A CONTRACT - The Terms

I have something that I guarantee will help you in your picking career!

There is a contract you will need to sign, however.

The general terms of the contract you will be signing is pretty basic…quite simple, actually.  Yep, very, very simple.

 I know, I know, you never knew that “contract” and “simple” are words that could be used without “not” or “never” stuck right out in front of the word “simple”.

Let’s just blame lawyers for that one.

Being a picker, I can not afford a lawyer, so I decided it was best to use the KISS principle to create this particular contract.

I have kept it to just one line.

Here it is:

I WILL ALWAYS GET MY TERMS STRAIGHT.

Ready to sign?

Are you SURE?

Well, frankly, due to the odds I have calculated over the years, I'm not so sure you are ready to sign. Forgive me if I am wrong in your individual case, but 99.9% of the population is not perfect. If someone can correct me (and back it up with fact, references, etc!) I will be the first to admit I am wrong. Usually when people obviously “know” what something is, and it is obvious they really want to show me their vast knowledge and intelligence, I just listen. 

Yes, those folks who say “Do you know what this is?” and it is SOOOOO obvious they are itching to tell you, and they look like they are ready to burst with their superior knowledge.

It is enjoyable to hear people ramble on about how “it is very rare, and this such and such is a such and such, and was used for this scientific, important, wonderful purpose!”

 I have long decided to just take silent pleasure in my accumulated knowledge, and I just nod and smile. I also try not to wince, nor close my eyes in disgust, when they put the item in their mouth and blow on it so you can get a visual as to how it was used.

Yes, I no longer bother to inform them that in actuality they are wrong. In some cases they are/it is oh so, so wrong…

Especially when they are holding what I will call one of “the business ends” that are found in an enema kit…

And DOUBLY-especially when the tone of the item isn’t exactly what I’d personally call “patina”…

But, then again, they are the “expert” after all…And, they are probably better off not knowing what the chunk of brown plastic they had their lips wrapped around was likely last up…and that the plastic thing is actually black, not the dark brown it is at the moment. 

I’ll let you chug back a few shots of whatever hard liquor is handy so you can get that image out of your mind, and I will go work on the next installment in this blog series!

Picking meets "Monster Garage" - Creating the The Ultimate Picker Mobile...on a shoestring budget

So, it is PROJECT TIME!

Well, considering I am a picker, everyday is project time...but, this particular project is going to be fun...and challenging.

Challenging mainly because it is a project that needs to be completed on a shoestring budget.....a very, very tight, shoestring budget.

Here is the vehicle I am working with:

It is the motorhome...not the lawnmower, by the way....

I am hoping to sell some of the guts I will be removing (things like the fridge, stove, furnace etc), and work with the cash to help do the repairs and modifications.

 Here is what is inside, currently:

Yep, she's kinda rough inside the "living area"...but, all of what you see will be removed anyway....

to make tons of the all important CARGO ROOM!

The current plan is to scale down the "motorhome" portion by easily 4/5ths...this will mean there will be only roughly 4 feet behind the cab of "living area", as well as the sleeping bunk above the cab. I will be creating an insulated (and strong) wall between the area you see in the pics and the sleeping/driving areas.  The problem will be keeping a "stove" and "fridge" in the "living" space....otherwise it will have to be registered/insured as a "cargo van". If I keep a stove and fridge in it, it can still be insured as a "motorhome"...and will be far cheaper. Am hoping that a microwave will count as a stove...but that is yet to be determined. The stove in it currently is: (a) too large and (b) in the wrong spot....and same goes for the fridge. But, the fridge should sell for $200 - $300, as it is a "3-way" fridge; that is, it runs off of propane, 110v and 12V.

All this is fine and dandy....but I am really jumping far ahead in this project...

The unit is currently sitting elsewhere, and needs to be towed or driven to my place. Thing is, it has not been started in easily 7 years. That said, when it was parked it was running fine. It has had some components removed from the living area, but the engine appears ok, oil is fine, fluids are fine, etc, just need to pop a battery in it, gas her up and give it a shot...and cross my fingers and toes...and ear lobes!

How much was it?  The best price....

FREE!

Just need to get it off of their property...they are tired of looking at it for the past 15 years. 

I love free stuff...which sometimes can be my downfall. In this case, though, if I can get this thing home, in the very least it will be good for storage.

 Hopefully it will be more than that, though!

I have all sorts of things that can make this a lean, mean picking machine. I will reveal assorted plans, gadgets, vintage/cool decor for it in coming blog posts. Just a hit of what is to come include:

- 10 CD changer stereo unit I bought years ago, brand new in box, for $10 at a G-sale...never installed it in my van(s)...so it is destined for this unit. 

 - LED lighting - some retrofit into vintage fixtures - have some real cool pieces in mind!

- Tool and equipment storage

- drop down tables on/in the walls to allow it to be used as interior sale/show space...for flea markets, antiques shows, etc

- slide away loading ramp

-winch system

- "rat rod" type modifications to the body

-HYDROGEN powered/supplemented fuel capabilities

- 110V inverter system

- solar panel based generators

-passive solar heating system

-computer station

and as much cool shit as imagination will allow!

Any ideas?

It Has Been A Real Barn Burner..

Wow, it is already October!

Ok, ok, ok....yes, it is actually mid-October. Cut me some slack, I have been busy....!

Lots of stuff has been happening....some good, some bad.

Let's start with the bad.....just get it out of the way right away.

