Picking A Relationship - The Facts.

I've neglected the blog these past few month, as "life" has been "happening".

"Bear" with me, I will explain (yes, I do that lots, I know...!)

Being a picker/dealer here in Manitoba is not an easy task...that is, IF you wish to make your living at it.

There are maybe a dozen people in the entire province who make here living on buying and selling antiques & collectibles.  Part of the reason is that out of the  population of 1.272 million people Manitoba holds, is that they are spread out over a substantial area, though most live in the bottom third portion of the province, and half of the entire province's population lives in the capital city of Winnipeg.

I reside 2.5 hour's drive from Winnipeg, currently.

I won't go through the soap opera that has been my life (saving that to fill up several chapters of my autobiography...), but the most recent "big" news is that I have become "single" once again.

This business is hard on relationships, pure and simple. Between differences in personalities, interests, and the fact a picker's life is lived part on the road, part submerged in junk (on the road and at home), among a host of other activities, we basically live and breath our business.

It is a passion, and sometimes it consumes us, or in the least temporarily submerges us once and awhile.

If your spouse/partner is of the same mindset, complimentary personality, you both communicate very well (even if it is with no one else than your partner!) , love history, see gold in all the old stuff, have respect for one another, and all that goes along with the "junk biz", then you might actually have a chance of being together for a long time.

But, people change, and sometimes those changes create rifts, goals shift, passion is diverted, etc.

I have seen many relationships split due to those sorts of changes. Marriages break up when one partner's interests change dramatically away from "old stuff."  Your partner's passion has changed from antiques to horses, and you have zero interest in equines?

Well, prep for a divorce in your future.

I am  not saying that if you partner does not live, breath and eat their dinner without attic dust sprinkled on it that your relationship is doomed.  Having a complementary personality, interests, etc can work, but communication, respect, understanding, and such things are key to keeping it working.

Maybe one spouse loves dealing with the public, selling, being a shopkeeper, while the other is the "digger" of the two who sources merchandise, does some restoration, etc.

 That sort of relationship can work well, too.

I won't go into any major details about my relationship, as my life is not being lived as a public figure; though I know that "public figures" tend to have private lives we never hear about, also, which is the way it should be...despite what we are lead to believe by the "car crash" type Reality TV shows. Also, my ex also deserves privacy.

We are not in a battle, nor at each other's throats, we just came to the realization that we are not meant to be together. We gave it a shot, about 8 years worth, and are intelligent enough to know when to call it quits. I am making it sound easy, but it was not a quick and easy decision.

It was the right decision for both of us, however.

Anyway, my chosen lifestyle was certainly part of the reason we have split,  but it is far from the whole "reason", as life is not so easily cut and dried. Let's consider the word "reason" just a container for what is in actuality a "package of reasons."

She likes old stuff, but not in the same ways I do, nor with the same type of passion I do. To her credit, despite her having pared down her belongings to very little, and pretty much having just become "minimalist" in her living style when we got together, she jumped back into the "junk biz", though only "knee deep", which I felt was adequate, and we started a life together.

These things are always a half and half; that is, as far as any "blame", responsibility or causation for things not working goes. In some cases the "blame" may lean more to one side than another, but it is almost always not 100% one partner's fault.

In our case, I view it as a 50/50 split. I try to take full responsibility for myself. I always learn from each relationship, and I learn more about myself all the time. I deal with what I can fix in myself. I then hope to find someone else who is at the same point in their lives as I am, post experience and repair.

OK, that is enough philosophy, "mushy", and heart tugging  stuff for one year, don't you think?

And now it is time to go....

 Be sure to check out our HARDCORE PICKER'S page the features myself and some other professional, long time, and veteran part-time pickers!

TEST - What Kind Of Picker Are You?

You are in luck...no test today!    

I have found that SO many people have entirely different opinions as to what makes someone a "picker" that I simply can not create a test of any kind that will not end up taking hours of your time. 

I will still continue to express some opinions throughout this blog as to what makes a picker.  Sometimes I may ask you some questions that you can answer for me..so leave a comment, opinion, thought, etc,  make yourself heard! 

I have always considered myself a true picker. At first when people were calling me a "picker" rather than a "antiques dealer" I wasn't all that thrilled...somehow, at the time, "picker" seemed to me to be demeaning . It took a little while, but I started to realize that the dealers who were calling me a "picker" were complimenting me, rather than being negative. I was good at picking...that is what I wanted to do, anyway, not be a "dealer" sitting in a shop.

That came later. I became an "antiques dealer with a store" out of necessity, due to geographic location and the market I had access to.

I did come up with lots of fresh stuff.  I wanted to move it, but didn't want to get ripped-off on the stuff, either, though. A couple dealers made that mistake...assuming that I wouldn't figure out they were offering me far less than wholesale. In their arrogance/ignorance they perhaps figured their "knowledge" was worth far more than my sweat, fuel, time, energy, interpersonal skills, research skills, etc.

