in this issue - Antique Back Roads Collector`s Magazine

in this issue
small businesses join forces
Articles on Collecting
Insurance & icollect247.com
winter 2012 - Jan • Feb • March
Indy Ad Show
Celebration!
New Dealers
and New Hours
Excitement is building for this
year’s new unveiling of the Indy
Antique Advertising Show. For the
first time in 40 years, the show will
be held on Friday and Saturday. This
means the customers will be able to shop on
Friday (dealer set up day) which has traditionally been just for
dealers.
Since its inception in March 1972, the show has built a great
reputation of being “The Place” to find the best on the market
for antique advertising and this year is no exception. Be sure
to visit the website for more featured items.
Many customers and dealers have made the biannual trip to
Indianapolis for several years. Gary Metz of Roanoke, VA has
been doing the show since 1988. “I have always placed the
Indy Ad Show at the very top of my favorite list. As a dealer
and auction promoter/consultant, the show is indispensable
as a source to meet new buyers and greet existing friends and
customers. From a buyer’s standpoint, you could not select a
better venue from which to add to your collection. Whether
you are just beginning to collect, or are an advanced veteran,
the Indy show will consistently offer you a wide array of
choices in your hunt to expand your collection. The many
exhibiting dealers take pride in showing their best inventory.
My enthusiasm for the show has
not waned since my first booth
showing in 1988!”
Early 1900’s Red Goose Shoe
Store Display. The two
children are detachable from
this cardboard display.
Volume 1
Durham Duplex Razor Cardboard
Fan Hangar 9” W x 10” T.
Rich Penn, Waterloo, IA
noted: “Bruce and Donna
(promoters) looked at the
market, listened to the customers
and the dealers and have
responded to their needs. They have
taken a show that was definitely sliding
and stopped the slide. We think it is back on the way to its
former glory and they most likely will make it better than it
ever was.”
Their hard work and efforts are paying off. In 2011, the
dealer count was up 30% for the year and the show had the
largest attendance in 10 years. Marvin and Cindy Gardner,
Centerville, OH remarked, “The attendance was very strong –
one old-time shopper commented to us ‘Holy Smoke! What a
crowd of shoppers there is in line outside’.”
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Indy Antique
Advertising Show, the first 400 customers will receive a large
canvas tote bag filled with great items such as note pads,
calendars, tape measures, free subscriptions plus much more!
All the dealers hope to see you at the
Indiana State Fairgrounds on March 1617, 2012 and/or on September 28-29,
2012. The Friday Preview is from
2-6pm with admission of $50 each
which includes Saturday. General
admission is $8 on Saturday with
hours from 9-4. Friday preview tickets
are $40 in advance and can be purchased
through the website at www.indyadshow.
com or by calling 217.821.1294.
1930’s flashing glass light-up for Gem City
Ice Cream, Cincinnati, Ohio. Made by the
George Jones Co. of Jeanette, PA. 12” tall.
Check out more photos at www.indyadshow.com
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR 2013 DATES: March 15-16, 2013 and September 27-28, 2013
Collecting for fun and investment
Decor or investment?
Collecting is a very personal thing. No two
collectors will buy the same thing for the same
reason. Your lifestyle, background, décor and
interest make your collecting unique to you.
Collectors who want the outdoors rustic
look may buy things that are architectural or
have the rusted/worn look. This creates the
character they want for their surroundings, for
example, their Man Cave. Ladies may look for
items they can paint and decorate for a special room, as well
as damaged glassware for flowers. They love the “old fashion”
look.
Other collectors look at each piece as an investment as well
as something to display in their home or office. They anticipate
the item to appreciate in value or at a minimum retain its value
in the coming years. They get to admire their investment while
they are betting on better returns than the stock market can
offer.
There is also the middle of the road collector who enjoys
picking up things that interest them for no rhyme or reason,
other than they just “like it.”
When making a purchase, you may want to consider how
the item will be used. If you enjoy the rustic look or plan
on displaying it outside, you may want to consider the poor
condition or reproduction item. While you enjoy this type of
quality, realize that most items in this category will depreciate,
maybe even to the point where it has no value.
If you are looking for something for your home with
investment quality you would want to consider the piece
in excellent/mint condition. Condition and price go hand
in hand. In antique advertising, items in near mint to mint
condition, which are rare, command a premium price due to
limited availabilities, while items in good to rusty condition
can be purchased relatively inexpensively.
Here is an example of different 1941 Coca Cola Double Bottle
Thermometers that sold online.
Excellent - $325
Poor Condition - $40
Reproduction - $30
The price of any collection is dependent on the current
market, trends and most important, condition. This holds
true through all types of collecting from jewelry to clothing. No
matter what you buy, being aware of what you are using it for
can help you either save money or increase the value of your
collection.