We found out in early summer that where we were starting to get a mini-salvage yard/flea market area, and antiques shop was not actually our property. As it turns out, the front of "our" property did not start at the fence line as we had been led to believe.  The Highways Department actually owns 125 feet of the land from the fence line. Wouldn't you know it, the area on which we had cleared & leveled, built some small buildings, dropped a sea container there, as well as dropped tons of stuff on, is ALL within that 125 feet! What a waste of time, money & energy.

 *sigh*

Now we (I) have a major task ahead of us (me)...moving it all.

So, the plan was to fix up our barn, and make it a shop.



















Then in July...well, the photos below explain it best.

The firemen figured the grass fire (that started the barn ablaze) was likely ignited by  glass in the dry grass, and I have been wondering if it was possibly spontaneous combustion due to rotting manure in the barn yard. Did I mention we also live in what is basically a desert? We were lucky, really. Usually that time of year the grass and much of the foliage is crispy and super dry. We had an unusually wet year in this area, so much of the foliage and such was still green. Had it been the usual sort of July, we'd likely have lost the house and everything else...

So, we are dealing with insurance, and that sort of thing. At the time of the fire, I wasn't sure we even had any insurance on the barn. Thankfully, it turned out that we had insured it way back when we bought the property, but there is no way we could replace the structure for the amount it for which it was insured.

Back to the drawing board, as they say.

Now the plan is to build on a budget...a shoestring budget. Hopefully between salvaged materials, trade deals for labor, materials, etc, combined with hard work (which I am no stranger to, being a picker and all) we can get something built in the spring.  We are currently working on some small building(s) and shelters created from salvaged materials, but once the snow starts to fly, and gets to be more than a dusting on the ground, it will be pretty tough to continue with that even.

So, there is some of my  "bad" news.

Good news from the past while includes becoming a columnist for "The Country Register." Not a big dollar paying gig, but it is publicity for the business, B&B, and this blog.  My initial column, thus far, has only appeared in the Canadian Prairies edition, so if you can't get a copy of that area's paper, Oct/Nov 2011 issue, you won't find it. But, if the publishers/editors of your area The Country Register get enough requests for them to publish my column, then maybe you will get to read it!   If it were to be picked up by other publishers of the paper, I would:

(A) Get paid for each column published in each area. (At $25 a column it might actually pay to write them!)

(B) Be a little more broad in my content of the articles as a result. Would contain more "A Pickers Journal" style of content. Half of my initial article was fairly "local". I will release it in the blog here, also...guess I will have to start a sub-section of some sort....oh geeze, now I will have to learn more stuff about this bloggin' thing.......

I am also starting a project....

I am going to attempt to create a Lean, Mean, Pickin' Machine!


Mike & Frank of American Pickers have their new Mercedes Sprinter van...

Scott & Sheldon of Canadian Pickers have the rental vans they seem to get in each province, which they slap their magnetic sign on...

Allen & Ton of Auction Hunters have that late model milk truck....

The "hosts" on Storage Wars all drive their "trademark" vehicles....

Not sure what Cari of Cash & Cari drives....haven't seen very many episodes of it.

The Picker Sisters have...oh, you know I haven't even seen an episode yet....Well, I assume they drive SOMETHING....

but I will have something far better......wait for it.....

1977 Vandura MOTOR HOME!

Yup. A vintage vehicle!  Ok, I know that there is a show out there with a vintage bus that runs on Veggie grease or bio-diesel...but they haven't been picked up buy a network yet....Well, I guess I haven't even got to the point of having my own show, either...oh well....I will have a cool vehicle, tho....Especially after the Monster Garage-esque modifications I have planned...

It is white...mostly......with some yellow & brown. It even has a textured hood...unique to "vintage vehicles" that have been sitting awhile...

Confused?

Well, let me explain. The hood has lichen scattered/growing all over it.....which I intend to KEEP as part of it's "patina!"


Yep, it should be a heck of an adventure!

As you'd expect from a frugal picker, it will be on a shoestring budget, also....I am gutting much of the unit, so the proceeds from the interior bits I sell will go back into creating this ultimate picker-mobile! Donations accepted, too!!!! Cash, parts, etc!!! I'll even take beer! And/or rum!

hmm...all that is starting to sound like work!


Anyway, with winter coming, and the weather turning cooler by the day, the blog will get updated more frequently.  I do have other news, plans, ideas, etc to relate, but will save it for another day.... got an early morning tomorrow, as a friend (and fellow long time picker) is dropping by in the A.M.

Happy pickin' folks!

The Dirt and Dust - Ramblings of a Canadian Prairies Antiques Dealer

(****Note to readers: This article was originally written for The Country Register - Manitoba & Saskatchewan Edition - And was published in their October-November 2011 Issue)

****** The Dirt and Dust - Ramblings of a Canadian Prairies Antiques Dealer ******

I am a picker.

No, no, no, not of noses, nor of berries or other fruits!

If you are an antiquer, auction goer, junk lover, etc, you may be a fan of one or more of the many reality TV shows geared towards "picking".

Yes, I am one of those...a real, genuine picker.

"Reality TV" is really a misnomer, especially when it comes to the antiques business. Television, being the animal it is, does not allow for continual spontaneous events, reactions, etc. For every face you see on those shows, there is a release to get signed. There are more people on each site than just the hosts and camera person on the site, and the pick-ees. Add to that the schedules that need to be kept, deadlines to be met, etc, the "reality" of reality TV is that many things have to be staged, with some events more often staged than others.