My knowledge base built quickly with experience. I learn fast....or so I like to believe!

So, what makes a picker, in my eyes?

Well....that is a loaded question. Whatever I answer I know there will be all sorts of differences in opinion.  Besides, you need to address some other issues...mainly the fact that there is several KINDS of pickers.

Myself I have adopted the moniker of a "Hardcore Picker". 
I define that as a person who makes his money in the "junk biz", mainly in the vintage end of things, but does what is necessary in the junk biz as a whole to make a living. If I need to haul scrap metal to help pay some bills, I do it. If I need to "re-purpose" items, re-market items, wholesale, hold some auctions, retail, do flea markets, etc, etc, etc to make some cash, I will. But, my main focus is vintage. I have an affinity for "junk", but vintage items have the firmest grip on my being.

So, what other kinds of pickers do I feel exist out there? 

You'll just have to wait for next post to find out!

HARDCORE PICKERS Defined

Some of you may be aware of our HARDCORE PICKERS page on Facebook.

I have been asked a few times by non-antiques/junkers, as well as by some of my own peers as to what the definition of a Hardcore Picker really is.

SO, in preparation for a submission to Wikipedia (joking about Wikipedia...for now!) I will attempt to describe what I mean by the term.

I jotted down a bunch of one line aspects of what a Hardcore Picker is.....while driving to a show in Regina.  Saskatchewan is flat...well, not entirely, but on that route it is mighty flat. Plus, The Saskatchewan portion of the Trans Canada Highway on the route from our place to Regina is twinned...so, no oncoming traffic to worry about...except for maybe the odd blind Baba driving some old grain truck who hasn't been behind the road since 1952....

(What is a Baba, you ask? Well, in my neck of the woods, it has always meant a grandmotherly sort of woman...imagine a kerchiefed, wrinkled, elderly lady...of eastern European descent, popularly Ukrainian, Polish, etc. Apparently Wikipedia has never heard of that definition...!)

Now back to the definition at hand....

So, this is a rough draft of sorts...and a short list.

HEY, I heard that...! Yes, I know I am, um, well, I guess you could say "long winded".... and rarely can my writings be defined as "short".

Not to mention "sweet" ..well, ok, sometimes they are bitter....I AM a antiques dealer after all...we like to bitch a bit!

Here we go...and, by the way, these are not in any particular order, other than how I have them scrawled in barely legible form on that antique and obsolete stuff called "paper"...you know, they stuff they used in BOOKS?  And I mean REAL books...not "E-Books"....

Ahem...and off we go...Yes, REALLY!

(1) We blend among the every person...and sometimes we really stand out amongst them, too.

(2) We are not born into wealth, nor where we wealthy when we started picking for a living.  For the few among us who are wealthy, they did not start out that way.  Plus, it is highly likely that every penny that wealth is built upon has been hard earned.

(3) Our supper is likely to be along the lines of a sandwich of bologna, with a side of beans and a beer as the beverage. No lobster for us...except maybe for our east coast brethren, who buy their lobster direct from the fishermen at a "on the dock" price.  It will be a fisherman who, with a calloused, salt spray soaked hand will shake the picker's own calloused, scarred, dirt etched hand after the transaction is finalized.

(4) Our vehicles are at least 5 years old...if not older!

(5) Our vehicles are rarely clean, neat and organized....inside or out.

(6) We are usually the last owner of the vehicle...not counting the auto wrecker or scrap yard.

(7)  The males in our group  are not "pretty boys." We may well be handsome, attractive, etc, in our own ways, though. We blend well when we need to. Adapting, blending in, relating, making most people comfortable with us is what we have all developed a talent for.

(8) The picker chicks among us are not cobweb fearing, "AHMIGAWD, it's a mouse!!!" squeallin' "girly girls". They can be and are sexy, cute, attractive, hot, smokin', etc. Sure, they can act and seem like girly-girls sometimes, after all, they have learned to be chameleons, also!

(9) We pick to pay the rent or the mortgage, to pay the bills. We may collect some things, but it is more of a rainy day savings account, health plan, or retirement plan than a collection that our spouse, children and/or relatives will be stuck disposing of when we go to where ever you think a picker goes when he/she dies.

(10) We have record of our picks tattooed on and in our bodies. These tattoos are in the form of bruises, scars, aches, pains, and backs stretched past the limit of reason.  They also manifest themselves in the form of stories we tell, describing our adventures, scares, close-calls, near-misses, complete misses, and life experiences.

(11) We can tell you hours and hours worth of true stories of our experiences that will make you laugh out loud, cringe in visualized  pain, gasp in amazement, and shake your head in disbelief.

(12) Our minds consist of characteristics such as being keen, imaginative, creative, open, curious, and we harbor a thick, strong streak of tenacity.