2
insuring your
antiques and
collectibles
Most people think that their
homeowner policy doesn’t cover
their antiques and collectibles,
but it does. Making sure you
are covered properly is the key. Knowing the two types of
homeowner policies and the way the claims are paid is very
important.
First is the actual cash value basis for paying the claim. For
example, you bought a piece of furniture for $300.00 and it
was destroyed in the fire you just had. The insurance company
will take that $300.00 figure and allow for depreciation
based on its age and condition and write you a check less your
deductible.
The way you want to insure both your dwelling and your
contents is on a “replacement cost” basis. That same piece of
furniture you paid $300.00 for 8 years ago now costs $500.00
to replace. The insurance company will then write you a check
for $500.00 less your deductible.
The easy part is done, now comes the hard part; insuring
something that is no longer available to be replaced. You
now have the total responsibility of making sure your claim
is handled to your satisfaction! The first responsibility is
purchase price. KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS!! Secondly TAKE
PHOTOS!! In today’s computer world it should be very easy
to take photos, keep them on a CD or in a separate folder so
that you have visible evidence of the item or items you are
asking the insurance company to replace. Without photos the
insurance adjuster probably has no idea what you are talking
about when you tell him your Coca Cola pilaster sign with the
16 inch button was stolen. Third, which is the most important,
KEEP ALL RECORDS SAFE in a safe deposit box, a fire proof
box, or leave this info with a relative to keep for you. Obviously
if your records are destroyed or stolen all of your efforts have
been in vain.
Remember it is your responsibility to make sure your
contents are insured for the proper amount. All homeowner
policies cover contents but it usually is limited to a percentage
of your dwelling value. For example: You have your home
insured for $500,000. Usually your contents will be insured
for $300,000 to $400,000 at no charge. But you find after
doing your inventory that you need $600,000 coverage for
your contents. Most insurance companies will allow you to
increase this coverage and charge you a small additional
premium based on the additional coverage. Remember it is
also your obligation to keep your coverage “up to date.” If you
happen to increase your collection, increase your coverage.
If after checking with your agent or company you find out
they will not provide coverage for your antiques or collectibles
you should be able to purchase a separate policy to cover
them from a company that specializes in providing this type of
coverage. Generally, it would be at a higher rate than merely
increasing your homeowner policy but at least you have this
option. IMPORTANT: All homeowner’s policies vary from
state to state. Please consult your agent or company
to see if the above statements apply in your state.
Gus Brown
Dealer: icollect247.com and Indy Ad Show
Retired Insurance Agent
Collector to collector
Who measures just over 11”
tall and is always dressed for
work? Who started as sawdust
and glue but turned to plastic
in the 50’s? Who looks cute and
youthful but is really over 80 years
old? You cracked the code if you guessed Buddy Lee!
Buddy Lee dolls first began to appear in clothing stores
in the early 1920’s as advertising store displays for the
H.D. Lee Company of Salina, Kansas. Store owners
received these dolls to promote the company’s work wear
lines as well as their new children’s playsuits. The doll
became so popular with customers that the Lee Company
soon made them available for purchase either from the
Lee Dealers or ordered directly from the company at a
cost of $1.50.
Throughout the early years into the beginning of
the 50’s the dolls were made of a mixture of sawdust
and glue called composition. At the beginning of the
50’s the dolls were produced in plastic until the end
of Buddy’s career in the early 60’s. The easiest way to
tell the difference between the plastic and composition
are the eyes. The faces of the composition dolls are all
hand painted. There are no two sets of eyes that were
ever painted the same. All of the features on the plastic
dolls are screen painted making them all look the same.
There are a few reproductions that collectors should be
aware of. Some of the more popular dolls such as Cocacola, Texaco and Shell have been reissued as well as
many dolls that were never ever made like Pepsi and Dr.
Pepper. A true vintage Buddy Lee doll will always have a
Lee tag sewn onto his pants and many times on his hat as
well.
Over Buddy’s four decades of
production he has sported dozens
of different outfits. In the 1920’s
and early 30’s he wore coveralls
and children’s play suits. The
mid 1930’s saw the first of
the cowboy outfits as well
as overalls both denim and
hickory striped. After the
second world war and through
the 50’s Buddy started to appear
in different service workman
uniforms like Coca-Cola,
Standard Oil, John Deere and
others. Although most of
these are found on the later
plastic dolls they remain very
popular with collectors.
If it’s true that clothes make
the man, then the same can
be said for Buddy Lee. The
uniform creates the rarity of the
doll. A doll with the rare original
uniform brand with matching
hat can command top dollar.