Sure, they do find some fantastic stuff, and that is likely not staged (in most cases), but what we do not see are the oodles of "regular" and less "camera worthy" finds.


So, the reality of picking antiques is not portrayed accurately on TV...and with good reason. Ratings would certainly go into the toilet if they featured a show based on a picker buying stacks and stacks of Royal Albert china on each pick, and flipping the purchases to a dealer specializing in such material.


In "real life", a picker has bills to pay, so handling the boring stuff is required...but is not exactly interesting and exciting.


The TV shows make it look oh-so-easy, and even glamorous!



Frankly, the reality of picking antiques for a living is far from the TV ideal. However, that said, it still can be darn interesting, and even a heck of an adventure!



So, that now brings me to a quick intro as to who I am and what I am about. I have been a professional picker/dealer for over 20 years, and have operated under the business name of "Fedora Antiques & Collectibles" for much of that time. I have had retail stores in Winnipeg, for a combined total of about 10 years or so. I've been involved in all aspects of the business, from picking and wholesaling, to auctions, to doing garage sales, clearing estates, etc, etc, etc.

I do write a blog, at www.pickersjournal.blogspot.com, for those of you who are online, and wish to read more of my babbling. Yes, I have also been writing for awhile, but being a writer tends to pay even less than the antiques business!

Anyway, I did go to a show recently, just to do some shopping, networking, and, of course, some socializing! The "Dunrea Flea Market" was held at Boissevain, MB on Sept 4th. A flea market style show, a really country fair sort of event, which grows every year since its inception. It was chock full of antiques, as well as some craft sellers, veggie & produce booths and the odd "new" merchandise tables, perfect to distract your non-junker friends/relatives while you hunt for treasure. It has built up a pretty decent following in crowd and vendors. This year it had over 75 vendors, and with most vendors having at least 2 tables, and many with 3 tables, there was easily over 200 tables worth of antiques, collectibles and other items to tempt your wallet! It is certain to increase in table numbers next year, and some would argue that it is poised to become the best antiques show in Manitoba. It certainly has great potential to mimic the successes of some of the eastern Canadian and US outdoor/indoor combination shows. With its proximity to the border, US buyers will likely arrive in larger numbers, once their economy stabilizes. I saw some interesting items, and overall, most items were pretty reasonably priced for collectors, decorators, etc. As a dealer I managed to buy a number of items, most of which I will make money on, and some of which I sold a couple days after buying them. There were a few items that I would have likely bought if I was stock poor, as there was much that was priced so there was a decent amount of room to make a few bucks. I saw a few pieces I would have liked to add to my own collections. But, alas, cash is tight these days. Had it not been so tight, I would have splurged and bought a dozen items, as the prices for those items were certainly far from out of line, and I was surprised they were even still available a couple hours into the show. One item I saw that had contemplating my finances was a tin sign from Soo Line Mills of Winnipeg, advertising their flour.

***** photo of that sign coming as soon as I can access my old hard drive! *****

 I am partial to advertising, signs in particular, and I do have a soft spot/desire to preserve Manitoba business related vintage signage. This sign would have made any sign collector swoon. Great colors, great graphics, fantastic condition, great subject matter, it had lots going for it. Price was darn decent at under $300. There was some, but not lots of room to make money as a dealer, but it was still a sweet price for any serious collector.


I will also be attending a show in Winnipeg, likely as a vendor, which is being held at Assiniboia Downs on the west perimeter. That is right, you don't even have to go into the city, but there are also some great shops to check out, so if you go and have some time after the show to haunt some of the antiques shops, do it!

This particular fall show has been held by the Grand Trunk Toy & Nostalgia club for a number of years, and features a wide variety of antiques & collectibles. There is always a vast selection, and something suitable for most every level of collector and budget.

I shall cut it off there, as I am close to my column's limit for space, but I could babble on and on..as you may find I do on occasion!  Happy hunting, folks!

****Note to readers: This article was originally written for The Country Register - Manitoba & Saskatchewan Edition - And was published in their October-November 2011 Issue  


If you would like to see my columns published in your area's editions of The Country Register, contact the publishers of the paper in your locality!

Work, Comedy & Making Ends Meet.

Just a quick post to let everyone know that yes, I am still alive, and haven't broken my neck by falling through some attic floor through to the next floor. Been through a few attics, basements, farm sites, etc since the last time I blogged.

 Been busy, though not picking as much as I would like.

Funny how the cash goes out twice as fast as it comes in!

Lots of flooding in this area, as well as south, west and east of here. A few rivers have been overflowing, and there also have been so much rain around that there has been lots of "overland flooding" as well. Makes picking tougher....backroads turn to mud, are washed away, sinkholes happen, and critters like moles decide that the road is the best high ground to head to and they start colonizing. 

You hit one of their hills at any speed and you have a recipe for disaster. Add to that having water right to the roadside, and filling ditches that are 10 feet (or more) deep...well, you can use your imagination.

I can still pick every day and find cool stuff, despite events like flooding, storms (rain or snow!), etc. Usually there are 2 things that can slow my picking activities a fair bit:

(1) Poor health (illness that keeps you bed bound...things like the flu, inner ear infections, or other things that make it unsafe to even walk)

(2) Lack of cash on hand.

Basically my health is ok at the moment. Cash is tight, though. Doing renovations to the house (we run a B&B also...www.buzzingbeebandb.com), plus been paying bills down, getting car repairs done (picking is tough on the vehicle!), etc.

Heck, filling up the tank with gas is a $100 touch these days!