(13) We are the pickers that other sorts of amateur pickers, hobbyist pickers and pseudo-pickers strive to emulate, and rarely are able to truly imitate. You need to go only as far as watching some of the "picking" based "reality" shows for proof. I won't name names.

(14)  We are the pickers that dealers and other pickers hover around, sometimes crowd and jostle for position around during set-up times at antique shows, flea markets, swap meets. All while, bleary eyed, coffee at hand, hacking up mud balls from attic dust inhaled the day previous, we unpack our dusty, freshly found treasures.

(15) Fashionista's, pay attention.....!  Our clothing is more than likely mostly second hand, or in the least, bought at a discount type of outlet for drastically lower than retail prices. Why? See my next blog for a detailed, and yes, a long winded, explanation.


(16) Some of us do actually retain part time or even full time jobs to make ends meet, pay the bills, help save for our kid's university education. Then we work 10 times as hard after our jobs end for the day/week, picking to keep a grip on our hard fought for rung on the ladder of life.

(17) We are truly among the adventurers of today.

(18) We see treasure where others see only trash.

(19) We see potential in places that others pass.

(20) Our early backgrounds vary. We are former truckers, professors, teachers, laborers, clerks, secretaries, miners, postal workers,  students, artists, fishermen, bar tenders, waters, waitresses, and nearly any occupation you can imagine, as well as some you can not.... 

But, we are ALL:

HARDCORE PICKERS.

So, Ya Wanna De a Dealer, eh?

(IMPORTANT! Please note that the title above is to be said with a Jack Nicholson accent. Thank-you for your co-operation!)

I have been getting lots of questions about items from Facebook friends....people who just happen to have "stuff" and some who are starting to "pick", getting their feet wet, so to speak. You do get your feet wet in this business, at times...and I do mean literally...stepping in basements with a half-foot of water in your brand new work boots...christening them.....but, we're not talking about that....not in this blog, anyway.

 I don't mind giving "free advice," to a point.

Of course, I can not afford to be doing lots of "free appraisals," either.  Went over that whole "time is money" issue in a blog entry awhile back, as you may recall.

I do spend a little too much time yakking with folks about their finds; dispensing advice, assessing items, giving tips, etc.  I don't really make any money doing that. Haven't figured out how to, either. Should I pop a "Donation" button on the blog? On Facebook? With every answer I give and/or post I do?

Sure, I could charge appraisal fees and all that, but that is not quite what I feel I need to do....I just can't figure out some other way to make money from these "free" services. 

The doing "appraisals" for money thing is why I have attempted to sign up as an "expert" on that site I have been nattering and bitching about. I guess we'll see how it pans out. I am not interested in doing appraisals of estates, items, and collections for people's insurance policies and the like. That would mean I have to take a "course" on "appraising." I do not have money or time for that. Plus, odds are I'd end up spending far more time on research than I should, and end up loosing money.

I do know that if I get many more people asking questions about items, I am going to have to start charging...just to cut down on the numbers...as it does take a fair bit of my time....and it simply doesn't pay the bills. The wife also gets annoyed with me spending the additional time online...which I also do understand.

Plus, I am a nice guy, so I will try to answer people's inquiries. What can I say?

If some TV producer wanted to pay me to dispense free advice I'd do it. Maybe something to pursue.

Oh, yeah, then the advice isn't going out really for "free" now, is it?

By now I bet you are thinking:

"What the heck does this babble have to do with the title he has on this post????"

I'm getting there, hang on...

So, the question that I posed in the title: Should you become an antique dealer?

Or, to rephrase it: Should I become a picker?

Answer: Depends.

Ah, no, not the adult diapers....

It takes up LOTS of time...no, no, not adult diapers...focus here people, focus!

I don't want to burst anybody's bubble, dash their dreams, etc.

However, you need to be realistic when you are thinking about stepping full time into this business.

Do you really want to spend 10, 12, 14, 16, or even 18 hours a day working?

'Cause that is what it takes. I know some of you may notice I am on "Facebook" quite a bit from Nov to March. Part of the reason is that it is WINTER here during those months, and COLD, so I am inside working...researching, posting auctions, sales listings, etc, much of the time. I have inventory that needs to be researched, sorted, cleaned, etc. I happen to have a Facebook page open a fair bit, just to communicate with some of the dealers I have "friended", doing some networking, and to promote sales listings, etc. Not really there to chat....or, rather, that is usually not my intent. (But, yes, it happens, ok?!?)

So, I am online lots in the winter. Have tons of stuff to do...am getting a website up soon (finally), and need to make $ also. I currently have no fully operating store front, really. I do consign some items at a friend's storefront in a nearby town, but the sales of the vintage items at the place is not exactly "hopping" this time of year, either. It is a small town...I know how slow it got in the winter at my shops in the city, so I do not expect much in a small town.