The same great uniform on a doll missing the hat can
make Buddy a harder sell and it has less value. Just like
many other collectables, the collector should always buy
complete dolls in the best condition possible. It provides
for the best return on his investment, as finding a
missing hat for your Buddy Lee doll is nearly impossible.
However, if you love the hatless look there are lots out
there to choose from.
James Maley
Indy Ad Show Dealer
Reference Guides
& Books
RECOMMENDED READING:
Laural Schwing and Alva Christensen have a new book
out on Buddy Lee entitled An Advertising Doll covering
all aspects of this iconic
character. Aside from
the hundreds of photos
of virtually every outfit
Buddy Lee has worn over
his 40 year career, there
is a wealth of information
on all aspects of his
clothing including
vintage photographs and
original advertising. The
book includes realistic
price estimates that will
help the collector make
smart purchases.
Collecting 101: Haggling
New television shows on
buying and selling are being
produced right and left. They
have a huge audience and have
brought a lot of new collectors
into our market. They have also
brought the word “haggling”
with them. Every one of these
new shows has someone wanting $500 for a piece
and they haggle back and forth and the end price
ranges between $200 and sometimes as low as $50.
The word haggle is defined as “argue about price.”
That sounds so harsh in any activity you do for fun
and relaxation.
These shows are made for TV and are all staged.
Quality dealers know their market and know what
an item is worth. The days of getting antiques and
collectibles “cheap” are gone. The internet and
ebay put an end to that era. Today, dealers have to
compete with customers and other dealers to buy
good quality items. Common sense would tell you
that a dealer who pays $500 for an item would not
accept a $250 offer.
Before you insult a dealer with a ½ price offer,
you need to know what he has invested in the piece.
Please consider the following:
• Travel time and the cost of gas to purchase the
piece.
• Food and hotel cost.
• Show cost including booth rent, travel expenses
and time off from their regular job.
• If they are selling on the internet, cost of
computers, camera, their time to list and the
cost of renting space on the site as well as their
time to list the item.
If you find a piece you want to purchase at an
antique shop or on the internet, most prices are
firm. Some dealers will offer occasional sales and
accept offers. Each dealer prices his items differently
and he knows what he needs to have out of a piece
to make a little profit. Dealers remember good
buyers. They will often purchase more items in your
collecting field, if you let them make some return on
their money. If you are a new collector, keep up to
date on where the market is on your area of interest.
You can go to shows, go to antique shops and search
the internet. If it is something you have a place for
in your collection and you want it, don’t lose it over
a ridiculous offer. Be kind to the dealer, it is an
important way for you to advance your collection.
Collecting Adventures
Have you ever asked a shop
clerk for an item and they
looked at you as if you had
two heads? They have no
idea what you are looking
for and yet later you find
the exact item? The more I
surf (not on a board but on the
internet), the more I realize that
names change and different regions of the
country refer to things differently. Pocket books became
handbags and now they are called purses. Granite ware
is enamel ware and vintage is now something from my
childhood.
Through trial and error I have learned to better
communicate. Through reference books and talking with
other dealers, I have expanded my vocabulary, increased
my knowledge and have learned to describe what I am
looking for. Whoever said “a picture is worth a thousand
words” was really onto something, especially now that
they are on my phone! So now I don’t get the odd looks
as much when I ask for an item, unlike my parents a few
years back.
4
Early one morning, Mom and Dad set out for the mall
to get some needed items: flip-flops to wear around the
pool and a pair of tennis shoes. You see they were going
on their dream vacation for their 50th anniversary. A
cruise!
After spending several hours in the mall they headed
to the shoe department and found the friendliest clerk.
After Dad was fitted with the perfect pair of tennis shoes
the clerk asked, “Is there anything else you need?”
“Oh yes,” Mom replied, “we need thongs to wear by the
pool.”
With a very bewildered look, the clerk answered, “they
sell those in the clothing department.” Mom knew
thongs as something you wore on your feet, not your
behind. A picture would have been worth a thousand
words!
I’m off to look for a suck bucket – I wonder if they
know what I want????
Coming in our next issue: Is it a salesman sample,
a patent model, a miniature, child’s toy or a store
display? Find out in our next issue.
Chiming In
Being in the
antique business
we all buy anything
we think we can
make money on.
Approximately 7
years ago I started
buying old kitchen
& mantle clocks to
resell. I soon found
out that most would
require repairs of
some kind - broken
springs, missing hands,
cleaning, etc.
After talking with
several friends, I was introduced to
Leonard. An
81 year old gentleman, who served in
WWII, carried mail for the US Post
Office for 35 years, retired, and
then drove a school bus. When
he was in his 50’s he went to a
local college and learned the
clock repair business. Leonard
is a hard-working man of few
words with a small shop in an
outbuilding in his back yard.