Still managing to pick up some old stuff here and there. Even the jobs I have been doing on the side to make some extra cash can offer opportunities to get inventory.

Been cleaning up a scrap metal pile on a farmsite, for an associate of mine. He's a bit of a wheeler dealer, and he bought a package of farm properties, and he needs the scrap cleaned off the place before he resells that piece of the package he bought. Wants to have it looking clean & more appealing for potential buyers. 

I volunteered to do it, as he's related to a good friend of mine. It is more of a favour, as it is heavy work, moving literally tons of metal by hand. He might think I'm getting rich off the stuff, but that is far from the case. However, it allowed me a chance to pull out any interesting bits and pieces...many of which I see in many scrap piles that are sold at farm auctions, and the piles go for more than I want to pay for the few things in them. Having to talk to the scrap dealers who bought the piles later tends to be a pain, and sometimes impossible when you are trying to keep track of the other stuff you want to buy at the auction.  

So, from this pile I have gotten some cast iron farm implement wheels, as well as some other bits and pieces that have some resale value beyond scrap steel prices. 

Hot and heavy work, for sure.

I have been earning every cent I will gain, that is for certain...and every dime will have been hard earned at that. The blood and sweat expelled by my body has the profits wiped out already. Yes, I do REALLY mean blood!

Dangerous work, also... especially when at every square inch there are rusty & pointed harrow teeth, rusty, broken (and still sharp) swather blades , jagged old cultivator shovels that have been made razor thin and edge sharp by tilling sandy soil for eons, not to mention an intertwined conglomeration of knife edged sheets of tin, flesh scoring rusty barbed wire, rotting cans of who knows what...and to to that the fact the pile is intricately interwoven, with structures being interdependent...with no sense of structure or stability.

I climb and scour these sorts of piles when I am out picking, but usually only for easily accessible items. If I have to shift ten tons of metal in the blazing sun and risk slicing my jugular open to get at something, it better be a heck of a treasure!

I also pick up interesting bits and pieces of rusty metal for potential sculpture or other artistic/creative use...which I may use....someday.....if I ever get some spare time!

There were some cast iron water bowls for cattle:

I figured they could be used as rustic planters, bird baths, etc.

Also got some heavy chain links, which are actually from a dairy cow barn....part of the system used to mechanically clean the place. Yes, from a manure removal machine...(SHHHH, don't tell anyone!)

  They are long sterilized by mother nature, and their previous exposure to the, uh, ummm.... "elements" have given them a very cool patina:

What did the country antique dealer say to the city antique dealer?

That there ain't cow shit, that there's PATINA!

Well, with that I will leave you laughing, or groaning, whichever!



Pickers, UFOs, and the AVRO project

You may not be aware of this fact, but we pickers come across many UFOs.

UFOs are abundant in this trade, we see them all the time.

Dealing with UFO's takes much time, study, patience.

Like many things in this business, it takes research, research, and more research to figure out what we are dealing with, where the object has come from, it's history, composition, past ownership, etc.

Taking into consideration the UFOs color, what colors it has been, it's surface texture, coloration, markings, etc, you may be able to identify exactly where it is from, when it was made, how long it has traveled through time & space to get to the present day.

I also tend to have UFOs stashed away, in the barn, the basement, etc, for future study.

Hang on folks, our dog has been barking for a little bit, and I'm pretty sure I just heard a knock at the door...might be a customer, so I better go see what they want. This blog is not something that is paying the bills, so I better see if I can sell 'em some stuff....

*************

Ok, I'm back.

I gotta tell you, that was really weird.

I went downstairs, and looked out the window to the driveway, and there was a big, black van parked behind my van.

The dog was still barking away, still freaking out, so I put him behind the baby gate we have in the hallway, so he wouldn't jump on who ever was at the door.

I opened the door, and there were 2 guys standing there. I thought at first they were lost or something, then I figured maybe they were dealers. They were driving a big, black van, and you could likely haul tons of stuff in it, one of those Mercedes Sprinters; like Mike & Frank of American Pickers drive. But, this van was awfully clean, super shiny and must have been this years model, as it was pretty new. It also looked like it must have had every option on it, from black running boards, tinted windows, an extra CB antenna, a little tiny dish for satellite radio, and some other things. No company name on the vehicle, which isn't all that unusual.

They were definitely not pickers...or if they were, they were pseudo pickers. Wanna-be's with lots of money made in some other profession, or perhaps even inherited; they were born into it, or maybe even fraudulently obtained...who knows. Frankly, I don't know many true and honest pickers who have lots of money to throw around. Most pickers live hand to mouth, though sometimes they seem rich at times. It is feast or famine for many of us. It is not due to a lack of talent, experience, etc that cash is tight at times.  Sometimes we do have big bucks to throw around. It comes from flipping a few big dollar items, after turning over some merchandise at a show or flea market, after holding an auction, etc. Other times it is a bankroll we've pulled out of our overdraft, line of credit or an advance on a credit card. You need to spend money to make money, to go picking, to buy items to turn over, to make some money to pay bills. If you have some decent amounts of spare cash, sometimes you upgrade to a newer (but usually used) vehicle, or at least get the old one fixed up a bit. Other times you try to catch up a bit on bills, take the other half out for supper at some place classier than the local fast food joint, that sort of thing. A picker flipping bills off of a wad of cash is no indication of financial wealth. Same goes for a fairly new vehicle. Reliability is something a picker needs in a vehicle. Sometimes the ugliest, junkiest looking vehicle is the choice for a picker.....but, it still needs to be reliable, and that beater that just won't die (or can be fixed while on the road) is the way to go. 

