On Why I'm Staying Inside Today

Fairy Tale and Nature Pendants

These pendants are made from rescued washers, vintage paper, and ribbon. The images are taken from tattered remains of books and magazines and brochures that I could conserve enough to sell as lovely vintageness.

Snow Unusual!

When I was a small child, our winters were filled with large snowfalls. I can remember my father digging out forts and castles from the fallen snow; snowmen were ridiculously easy to build. Then we went through more than 2 decades of mildish winters, winters that were frequently cold and rarely punctuated by more than a few inches of snow.

This winter is different (thanks to the El Ninos that also inspired large snowfalls of my youth); we got 2 feet a week before Christmas, 10 inches last weekend, 4.5 inches last night, and we're gearing up for another big storm (1-2 feet) this weekend. It has left me with almost continuous snow-dayitis. Sure, I punctuate it with bursts of pricing antiques or sorting glass or creating wireframes, but let's face it, I'm a little bit snow crazy these days. If we could time-shift the storms by say, 2-3 days, it'd be perfect.

I will be bringing some goodies over to Tuckahoe tomorrow afternoon, including a vintage cash register that still works. I'll probably pair it with vintage cash register toys, a 1950s adding machine, and a few non-porcine piggy banks for a nice money-related display.

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow!

Our predicted 1-3 inches on Friday night turned into 11ish inches of snow instead. This would be a big deal for this area if it weren't for the 2 feet of snow we had in mid-December. If the snowstorms of my youth are any indication, we'll probably get one more big snow-dumping storm this winter.

In any case, it's ruined my plans for stocking my booths; right now I've got a vintage fire extinguisher in my passenger seat and a cart full of a massive 1940s-50s cash register,
a 1930s adding machine, and a lovely lamp. Plus a box of smalls, etc. Until I can hit the booths this week, you'll have to settle for newish Plasticville at The Factory, the UFO hanging lamp at Tuckahoe Antique Mall, and vintage maps at River Town Antiques. There's more of course; glass and games and world's fairiana, stereoscopes and viewers, a camera or two, kitcheniana, and local ephemera.

Sometimes I think I am Six.

I managed to spill a large amount of weldbond on myself this morning. I am coated in the stuff, and judging how successful the first shower I took was, I'm a little concerned that I am not going to be able to restore my shirt back to it's original semi-pristine state.

I've been sealing bases all morning in anticipation of a prodigious output coming up - look for my series of curling-related mosaics! I also anticipate a series of autobiographical mosaics depicting me hitting various NBC announcers over the head as they do their best to ruin the Olympics for me, just as they have tried for years to kill the natural drama and inject made-for-TV drama instead.

Take three steps back, and breathe.

I'm reading a -- well, it calls itself a biography -- about a set of famous American entertainers from the last century. It's driving me nuts. The authors are essentially fangirls, which is fine, if they would quit gushing, writing in circles, and focusing on things that affected their childhood to the extent of ignoring the things I was hoping I'd find out more about. I mean, of course, I'd like to know more about the people in question - their life, their relationship (and not as an idealized improvement over their peers), their professional careers before the portion of the career these fangirls are obsessing over, their lives as individuals...

I am more interested in their philosophy of their work than I am in 6-line snippets from their performances. I'd like to hear from them on the subject of their careers instead of 3 or 5 contemporary reviews trying to convince me that they're great. That's wasted effort. I bought the dang book because I thought they were great. Even if I didn't, I'd rather take
that deduction not from what some Joe Schmoe said 50 years ago, but from their own thought and action and word.

I'm clearly going to have to find a better biography, because I feel like I'm learning nothing.

More Handy Auction Tips

Check It Out Fully Before You Bid

It has happened to us all. You bid on something fabulous, you get a deal, and then... then you do something basic like ... trying to lift it. Oof. It's helpful to know if things weigh 125 pounds before you bid, or that it is 8'9'' tall and is not going to be able to make the turn of your stairs. In general, I recommend bringing a tape measure, gloves, and a magnifying glass or jeweler's loupe to auctions, but I also highly recommend trying to get a sense of how easy or hard it will be to move.