You folks who live in year 'round warm southern climes don't know how good you have it, really. Your retail sales season is so much longer, overall. I realize things like holidays and such might slow your sales, but nothing can kill your business like icy highways, closed highways, severe weather warnings, snowstorms, temperatures with windchills that freeze exposed skin in 2 minutes....shall I go on?  

You may now thank the god of your choice for where you live...

Really, though, I like it in Manitoba. It is beautiful, and the winter is bearable, even enjoyable, most of the time.  No worries about hurricanes, killer bees (they don't survive the cold winters!) and a long list of other scary/annoying things. We do have black widow spiders, though I think I have seen maybe one or two in over 20 years of picking through all sorts of places where they could potentially dwell.

And did I mention summer is GREAT?  I think we maybe appreciate it more, with the extreme temperatures we experience.

So, anyway, I see I went off on one of those tangents again.....

The thing is, it does depend on many things.

You becoming a full time antiques dealer/picker, I mean. Just a reminder of what we are taking about...in case you forgot during the side trip I took you on, or your mind is still stuck on Depends diapers (you weirdo!)

Yes, yes....I know, you'll be wearing Depends by the time I finish this blog...ha, ha, ha.

Did I mention I am psychic picker? 

No not really....I'd have picked the winning lottery numbers by now.....

Ok, you can quit groaning now...If YOU get to tell a joke, I get to tell a joke!

Yeah, I sort of did both of them....

AHEM, *cough* *cough* Ok, so there is LOTS of time spent doing STUFF of all sorts as a dealer/picker.  So, first question is, do you want to spend time with your family? 

No family? Just a "better half"? Take note that spouses will resent the time you are spending away from them. Even if they are involved in the business with you....you take off to an auction, and they end up stuck working the storefront, packing stuff for shipping the next day from your online auction sales, etc, etc...

It can take a toll on your personal life. Have lots of friends? But they aren't into "old stuff" like yourself?

Oh oh....

Much of a dealer's/picker's social life revolves around the business. Antiques shows, flea markets, going for lunch with other dealers after doing garage sales since 6:00AM, yakking while at another dealer's stores, going for beers after work to talk about the annoying pseudo-customer you had, coffee after that weekly evening auction, etc, etc...suddenly you realize that the majority of your friends are in the business in some capacity.

Now, if you are a "part timer", then this may not be the case. But, if you want to make your living doing this, especially in the financial climate we are in now, you are in for LONG work days. You will HAVE to socialize during "work." Oh, yes, you can work at this "full time" if you already have a bankroll and maybe sustain a separate social life...that is not difficult. But, after that bankroll runs out, and trust me, it will...you'll be struggling along with the rest of us.

In all my "chatting" with other full time dealers/pickers, I do hear how tough things are for 90% of the antiques dealing population. Oh, when I say "antiques", I mean antiques AND collectibles.

Seems the "I paid my staff/employee(s) and there was nothing left for me" is pretty common right now among those who require employees....and Kraft Dinner seems to be on the dealer/picker supper menu more often than it used to be.

I realize that all the "Junk TV" (and I mean that in a complimentary way, 'cause I love junk!) like American Pickers, Storage Wars, Pawn Stars, Auction Kings, Pawn Queens, Antiques Roadshow (American, Canadian and the original British one),etc, etc, etc all make this business look "fun" and even "glamorous" in some ways.

But, remember, they are TELEVISION SHOWS. Yes, it is "reality" TV, but so is "Survivor"...and I don't find that show all that "realistic." (I am sure there are those who will oppose me on that statement...)

 You don't see the boring times, the stressful times, the "I can't pay my bills this month" times, the "I'm sick as a dog and can't go picking and flip stuff for a couple weeks, so we will have to eat expired bargain brand cheese and macaroni for a month" times, the trips to the hospital for tetanus shots, stitches, etc.

So, when I got an email from a Facebook friend posing a question, I answered him with truth and honesty.
His initial inquiry is as follows (in italics):

So, Mr. Fedora, I need your opinion as an antique dealer. I may have an opportunity to go into the antique business full time but I'm concerned about the long term income potential. If things work out for me, I'll have a decent secondary income for a while, so even if it takes a little while to get my income up as a dealer, I won't starve.


But, my question is what can I expect to make once I have a year or two under my belt? Doing what you love is great, but I still need to pay the bills. I've got a wife who doesn't work and 3 kids, so it's all up to me.

What do you think? Do I stand a chance or should I keep a regular job and just continue antiquing on the side?

Thanks in advance for your help!