So, the fancy vehicle meant little to me. However, these guys were way too slick looking. The fact they were wearing black suits and sunglasses confused me, also. I'm 100% positive there are no high end antiques show going on anywhere in the area...and if there is one, it would be somewhere that is easily at least a day's drive away, so wearing a suit for the drive there is rather, well, bizarre. I thought that maybe they were selling something, pushing some religion, etc, so I was also preparing myself to respond to those things.

Anyway, I asked what they wanted. They wanted to see in the barn, and asked what I had stashed away.

I asked what sort of thing they were looking for; what the dealt in, so I could better decide what sort of stuff I should show them, and so they would not waste my time nor me waste their's. They asked if I had seen anything unusual in the area. I said, well, yeah, I have gotten all sorts of unusual things, but I really needed something more specific than that. Then they asked if I had seen or found any saucers in the area.  Saucers? I replied that I really don't deal in much china, especially dinnerware, but if they wanted to leave some sort of "want list" I'd call them if I found anything that fit their interests.

They just turned their heads and looked at each other. The one guy with the helmet of perfectly coiffed hair seemed to raise an eyebrow, but that is about the only evidence he gave of any sort of emotion. The bald guy was still nearly robot like in his stature. The coiffed hair dude handed me a card and asked me to call them if I came across any saucers. They then both turned, ans started walking back towards their van.

They were in perfect step together, almost soldier like. They even opened the doors of the van at the same moment, stepped into the van and slid into their seats at the same time. The only time they seemed to be out of sync was when the bald dude who took the driver's seat stiffly looked into his side mirror when he was backing up to turn around to leave.

They know nothing about picking, for sure...the card has some weird logo and a phone number, and that is it. Useless...I tossed it in the trash...if you want to get calls from people again, make sure you are descriptive of what you are looking for. "I buy signs" doesn't cut it. You need a list, a page of pictures, key words, etc. Try: old signs, pre-1980, made of metal, tin, wood, etc. These guys' cards are useless. Definitely wanna-be's playing with daddy's money.

They were weird....but, I have seen much weirder things. Maybe they were a couple, who knows. But, then again, 2 people of either sex, spending lots of time on the road together tend to pick up each other's mannerisms sometimes, kind of like an old married couple. So, I can't assume they were gay or anything, either. Never want to assume such things in this business. Stereotypes are not a good thing to go by, and are rarely ever accurate, nor applicable, anyway. You can really tick people off when you use stereotypes to assess them, even get yourself in trouble. You can screw-up a deal really fast. Yeah, so the guy who owns that farm property seems really feminine, or the woman behind the counter seems pretty darn "butch." They may be the nicest folks you could meet; and the guy's wife is an absolute pin-up girl, a real bombshell, and the "butch" woman's husband is even more rugged than she is. Besides, so what if the guy has a boyfriend and the woman has a wife. Everyone is just "people."  You'll meet all sorts of people in this business, so get used to the fact that there are LOTS of differences between people in this world.

If they offend you or your beliefs, put that aside, do your deal for the cool stuff you found, and go on. Let people live their lives, if they are not physically hurting you, don't bother them.
Live and let live. People think us pickers, antiquers, junkers (etc) are bizarre, weird, strange, etc, too. They really have no reason to think that, they just do not understand our lifestyle, interests, etc. So what? That is their problem, not yours. If you have a problem with someone else's lifestyle, then perhaps you should be thinking about what people think of your lifestyle. Besides, we all live in glass houses to a point, so why bother throwing stones at all?

Ooops, got off on one of my tangents again, didn't I?

So, where were we?

AH, yes....

Unidentified Found Objects.

Ok, what is with all the ahh-ing, people? Hey, the guy in the tin foil hat just got up and left, and by that stunned look he had on his face, I don't think he is coming back....so if you happen to be standing, there is now a seat available.

Now, back to UFOs.

There can be lots of confusion with the assorted series of letters, what appear to be "words", abbreviations, logos, etc, that you see on things when you are doing research.

For example, when you see the letters "RCA", what do you think of?

I think of Nipper, radios, etc, as in the Radio Corporation of America, which many of you likely thought of, also.

BUT, I also think of the Canadian military, as in the Royal Canadian Artillery.

Did you think of anything different from those 2? Depending on your background, location of residence, knowledge, etc, you might have had another thought or 2 about what RCA means or is an abbreviation for.

So, were they any of these?

Royal College of Art
Royal Canadian Academy Of Art
Rialto Center for the Arts
Right Coronary Artery
Republique Centrafricaine
Rural Cellular Association
Radio Club Argentino
Radio Club of America
Radio Collectors of America
Radio Communications Agency
Rodeo Cowboys of America
Radiological Control Area

And of course the list goes on and on. This is a handy place for research on abbreviations and acronyms, by the way: http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/RCA

Plus, there are more that aren't on that list, some are defunct, super obscure, foreign language based, etc.

Have you heard of AVRO? The AV Roe company? AVRO Canada? The infamous ARROW project? How about the USAF sponsored flying saucer-esque aircraft dubbed the AVROCAR?

Well, I picked up a piece a few months ago, silver plated, with an AVRO logo on it. At the moment I saw it, I initially thought was an early logo for the company, or maybe from the British parent company.

Here is a close-up of the logo:

I looked it over, and found some markings on the interior edge of the handle, and when I saw the markings were not Canadian, British, nor American, I paused, and almost put it back on the shelf.