When the Auctioneer Says "Move Back" he doesn't mean "Move Down"

If you attend a floor auction, where you cluster around the dealer as he sells items from row after row of merchandise layed out before you, the auctioneer will likely ask the crowd - over and over and over again - to move back so the helpers have room to get to the goods. This means you step back, perpendicular to the row, not to the side, parallel to the row. He's not asking you to "move out of the way" in whatever way you decide is convenient. He's trying to make his job more orderly and managed.

Sometimes a Deal Is Not a Deal

Auction Fever can sneak up on you. One minute, you are perfectly sane, running your budget in your head, contemplating upcoming lots, and in the next moment, there is no way that doofus up front is outbidding you on this thing! Not this time! Or there's a perfectly good whatchamacallit up there, and no one is bidding! That's a deal, right there.

And then the fever breaks, and your head clears, and you look down at the perfectly nice thing you just paid boutique prices for, or at the eight potato mashers you have suddenly acquired, and your face suddenly flushes. What were you thinking?

It happens to everyone; it's a rite of passage for newbies, but it happens to old hands, too. It helps if you have an auction buddy who can grab your arm and mutter, "What are you doing!?!" but you can pull yourself out of the craziness if you become aware that you are letting the adrenaline of the moment overrule common sense.

Nero: Burning while I Fiddle (around).

I had written up the long tale of Nero, our semi-domesticated/semi-feral kittenager who came in one day (after months of feeding, cat toys, and attempted luring) and refused to leave while it was so darn cold outside, but most of it will be old news to folks on Facebook where I chronicle the animal activities in a 1000 foot diameter circle around my home. After all, what is Facebook for, but for obsessive detailing of toad power dynamics and updating neighborhood cat top-of-the-heap standings?

Long story short: I had to take her to the vet this morning, and there is no frustration quite like that of begging a cat to do something. Oh, she was easy to catch... the first time. There's a moment when the desperate, unbalanced scurrying in the cat carrier becomes a sudden smooth swing back because your charge has just burst through the cat door to land on the ground five feet away; all you can do is curse - and then beg. We tricked her to come inside, and then we had to corner and capture her, which is fraught with uncertainty when you are dealing with 5.4 lbs of muscled adrenaline.

We got her in the carrier, and after I assertained that the door was completely and correctly closed, I tightened a bungie cord across the front to further ensure that she was trapped inside. Then we went to the Place of Cat Legend: the Human Institute of Meanness to Cats Center, a.k.a., the Vet

By the time I showed up at the (beautiful offices of the) Vet in the afternoon, she was sulking, and was mewling louder than I've ever heard her mewl (she's normally a very quiet, squeaky cat). When I picked her up after her spaying and battery of tests, she was still complaining vociferously; by the time I let her loose in the living room, she was having nothing to do with me. Wet cat food, and her favorite toy have slightly mellowed her, but I'm still figuring out how I'm going to get her sedative (syringe squirt into the mouth) into her tonight when she is still pretty ticked off and distrustful of me.

In the booth at the Factory Antique Mall

pix coming

This Just In

Had a lovely day finding treasures; in addition retrieving my absentee bids (including Hall china, 1970s Pepsi Robin glass, 1950s made-in-Japan Onions anthropomorphic condiment pot among other things), I found a lovely 1897 book celebrating Queen Victoria, some unmodern Christmas ornaments, and a 1940 Westinghouse toaster that works with particularly vintage flair.

Mmmm. Salmon Neck.

I headed up today to pick up my absentee bids at a local auction house, but they were closed! D'oh! That'll teach me not to call ahead.

I had to sop up my disappointment with delicious Japanese food. Local folk, pay attention: this is the best Japanese food I've had in the area. I took my mom to Akita Sushi over in Waynesboro (in one of those strip shopping centers between the Walmart and the Martin's). They have a regular menu, but they'll suggest you order from their All You Can Eat menu. You should do it. Even if you don't like sushi, it offers up tapas-sized plates of everything from Udon to Donburi to Sesame Chicken.