* * *

In the long winded fashion I tend to use, I answered thus (also in Italics):

Bare truth? Don't do it....at least not right now. Market in general is really soft at the moment. Antiques & collectibles aren't a big money maker when there is a downturn in the economy. Plus, the fact of the matter is, it is a TOUGH living.....I still have trouble supporting myself and my wife...if we had kids to support...I don't know where we'd be. My step-daughter is 20, and lives with her dad, who has basically been supporting her for the past 6 years...he's been in the biz a long time, also, and does make a living...but he is also not supporting a wife, and my stepdaughter is not exactly a big financial drain on him, anyway. She buys 2nd hand in most things, and is a bit of an artist type....I suspect she'll be a pretty decent actress.

Her dad is past retirement age, and busts his butt to make a go of the business, still.

That said, Manitoba is one of the toughest markets to make a go of it, so that is likely why we are having a rough ride, despite my experience & expertise. I have seen lots of antiques stores close. As it is/was, many of the dealers I know have/had other things to keep their heads above water...auctioneering, refinishing furniture, good pensions, spouses working at high paying jobs, just do it on the side of their regular job or business, etc, etc....I am one of the few that actually make their living at this, in this province...I can count the dealers who make their full living in this province (at just buying and selling antiques) on one hand...and the count is under 5. Many antique shop owners are retired folks with pensions, investments, etc...and they are "playing", or it is someone with a high paying job, and opens on the weekends. They don't need to sell stuff to put food on the table.

Your best bet for a more "local" take on it is to talk to people into the business in your area...see if it viable where you live, and if so, do try to supplement a brick and mortar store's sales with online sales of smaller items that don't sell in your area, but that you are able to buy at reasonable prices and sell well online.


I doubt you will make money within a couple years, frankly, if you were to open, and all did go well. Will take awhile. Not a get rich quick business...you have to love it, or don't do it. If you don't absolutely love old stuff, or you do love old stuff, but have a hard time parting with what you find, don't get into it as a business.


Also, it can be real hard on relationships. If your wife doesn't like old stuff...well, I have seen lots of couples (of all ages and backgrounds) break up because one didn't like the stuff and the other preferred to be surrounded by the stuff.

My best advice would be to keep the job that provides a steady income, and just keep antiquing on the side. Then, if you make some extra $ at it, you can take the family somewhere, or buy some new "toy", go out for suppers, or take the wife on a second honeymoon, etc. If you don't make any extra, well, it is entertainment that has (hopefully) paid for itself.

Don't risk your family's security.

I was "single" (sometimes seeing someone) up until 3 years ago, so it was only "me" I had to worry about supporting....And, financial stress also can destroy relationships quickly. Been engaged twice before....one 7 year relationship ended in a great part due to financial stress. So, if you and the wife are happy & secure financially, stick with that formula....it is working!


This biz is not all fun and games, though I realize TV makes it look like that. Mike and Frank are making far more $ off of licensing, media deals, merchandise, etc than they ever would just in the antiques biz. I'm also looking at other ways to parlay my experiences, my expertise, and interests into $, beyond buying and selling stuff. As it is, I had the same concept that Mike has brought to market, but it was 10 years ago. Due to "life", I didn't pursue it that heavy...and the "reality TV" market wasn't ready for it, anyway. Mike's timing and persistence paid off. Hopefully it helps the business in general. He's doing well now...but, I understand/heard that prior to the show, his income was around the $40,000 - $50,000 mark...and that would be due to a frugal picker style living, also. Plus, I'd expect he had some other $ banked or invested from previous business activities.


Anyway, hope I didn't bore you to death! Will likely blog about this subject, also....I know the thought/desire/dream is on many people's minds.

* * *

His response (yes, in italics again...how is your neck doing?)

Man, I really appreciate the advice. You have basically confirmed my gut instinct. And, no, I wasn't bored at all. That's exactly the kind of opinion I was seeking and I knew you could really elaborate on all the highs and lows.

Fortunately, my wife loves old stuff as well, so that usually doesn't present a problem. Her problem is patience. She has none. So, if I buy something, she expects to turn it around within a week or so and sometimes that just doesn't happen, as you well know. She would want to make good money right off the bat and I just don't think that's realistic, especially after getting your take on things.

I think I'll stick to the real job with this on the side because I don't want to make my family live a barebones lifestyle. If it were just me, that would be different. But, I can't do that to them.

Thank you very much for laying it out. I knew I could count on you for the straight dope. You really should blog on this because I know lots of people think it all glitz and glamour. Keep up the good work and look me up next time your in (his state).

* * *

Well, sounds like I might get a beer out of this bit of advice! The appreciation he expresses added to that makes it a good payment in my books!

Holy Smokes, I have FANS.....

I just noticed today I have a 22 official "followers."

Wow....I guess I am doing something right....keeping you folks entertained, anyway....word is spreading, too. Considering I don't promote the blog much anywhere, other than Facebook, I suppose that is ok. I have seen other bloggers with far more "followers", but I'm not going to stop bloggin' because I have "only" 22 and not 2200 followers.