But, it was not even two bucks, and I'd kick myself if I found out it was from the AV Roe company's offices, or was some special presentation piece, etc. On the same thrift store shelf I found a couple sterling silver dishes for under $2 each, so it wasn't like I was going to loose money on the handful of items I had in my hands.

I pick up lots of silver plate that have assorted abbreviations, logos, etc stamped on them. By those logos, etc, I don't mean the maker's marks on the backs, I mean on the fronts, sides, etc. Marks that indicate they were the property of some business, like a lodge, club, hotel, railway, airline, etc, and sometimes they are family monograms, also, which are usually not a big deal, unless it was of a family that were historically important. Some such items are quite collectible...but, many are pretty much "homemade wind chime" materials.

If you know the meanings of many abbreviations, and have some knowledge of the companies, groups, fields, etc, that used them, you can get some really good deals, and profit handsomely from those purchases. There are "sleepers" sitting in the inventories of other dealers at antiques shows, flea markets, stores, etc.

Thrifting is a good way to learn, a cheap way to get an education in this business. Paying 25 cents for a silver plated piece of cutlery that has a logo on it, and finding out it is from a long gone railway is a good learning experience. Even if you only find out it is only from some little cafe in Europe, or it is just some unimportant family's monogram, and is of no real value, you have learned something that you will not forget...and it only cost you a quarter. Darn cheap education! And, once you get enough of those duds, you can make a wind chime...you might even be able to sell the wind chime for a hefty profit on your purchase prices and time! You got an education AND made money from it! You need to think way outside the box sometimes so you can make lemonade from those lemons.

So, back to AVRO. Well, I learned something. I'm now 99.9% sure it is not from AV Roe. As it turns out, AVRO is also an abbreviation for Algemene Vereniging Radio Omroep.

Yeah, I know, it looks like I just hit the keyboard with my fist after the letters A,V & O. It is actually Dutch for what is essentially "General Association of Radio Broadcasting" of the Netherlands.

So, considering the markings on the silver plate are of that part of the world, the odds are that it is related to that group somehow. Is it of value? Mmmm, well, maybe to someone out there. Certainly not of the kind of value of what it would have if it was a piece from the offices of the AV Roe company, or a piece presented by AV Roe to an important person. It did briefly cross my mind that it might have been made as a prop in the movie "THE ARROW" (Starring Dan Akroyd) which was filmed not far from Winnipeg (where the thrift shop was) so the props department was likely located in Winnipeg. However, due to the dark grey, almost black tarnish on the piece (that certainly was from far more than a dozen years of not being polished) and the fact that it was of Netherlands origin, and the AVRO radio group connection, odds are it was just a fluke it was sitting on that thrift store's shelf, and had nothing to do with the AV Roe company in any way.

I still had a sliver of optimism based hope, but was definitely already aware that the odds of it being from AV Roe were not in my favour. The clues that I recognized didn't really add up to "big money" for a historical piece. I took a chance and bought it anyway, mainly out of curiosity as to what else AVRO could actually stand for. I learned something, and it cost very little.

Someone else might have gotten far more excited about it. They may have even offered it for sale at an antiques show, with a big price tag, and a claim it was from that infamous firm that built the Arrow.

"I've found it in Canada, AVRO was in Canada, so what else could it be? It HAS to be from AV ROE!"  they might think.

They'd be wrong, though.  If I had seen it at an antiques show, say, priced for $100, I'd have been curious, looked it over, and have left it sitting there. I might have gotten the sellers phone number, and maybe have later gotten online, and double checked on the Net to see if AVRO Canada used that style logo somewhere along the line, or if the British parent company used that logo in the past.  I wouldn't have gotten too excited, though.
I know it is likely a candy dish from the offices of a radio broadcasting group in Denmark. Might still even have some value as a result of that connection. That will require some more research, and delving into websites, books, etc that are likely in Danish....which I neither speak nor read. I guess it will sit on my shelf for awhile longer! We do have friend who as a child came from Denmark, so I will quiz her to see if she can assist in finding out anything. Might cost me a bottle of wine or good Tequila, though!

Aside from the Danish marks on the silver plate, I also already have a bit of background and knowledge about AVRO Canada, the Arrow, the "Avro Car", etc.

That education cost me somewhat more than the AVRO dish, however. All it will cost you is some time to read about it.  But, I'll leave that story for my next blog posting!

Pickin' Story Around a Globe

Long ago, when I first started picking for a living, I was driving down a road, just off a main highway, but still a well traveled, paved road. I spotted a 1950s gas bowser (electric gas pump) in a guy's farm yard with a sign still on it. This was/is unusual for being on such a well traveled route...usually in such cases, the stuff turns out to rarely ever be for sale.


I pulled in, and the owner came out of the house right away. I leaned out the window of my truck, and asked him if he would sell the sign off the gas pump. I figured he'd probably been asked 1000 times before, but I might as well make it 1001.

 He said "I don't think so." I asked if I could just take a look at it, and I' then make him an offer, and he could say yes or no.

He agreed.

I jumped out of my truck, took a look at the pump. It had two porcelain signs on it,  both Texaco Sky Chief, as well as two "This Pump Contains Leaded Fuel" (common $8 - $15 retail at the time..and only still as much). The Sky Chiefs were selling retail for about $85 each at the time. I told him I'd give him $85 for all 4 signs (a fair offer in any picker's book). He had a surprised look on his face when I made my offer, and I got the immediate impression that people had been hassling him for years to sell them...but for next to nothing.

