ear piercing and complimentary ‘studs.’ I protested at first, but gee, passing up a freebie is tough! So we went to the mall and I had it done.

You have to begin wearing ‘starter earrings’, so I wore some with little teeny pearls, so tiny, you could not see they were in there. The allotted time passed and I was able to get a somewhat larger pair, but still no ‘French wires’ since they would pull too much. But once I was able to wear whatever I wanted, the trouble began.

I like jewelry in general, so began trying to find ‘matches’ with my necklaces or pins. I found a few small ‘boutiques’ that had unusual ones and got some special pairs. I also attended a few home parties where they’d bring the jewels right to you! And then I discovered resale shops in the area.

They were in the neighborhoods with lots of money, where people change styles and colors by the season and easily tire of their jewelry. So, they’d bring in their sterling silver earrings that cost hubby $35 and I’d get them for $3. They’d bring in the Laura Burch that daughter-dear gave as a gift and I’d be there to appreciate them!

I have had my ears pierced for long enough to watch trends come and go – and when things come ‘back in style’, I am prepared. My granddaughters really appreciate my ‘sparklies’ and often comment on them.

A recent trip to a petting zoo/farm with my youngest granddaughter gave me a perfect opportunity to wear my cow earrings. She asked if she might have them one day. I told her I would think about it. These were actually a gift from a dear friend with whom I have attended numerous ‘cow chip throwing contests.’ She knew I would appreciate the sentiment.

A while back, friends of ours attended an auction and bid on, and won, the honor of having a local TV weather program filmed at their home. They invited us to attend the show. I thought and thought – what would be a good ‘weather-type’ earring? Then it came to me – and I hit ebay. There I found the perfect pair – silver umbrellas! As luck would have it, the weather stayed beautiful during the filming, but they caused quite a stir.

A while back, my daughter traveled to Australia. She returned with a charming gift for me, a pair of earrings with duckbill platypus on them! When I opened them I squealed, and then, just for my son-in-law, who teases me mercilessly, said “oh, I already have a pair of platypus earrings!” He was stupefied until I smiled widely.

It may seem hard to believe, but I have made matches quite often. For example, I purchased this charming pair with monkeys in Florida. They were from a very expensive boutique – I just had to have them, but could not spend the $45 for the matching necklace. About a month later, I found the necklace for $2 at a yard sale!

About a year ago, I bought this silver pin with a rather ‘funky/artsy’ style. Last weekend, at a flea market, I found the matching earrings!

While shopping with a friend at a fancy store in the Caribbean, I got a silk blouse with lots of dogs – oodles of poodles I called it. The lady at the counter admired it and said – now you’ll have to march right out and find some dog earrings. I just smiled; I already have 2 pair with doggies!

Recently, I had a rather unusual experience. I attended a wake for a friend’s step-mother. She was in her 90s and had lived a full life. While standing near the casket, I noticed a basket filled with plastic baggies. I leaned closer and found each one had costume jewelry in it.

A relative of the lady said to me “help yourself, she had so much, we did not know what to do with it all.” I was astounded, who ever heard of getting a gift at a funeral! I was very considerate, taking only one pair of earrings, leaving the rest. I just may have them do that at my funeral, who knows!
I consider it a rather harmless addiction. No one gets hurt (unless they try to sell them off) and most times they are very inexpensive. So, let my daughter pick on me, have my grandkids try to pry them out of my stubborn fingers, I just love them and will do so until I croak. I’ve already instructed my girls to change my earrings every 15 minutes when I am in the casket. They are grossed out by it, but I must die as I lived, a costume jewelry nut!
Anyone else out there with a jewelry addiction?’ I thought so! Enjoy!
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