Still, the more the merrier! Spread the word! Don't keep this blog a secret!
Also, I am on Facebook, under FEDORA ANTIQUES. I usually use my neon store sign as an "avatar":

Sometimes it is lit up, also....like this:

 I had this sign made many years ago...well, about 13 years ago. I had a friend in the custom neon biz that gave me a decent deal...$3500, which I paid over time. It is about 3.5' or so high, and is meant to go outside. I have had it mounted on one store, for a year, and then it was put in storage....never did get it mounted on the exterior of my next shop, just never seemed to get around to it...and I was there for 4 years....

It did get put up outside, one other time (without my permission) as a prop in a movie that was filmed in Winnipeg, but other than that, it has been inside for 12 of those 13 years, which accounts for its decent condition today.  These pics are actually from about when I got it (2nd pic), and after it was mounted above my store (1st pic)

Got off on a tangent again, didn't I?

So, "fans"...yes, it seems I have garnered some. Going to get a big ego! Though, I think cleaning the cats' litter boxes will bring me back to earth pretty quickly....the stench of cat urine tends to break through pretty much any dream state...

Now, those of you who do not have cats, and are not those readers who have cats and who just realized that their partner asked them to clean out the cat's litter box, and are still with me...oh wait, this is a blog, you can just stop reading and come back, can't you...?  Hmm...

Ok, just for those readers who are cat owners: Those of you who have just come back from cleaning your cat's litter boxes, here is a reminder: WASH YOUR HANDS.

All clear, no litter on the keyboard, cat on your lap, all appreciative that their dirt box doesn't reek...?

Good.

Back to business.

Ok, not quite business....back to Facebook...aka "Crackbook" as my wife and others call it. So, I seem to have garnered more than just potential customers during the course of promotion of my business...yes, during my "wasting time" on Crackbook...uh, I mean Facebook. I'm coming across a few people who have expressed that they would like to meet me...not to come and buy something (though that may occur, I'd assume), but just meet me.

I assume they could accurately be called fans?

So, my "15 minutes of fame" has arrived, I guess, or started.  I wonder how Mike, Frank, Danielle et al are dealing with their new found fame?   Has to be a weird situation....all sorts of people saying "Hello Mike!" and you will have no idea who they are....

Wait, that already happens to me...(no, no, no, my name is not "Mike", too).....but I have always just chalked it up to having a bad memory, and poor "recognition" of the people I have dealt with in the past (or to whom I am related to and don't see that often.....)

Maybe I am famous already, and just don't remember that I am famous....or...WAIT, maybe I am on a "The Truman Show" type program....! Ok, where is that damn camera.....!!??!?

Fame...it is a weird thing.  

It likely opens some doors, both opportunity wise and pickin' wise! Imagine, the AP gang has nearly 4 million people potentially looking for leads for them! I hear they get over a thousand emails a day...

Overwhelming numbers!

I can't even keep up with the leads I find myself!   Mind, you, that has more to do with cash flow than lacking time to pursue leads. Although, the fact of the matter is that there are leads EVERYWHERE.  It is just that many people don't recognize them.  There are good "scores" to be had all over, and some in very obvious places. Sometimes the fact that it is obvious is the very reason no one has pursued the lead. EVERYONE has assumed that lead has been followed up. Odds are it has, but sometimes the odds work in your favor.

Don't assume!  Like one of my high school English teachers said: Assume makes an ASS out of U and ME.

Ok, so assuming it won't make an ass out of you in this case, but it might cause you to miss a good buying opportunity in front of your nose.

Assuming may actually make an ass out of you in this business, actually.  Ignoring a customer dressed in less than cutting-edge fashions may loose you the opportunity to sell pieces to the most advanced collector of art glass in the world....or meet "THE Authority" in the field of your particular collecting interest.

Many serious collectors sometimes appear as if their mothers are the ones picking out their clothing. Or, apparel is "rough" looking...sort of like what I tend to wear...worn/torn jeans, button-up long sleeve shirts (winter) and T-shirts (summer). No, I am no fashion plate.....

Some may well prefer to spend the "real money" on their passion, collecting, rather than on overpriced clothing.  Or, if they are like me, they may regularly "destroy" their clothing, so tend not to spend big money on their duds.  Picking the way I do is hard on clothes. I don't wear $50 shirts...oh, wait, correction, I don't wear $50 shirts unless they cost me $5 or less....preferably $2 or less!

Anyway, doesn't matter.

Surprise, surprise, I don't wear Armani suits out picking!

I WILL however, PICK vintage Armani suits given the opportunity! 

Ok, ok, yes, I am getting to the point, soon....

I have gone into "hoity-toity" antiques stores, having come fresh out of a basement of some building down the street from them, and gotten some looks of suspicion. While they are keeping a hairy-eyeball on me, they fawn over the well dressed couple, who are just killing time while their take out order next door is being prepared, and who I have already overheard call the owners merchandise "overpriced old junk."