He said he'd go and grab me a screwdriver, and I told him it was ok, I had one in the truck. While I was taking them off, he stood there, watching me work. He seemed to have a somewhat thoughtful look on his face, and after I had two of the signs off, he said,

"You know, I think I have the glass thing for the top of that".

My thought was "Ok, cool." He might have meant he had the flat glass inserts at the top front sides (maybe $15 retail for a Sky Chief one) or if I was very lucky, he had the globe that would go on the top of the pump.(a plain Sky Chief gas globe was worth about $300 - $350 retail at the time).


 The pump did have a factory insert covering the hole on the top, but no evidence that it had ever been off and a globe mounted over it. I wasn't overly optimistic he'd drag out anything other than a flat glass plate or 2.
So, I kept working away while he sauntered back to his garage. Almost done, taking off the final 2 small signs, I looked up, and.....

he was carrying a gas globe as he was walking towards me.....

but not a Sky Chief globe! It was a North Star ENERGY Globe (North Star was a Canadian company later bought out by Shell). The ENERGY globe happens to be far scarcer than Texaco Sky Chief globes.

 

SO, at the time, I had never had one before, and had no idea what it was worth. There were no reference books on Canadian globes (still really isn't), and most collectors were always pretty tight lipped about values.

I figured it had to be worth $400, so I told him that I figured it was worth $400 retail, and I'd pay him $200, and, because I wasn't 100% sure I was accurate on my thought of value, if I ended up selling it for significantly more I'd come back with half the difference.

 He agreed, and a deal was made.

Those were the days when I was picking with my grocery money, essentially, and trying to triple it to also cover my rent. Times were tough. Picking to pay the rent and eat. Picking was my income and entertainment. Forget being able to go to the movies. It went on like that for 2 years.

I managed to eventually sell the globe for $600 to a straight up, honest collector I was dealing with at that time. But, rent, groceries and the necessities of life gobbled it all up before I knew it. Life has a way of throwing you curves, especially when cash is in short supply.

I didn't forget. As far as I was concerned, I had an outstanding debt to pay. About two years later, I had some spare cash, and went back to that farmhouse with a $100 bill, and knocked on the door.

The farmer answered, and soon he remembered me, and the transaction. I then told him I had sold the globe for $600, and thus, I owed him $100, as per the deal we had made.

He was dumbfounded. He said that he didn't think I'd ever be back.

 I told him simply that I had made a deal, and I don't back out on my deals.

He graciously took the $100.

Then he said, "I'm retiring, and in the shed there are two trailers of stuff...the auctioneer told me not to sell anything before the auction, but you go in there, and pick out what ever you'd like to buy."

I picked out some cool stuff,including a steel Exide Batteries advertising tool holder, then ended up in his house's basement, where I bought a stack of McColl Frontenac letterheads.

McColl Frontenac is also commonly known as "Red Indian" - their logo was an Indian in full headdress - They were later bought by Texaco - and as a result of the great graphic image they used, and the fact they were Texaco's start into the Canadian market, their advertising is very sought after stuff.

 The letterheads had some goop on the top, bundling them together like a note pad, which made me hedge on price. The stuff was black and nearly rock-hard...some sort of tar. I told him I knew they were good, but the goop might just make them a tough sell, but I thought I may be able to remove it. I offered him $15, and told him the same thing I'd told him on the globe....If I got significantly more than $30 or $40, I'd be back with half the difference.

He smiled and said if I did do far better on them to just keep the extra cash.

It was a pick that I came away feeling very good from. And, yes, I happened to do very well on the letterheads in the end...and didn't even have to clean the goop off.

I know, some of you will say I am nuts, but it is just the way I roll. I believe in Karma.

Trust me, following that sort of method for many things is a good policy, and always works out well in the end, I assure you.
On a picking trip, pickers do buy more than a few things at some stops. Personally, like to fill my van if there is enough decent stuff there, and really make the stop worthwhile. Due to sheer bulk, their low price quotes, high price quotes, bulk purchases (IE: Box of interesting small junk you don't have time to go through right then, but drop an offer for on spec), you do over-pay for some things and you under-pay for some things. It comes out in the wash most of the time in those cases. If the piece is darn good, don't risk screwing up the deal by low balling on the price so you are "safe."  If they quote the price, and it is a good price, don't dicker...just buy it.
If it is insanely cheap, offer them a little more. That kind of gesture will come back to help you in the end...and possibly even within a few minutes or even seconds of putting it out there.

Some people figure that regardless of the price, they need to get it for less. If it is $10 they want it for $6. If it is a buck they want it for 50 cents....if it is 25 cents they want it for 10 cents...even when  the item is easily worth $50. I sometimes see these fools operating and think that if the item was marked FREE they'd tell the seller they wanted to be paid to take it away. I just glide in to the sale, scoop up the bargains and pay for them, while that kind of fool is making faces at the seller, poo-pooing the merchandise, trying to weasel the price down another dime.

Really, why would you waste your time like that?

I figure my time is worth more than those few cents or dollars. 

Plus, you need to have some class.

 So, while they are dickering their 25 cent purchase down to 10 cents at that estate sale, just keep picking up the $100 & $200 items priced at $2 each and thank the "greed gods" that person obviously happens to worship! 
Those sorts of people waste lots of time, and manage to make more enemies in a year than you will ever make by being honest and decent. 

Plus, the time they waste can end up becoming your advantage. 