It works like this: You pick items off the menu, and they prepare them for you right then and bring them out to you at your table in a staggered series of little plates. We started with some lightly fried tempura, and moved onto handrolls (salmon for me, tuna for her), a rainbow roll and a salmon skin roll, a flying fish salad (cabbage shredded with that Japanese-style mayonaise-based sauce and flying fish roe), and a shrimp tempura roll. We also ordered several Teriyaki dishes (they come out on tapas-sized plates so you can try lots of things), including salmon neck and salmon belly.

We were too full for dessert, but I really like their red bean ice cream in general. It's about 13 bucks for the All-You-Can-Eat Lunch option, which is less than I've paid for a sushi lunch elsewhere in town, so go try it out.

What's Happening at Tuckahoe?

I'm highlighting the paper dolls this week - Jeanette MacDonald, Skipper, Dolly Dingle, and more are all up on the walls or out on display amongst the glass and china and vintage toys. I took over a few new vintage toys, too, and some lovely new glass pieces.

Now that we've gotten business out of the way, let's talk about what everyone else has over there. There's a nice looking saddle, fantastic Acoma pottery, some fine looking crocks, new stained glass windows, and a painted armoire that has ventured into the Realm of Awesome. But the one thing that took my breath away was a wonderful ceremonial mask from the Pacific Northwest.

How fantastic is that?

Please note: You must ask permission before taking pictures in an antique mall; many dealers and malls do not permit photography due to issues around fraud, particularly online fraud. I have permission to photograph items at Tuckahoe because I regularly update the photos of wonderful things on the Mall Preview page. For local folks, it's a good way to get a sense of what's new and wonderful at Tuckahoe.

New at the Factory in Verona

I took a nice 1920s fire extinguisher and a stunning 1960s Blenko Vineyard vase (in Peacock, with a ragged edge) over to The Factory Antique Mall yesterday. There are also a few new little treasures, some vintage advertising pieces, and a wonderful tin Johnson & Johnson/Somers Bros. surgical silk container from the late 19th century.

Odd Things I Experienced Today

• 70+ year old men calling each other "Dude." Repeatedly.
• A woman driving while smoking, talking on her cell phone, and applying make-up.
• A store clerk who was out of fives and ones, and offered to give me change in quarters or nickels, my choice.
• A Volkswagon with a giant picture of the driver's face over his hood.
• An idiot in the grocery store proclaiming that everyone knows that clementines went bad the day after Christmas. "No one knows why, but on December 26, zzzzzzzzzt!" he announced. He also opined that Brussels Sprouts are only good in July, and that his companion ate too many onions.

Working with Odd Bits of Glass

Some of the bits and pieces of Blenko Glass I picked up from the one of the discard piles last summer

I've been experimenting with the odd bits of broken glass lately, and I think that they will be best used in traditional stained glass techniques than in the mosaics. So I'm going to have to pick up the soldering gun again. I have soldered since my tragic soldering iron accident in high school, but I'm definitely rusty. I'm going to have to do a few small projects while I rediscover how to get really nicely-finished lines.

Tips for Being A Better Auction Attendee

I go to a lot of auctions, as do many of you. Over the course of the past few years, I've come up with a few handy rules that more people should be following.

Treat everything with care.

Just because you aren't interested, it doesn't mean that others aren't. It may have a value not obvious to you. Don't drop china back in the box; make sure the pile of paper you are tossing back in the box doesn't end up folded up on itself. Don't pull on a piece of metal sticking out the side just to see what happens if you really yank it hard.

Pay attention to where other people are.

....and not for the purpose of usurping their spot. If I'm standing there, having staked out my spot, you can stand next to me. Or behind me. If you say, "Excuse me," or want to look at what is in the area in front of me, great. But don't worm right in front of me by invading my personal space in a thousand small increments so that you can try and dominate the auction and move me out of the way. If you do this once, don't take the fact that I'm not punching you to try and do it again to my new spot. And to the spot after that.