Occasionally in these shops I will spot something great, and grossly under priced, and want to see the item (if inaccessible to me)...the proprietor will then take it out of the showcase/off the back shelf, all the while showing obvious reservation.  I inspect the item to my satisfaction, tell them I will take it, and pull out the cash....leaving them stumped/surprised...or closely inspecting the $100 bill I gave them.

I try to treat everyone the same, and I know it is tough.  We are programmed in this world to be suspicious, always cautioned by media of all kinds...and even your own parents

"Don't talk to strangers, dear."

Hmm.....if we actually listened to that last one, we'd never make any friends now, would we?

Tough to do that in business, too...most of our first time customers ARE strangers. 

One of the toughest parts of picking is approaching people...all these "scary strangers" you have to talk to that your mother warned you about...and there are some out right strange strangers out there. But, they are all just people. You will need to approach all sorts of people if you want to succeed in this business. I initially had a heck of a time at first, doing a cold call, as I was pretty darn shy guy. But, after awhile, you just go and DO IT.  Yeah, sometimes you don't "feel like it", but if this is your living you even have to push yourself at those times. Take it from me, I may well have missed a score of a lifetime because I didn't "feel" like dealing with anyone at the moment I recognized the "lead".

  Yes, I have blogged about it already, and it is a LONG (and sad, from my point of view!) story, so if you have no idea what I am talking about, you will just have to read farther back in my blog. 

I have talked to owners of companies, and those same companies' janitors, and I try to approach them all the same....as just people.

They are not superior to me, and are not inferior to me.

Just people.

So, why is it we sometimes get all googly eyed, tongue tied, etc when we go to talk to, or approach, "celebs"? They are just people, for crying out loud. 

Yeah, sure I want to meet Mike and Frank, but I'm actually interested in selling them a truckload of stuff.....I've accumulated WAY too many old bikes...and I want to get Frank collecting CANADIAN oil company stuff....you know, create a regular, new, customer!  And Danielle? Sure, she seems like a cool person, we'd be happy to have her over to listen to tunes, yak, B.S. a bit with while sitting around the bonfire quaffing a few beers. Heck, I'd even offer to let her ride along on a picking trip, and give her some pointers on picking Canadian prairie style! 

Am I googly eyed over her?

No.

Star struck?

Nope.

But, I have not met her in person yet. So, who knows, maybe when the time comes, my tongue will trip over itself....

That is, if I even recognize her.

I have talked to a few celebs, walked by them, stared right at them, etc, and not realized who the heck they were.

Once a guy and a local politician came into my store. The politician was in charge of  promoting Winnipeg to the entertainment industry (film companies doing movies, TV, concerts, etc).

The guy and the politician inquired if I had any antique architectural items; but large stuff, large stuff, like stone sculpture, that sort of thing. I didn't have anything at the time, and suggested he leave his email address & phone number with me.  The guy looked a little put off, and then the politician offered to be the go between.   I thought that was kind of weird, but said ok and took his card.

I found out after they left that it was Bill Paxton.   Frankly, if I passed him on the street today I STILL wouldn't know who he was!

A friend's daughter was working in their antique store when a pleasant and well spoken lady came in, who inquired if they had any of a certain pattern of china, Dionne Quintuplets items or antique snowglobes.

She showed the lady some of the inventory that met her criteria, and the customer selected some of the items.

My friend's daughter took the items to the counter, wrapped them up, and processed the woman's credit card in their manual machine,  "zip-zip".  (Like the sound effects?)

She gave the lady the slip to sign, and then exchanged it for the customer copy. Thanks-you's were exchanged, the bag of the items handed across the counter, and the transaction finished.

The customer walked out the door, and the clerk watched as the woman got into a limo that pulled up in front of the store.

It wasn't until she read the name on the impressed receipt that she realized who she had just served.

The impression of the card holder's name was clearly visible...and read:

Joan Rivers.

Granted, my friends (and their daughter) are originally from England, and, even though they have been in Canada since the 1980s, they are not as familiar with Joan Rivers as you and I might be. 

I completely understand how it is possible to miss recognizing a celebrity.  I seem to do it on a pretty regular basis!

A friend and I were gabbing while standing in the middle of his downtown antique shop one day. We yakked for an easy half hour or more, while customers milled around. His wife was tending the counter and taking care of customers while we shot the breeze.

We half noticed a family of 3 leave, and then the guy poked his head in the door, to inquire about the price of a beat-up and heavily repainted Coca-Cola sign my friend had in the window.  He said it wasn't for sale, and the guy went on his way. My friend keeps the sign in his window to attract attention, and it catches people's eyes so much, that it is worth more as an attention getter than what he could ever sell it for, considering condition it is in....it is all doctored up, so it looks good from 15 feet away, as people walk by, pass in their cars, and as they sit at the stoplight and gawk about.