So, with that, I tip my hat in thanks to all those people who low-balled the farmer with their offers on his Sky Chief signs!

Been awhile, hasn't it?

Been awhile since I have blogged..almost 2 months, so I guess it is about time I posted something. Been a stressful number of weeks, with some family health issues, vehicle mechanical problems, and trying to sell, sell, sell on eBay and elsewhere to catch up on bills. Add to that a week of cleaning out an old building, then getting ill right after, and a variety of other garden variety stresses that life tosses into your path. Lots of stuff going on, some of which are still "in progress", so I can't really blog about those things.


The building I cleaned out was a 125 year old, 2 story, brick structure which, up until the summer of 2010, contained a printing company/newspaper publisher. The paper had been printed there for pretty much the entire 125 years. The company also published materials for a WW2 pilot training center adjacent to the community. You can imagine the things the place potentially held. Sadly, the new owners of our local paper, a large company out of Vancouver, moved the operation, with the set-up, design, etc now essentially computerized, with the actual printing outsourced. They tucked the formerly large operation in smaller, rented space, and put the old building up for sale. So, when the move of the operation was made, back in the summer, the employees hauled 18 truckloads to the landfill! Despite previously expressing interest (multiple times) in assisting and/or buying any vintage items and recycling any unwanted items, I wasn't called. A friend had also expressed this same sort of interest and offer of assistance, and he also was not called.

I shudder to think what was in those loads! You see, what should have been in the building was just no longer there when I walked through it...especially the basement, which I had been dreaming about for years.

What I did find was evidence that items of historical interest and intrinsic value had been there not so long ago. Large items had been left, with a smattering of what I call "residue"....just enough evidence of what had been there to make you grit your teeth and cringe when you imagination conjours up the images.

At least I was called to do the final clean-out. Unfortunately, the real estate transaction, only gave us a grand total of 7 days to have the entire place cleared out...including 3 printing presses, weighing a total of at least 4 tons. The deal was negotiated by the parent company, who, of course, had no consideration for the stress they would cause the manager when she was told she essentially had to clear our 125 years of accumulation in 7 days...and they wanted 3 price quotes before doing so. I suspect she politely told them the equivalent of "go to hell" as far as getting quotes went!

One of the printing press was in the basement...all 1200 lbs of it. It was an antique Chandler & Price letterpress, circa 1905. Yes, I did manage to rescue it! It is a story all on its own, and is actually still playing out at this time. I will tell you the whole story of the trials and tribulations at a later date, once the story has an "end." A 1960s era Heidelberg printing press, still functioning, though in need of some reconditioning, with a $4000 - $8000 value, did end up in the local scrap dealer's possession, however. I managed to quickly salvage some pieces from it, but the 7 day time limit was just not enough time to market the it, sell it, and give enough time for a serious buyer to come and remove it properly.

I also did get 4 oak "stacking bookcase" units, which each consisted of four, 2" high drawers. They needed some re-gluing, some refinishing, and other bits of TLC, but were a bonus, and did net $300 from a furniture dealer. A "printer's cabinet" or letterpress storage cabinet also came with the deal, though was missing 2 or 3 drawers. It was still a quick flip to a fellow picker for $200. There were some other small bonuses, but such a small smattering it all is just enough to make you wonder what stuff was destroyed only months before.

That is also a bit of a tip....this whole posting, actually, is a tip. Doing clean-outs of buildings, properties, etc, is a method you can use to get vintage items for free, or even be paid to haul them away. However, you can't be afraid of working hard, and dealing with other issues that doing a "clean-up" entails, including dealing with hazardous materials properly, protecting yourself from illness due to exposure to a host of things, from black mold to industrial chemical contamination. If you do pick or clean out a building formerly owed by an old printing company, make sure you wear a decent respirator.

Why? Well, that dust is not regular ol' basement dust...it is heavy with lead. Yep, potential for lead poisoning. If you buy old typesetter's cabinets (those cabinets with narrow drawers, that usually divided into small compartments for storing Linotype) make sure they are clean, or you handle them with rubber gloves as you are cleaning them. The dust in them is most certainly lead dust left from the Linotype, for which the cabinets were made to hold. I have bought and sold hundreds of the drawers on their own. The later ones (1950s/60s) came in steel cabinets, which tend to have little value to most buyers, though with a resurgence in interest in letterpress printing, there is a growing market for them. All of those that I have sold to the public, I cleaned prior to their sale. Took them to my favourite cleaning facility...a carwash! Cleaning them that way takes some care, by the way. The bottoms of the old ones are usually a thin plywood/veneer type board, like some 1900 - 1930's crate sides. If you focus the spray on them too long, the board becomes saturated or partially saturated with water. Then they will start to warp, bubble and the layers of veneer-thin board separate...and you end up with a drawer that is pretty much firewood. You will have some extra fun if they are the type that have a paper lining on the bottom...which is sandwiched between the plywood and the dividers. You will be picking bits of dirty, wet bits of paper out of your hair & those stuck to your vehicle for days. No one said dealing in this stuff was a clean job!


Here's a few teasers of some of the "treasures" we pulled out of the place...nothing that I thought was stupendous, but then again, I'm getting jaded in my old age!  But, I guess there was roughly another $1000 or so made on the job by selling these and other things out of the place, so it wasn't a bad deal, really. My back was not happy when we were done, however.

Hopefully this will hold ya for a day or two, so I will leave it at that. Well, considering how long it has been, I will pop on another quick posting, about one of my past picking experiences, soon after this posting.