Don't swap items from one box to another.

This is a jerk move, one that cheats the consignor and auctioneer and misleads everyone else bidding. That may be your point, but it's wrong, and if the auctioneer catches you, you will be tossed out. It's also an ineffective move, because a good portion of dealers at the auction will put it back where they originally saw it.

Get the Auctioneer's attention

If you are raising your hand or bid card, and you don't think the auctioneer sees you, try something differently flashy - stand up, whistle, yell out "Yes, here!", wave your arms... He will acknowledge you. Bear in mind, some auctioneers only deal with two bidders at once (even if ten people are raising their hands), and will look for another bidder when one drops out; if he's dealing with two competitive bidders, look to jump in when one is done.

It doesn't hurt to ask

If there was one thing you really wanted out of a lot that you were bidding on and lost, it's always worth a shot to ask the person who won if they'd be willing to sell you one of the items in the box. Ask them how much they want for that item. Negotiate a little. You might end up getting a fantastic deal! Of course, they might have wanted the same thing you did.

Get the Pie

Auctions can take up the better part of a day or evening. Scope out the food providers. 90% of the auctions I've been to have good or great food on site. Some of the best pie I've ever had and the best Chocolate cake in the world has come from an auction food stand.

Look at the Items for sale before they come up for sale

Don't be the person who blocks the view of everyone else so that you can inspect the item next up, or even worse, currently for sale. The auction house is open for preview and pre-auction viewing. Use that time. Look at the upcoming rows while the current one is being auctioned. Any of these are reasonable alternatives to trying to hold things up while you eye the goods.

A Note For Newbies

People who have never been to an auction are often leary of the experience. Unlike on TV or the movies, you won't accidentally win an expensive item you can't afford when you go to scratch your nose at the wrong time. Auctioneers are really good at telling who is bidding and who isn't, and they'll ask you directly if its unclear.

What's It?

Do you know what this is? I didn't; It took me three weeks to figure out what this was! Discuss it among yourselves; I'll provide the answer in a few days.

on the Silliness of my GPS

I got a GPS of my very own for Christmas, which is a remarkably thoughtful gift; I drive around a lot looking for obscure auctions and yard sales. Plus, it can find me the nearest Culvers or Antique Mall when I'm out gallivanting. All usefulness aside, it cracks me up regularly.

You see, it has some phonetic rules for how it pronounces place names, and those rules have been ... changed, and not for the better, since they released my parent's GPS. Many of the place names around here are still mispronounced; the GPS eschews French words, Englishifies some names, and and assumes some names are still pronounced like they're Spanish words. It's a little bit of fun. But now, there are some new and interesting pronunciations. If I use my parent's GPS (same maker, 1 year older), I get on I-64E heading for CharLOTTESville. If I use my new GPS, I'm going to CHARlottESville.

It cracks me up every time.

On the plus side, the user interface has been dramatically improved for this new version; easier to navigate and it has more and better options. On the negative side, I don't think it is as loud as my parent's GPS, and it's even more wrong about where my home address is located than ever.

Mosaic Rings

I've been making a bunch of Mosaic and Pottery rings lately, inspired by the beautiful ones my friend Kari Crump has been making. I started by making one - with a piece of Copeland Spode's Cowslip pottery - for a friend, and got onto a roll.

Washoe Basket, c. 1915-1930

One of my favorite things that I have for sale, this Washoe Basket is made from reed and redbush -- and it still has its lid! It's lid, actually provided the best guidance for dating this piece to c. 1915-1930; when Maggie Dick married a Washoe man in the mid-teens, she began incorporating some of her own tribe's styles as she learned to make things in the Washoe style. There are a number of fabulous Native American baskets, pots, and even a totem at the Tuckahoe Antique Mall, as well.

It is in good, but not excellent condition; as you can see, the thread around the lip has come loose. I've used loose fishing line to keep the top coil together as a precaution. The red decoration, on the other hand, is crisp and gorgeous.

Archives

I'm playing around with the archive display this evening. Pardon the dust.

Colophon

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