So, we sauntered back to the counter, so he could catch up with his wife on what had sold while we were absorbed in our conversation. She then asked us if we had realized that Richard Gere and his wife Carey Lowell had been in the store shopping with their kid....

Yep, the guy who poked his head back in the door was Mr. Gere...

You can understand how it is possible to miss recognizing those celebs when you get a look at a variety of photos of them sans make-up, and in day to day situations...grabbing milk at the local convenience store, picking up a pack of cigarettes at the gas station, some diapers at their local Shoppers Drug Mart. They look pretty ordinary when it comes down to it. Put them in a large crowd, and if you were to have to pick them out, you'd have to really look & study all the faces.

On the other hand, they would have been more recognizable with a major, distinguishing, almost trademark, feature...say, a real character face (think: Keith Richard), a wild hairstyle (think Don King), a visible scar, distinctive tattoo, an extra single eye in the middle of their forehead.....well, okay, maybe not that last one.

If you are like me...well, maybe a distinctive feature won't help you recognize a celeb, either...

I had gotten a flat tire on my vehicle, on #1 Highway, the Trans Canada....the Trans Canada aka #1 Highway, is the main highway that runs right across Canada, coast-to-coast. The tire went dead flat near a set of lights, on near Portage La Prairie, within sight of a gas station. Good thing, too, because when I dragged the spare out of the back of the truck and plopped it on the ground it was flat, too.

Annoyed at my not so good luck, I half dragged, half rolled the spare, which had no obvious issues, to the gas station. As it turned out, the bays had been recently turned into a store.

So, I headed to the pay phone at the back of the store, for a phone book to find the number of a near-by tire repair shop or garage.  When I got there, there was a guy yakking on the phone. He was standing over the phone, blocking my view, as well as access, to the little shelf where the phonebook sits.   Even if the book was visible, usually they are tied to some cable so you can't go farther than a foot from the phone, anyway. He was absorbed in his conversation, and I wasn't about to bug him.  I stood there for what seemed like eons, with as well as some other people glancing at the guy, who all seemed interested in using the phone, too.

My level of annoyance was rising, and I suspect my facial expressions and body language was starting to scream "get off the f****** phone, other people need to use it, damn it!"

Finally, he noticed I was standing there. He told the person on the other end that someone was waiting to use the phone, and that he'd call them later.

Cripes, FINALLY!

He walked away from the phone, nodding a greeting, I gave a short, curt nod back, and went to grab the phonebook...

Which wasn't there.

F***!

So, I walked over to the now not-so-busy front counter, and asked if they had a phonebook I could look at.

The clerk handed me a thick volume, and I set it down, flopped it open, and started looking for a tire shop number.

I found what I was looking for, dug out change, and called a couple numbers. Finally I got one who would come out and pick up my tires.

Satisfied, and a little calmer with arrangements made, and my blood pressure lower, I started to take a little more notice of my surroundings.  Most of the crowd had cleared out, and there was a couple people chatting, something about autographs and this and that.

Wait a second, autographs? The picker in me thought "maybe a lead?"

Then I noticed these people's jittery type excitement....and a big bus outside...a bus tour maybe? Would explain why the place was hopping when I walked in....

Well, how about a TOUR BUS?

It quickly came apparent that the guy I "stared" off the phone was none other than Billy Gibbons, from ZZ TOP (only part of a long list of other reasons to recognize him - including being a prominent hot rod guy...Yes, I do really like ZZ Top's stuff....I am a 70's/80's kid, as well as being a hot rod fan).....and to top it off, here he is and he is in the same/same style (can you say "trademark?") hat that he was wearing that very day!

Yup, just people.

Amazing how I do not recognize these people, and yet I can pick out a treasure hidden amidst a pile of junk, and a treasure that everyone who saw the pile missed. A well developed skill...you might even be able to call it a talent.

And, that is what I am...just people...I mean, just a person. Yes, I have a talent. Yes, I hope to parlay it into something "more"...someday. We'll see, I am still working on it.

 So, any of you "fans" (or future "fans") out there, keep that in mind.  We (you, me, and the guy/gal over there) all have faults, issues, pasts, skeletons-in-our-closets, families, relatives, friends, etc, etc, etc.

"

We're all just plain ol' human. Fame all depends on mere circumstances, really.  Did you ever see the movie "The Postman?" Yeah, ok, I know some of you likely hate Kevin Costner's acting, blah, blah, blah...that isn't important...it is these lines that happen to strike a chord:

Costner (as The Postman): "I know you! You're....famous."

Petty: "I was once....sorta."

Then later in the movie Tom Petty says to Costner:

"I heard of you, man... you're famous! "

Costner: "Yeah, I guess I am... "