Each time I would take
a clock to Leonard, he
wanted me to stay while
he worked on it. As he
worked, Leonard would
talk about what he was
doing. One day, he asked
me why I didn’t learn to
fix them versus paying
him. I replied “I don’t
know of a school.” With a
smirk he replied “What do
you think I’ve been doing all this time?” So my schooling
with Leonard began and still today, almost every Tuesday,
we work on clocks together.
Circa 1900. Black and green marble case with
porcelain face and a mercury filled pendulum,
pictured with matching candle holders. The
mercury acts as a weight to keep
the swing of the pendulum
consistent. Just as it would in
a thermometer, the mercury
expands or contracts to
“compensate” for differences
in temperature making the
pendulum more accurate. By the
mid 1700 precision pendulum
clocks achieved accuracies of a few seconds per week.
•
Just like having regular maintenance on your car,
clocks need regular maintenance as well. They
should be oiled every 4-6 years and cleaned every
8-10 depending upon the environment.
•
Clocks need to be level to run. Both side-to-side
and front-to-back. Wall vibration can affect
leveling.
•
Antique mantle, kitchen & wall clocks are very
temperature and humidity sensitive. Geographic
location and weather patterns may affect the time
keeping. Adjusting the pendulum should correct
most clocks. If you set a grandfather or wall clock
on an outside wall the extreme temperature
outside can affect the speed of the clock as well.
•
Adjusting the pendulum. Up for faster / down for
slower. Allow the clock to run several days before
adjusting a second time.
The biggest secret I have learned is that clocks can
be just like kids – some are more temperamental than
others. There’s no rhyme or reason – it just is.
Here are some secrets I have learned:
• One of the biggest “wives tales” is to wind a clock
too tight. Clocks are made to wind until the key
can no longer turn. What I find most of the time is
dried oil has hardened in the movement and in the
gears so that it no longer turns.
•
Avoid putting clocks near heating and AC ducts
to keep from drying out the oil. Wood burning
stoves & wood burning fireplaces as well will dry
them out and affect the running.
www.antiquebackroads.com
Bruce Weir
Timber Ridge Antiques
Dealer on Icollect247
& at Indy Ad Show
Blind Man’s Clock by Edward
and Sons, Glasgow & London.
Circa 1850’s. Carved wood
case with tin dial. These shelf
clocks are made to chime on the
quarter hour to assist the vision
impaired.
5
If you are not familiar with the icollect247.com web
site, you are missing out. It is different from other
online antique malls. Our dealers only offer vintage
items dating before 1979 and there aren’t “Limited
Edition, “Reproductions” or “New Homemade” items
to have to sift through. The site is four years old and
growing by leaps and bounds.
With over 100 dealers and over 18,000 vintage
listings you are sure to find something of interest.
From antique lighting to collectible toys, from
vintage advertising to sports and textiles our dealers
offer a unique and wide range of items. You may use
the Search box to find something you collect, or use
the many different categories and subcategories
on the left. You will even find a whole category
for Household Items.
A complete list of dealers can be found under
the “Shop Directory,” as many of our dealers
do participate in shows and perhaps you are
familiar with what they carry. You deal directly
with the dealer, know their names and their
store policy. You may ask questions about a piece
6
or put it in your shopping cart to revisit. But don’t
wait too long, as sales have been great and “New
Listings” don’t last long.
If you have not visited our site recently, you need
to take a few minutes to see all the new categories
we have added. “Candy Gum and Nuts” is a new
category as well as “Textiles” and “Medical and RX.”
“Banks” and “Western Collectables,” now have their
own categories.
We hope that you will bookmark our site and check
out the “New Listings” daily.
Carter & Irene Davis
Owners, icollect247.com
Small Businesses Join Forces
Irene Davis of icollect247 and Donna Weir of B & D
Promotions have teamed up to bring you Antique Back
Roads. Small businesses co-oping on projects make
perfect sense and are able to compete on a larger scale
with the big companies. It’s a natural fit for them to
work together – while they are both
in the antique industry, they do
not directly compete against
one another. Icollect247 has
dealers selling online and B & D
Promotions sponsors the Indy
Antique Advertising Show.
With the current antique
related reality shows on
television, there is a resurgence
of interest in antiques. By
pooling their marketing dollars,
both companies will be able to
reach a wider population. Now
is the time to ride the wave and
become more involved with
helping people discover their
interests in antiques. The reuse / re-purpose generation is
continuing to evolve and antiques
are certainly a part of this.
Irene’s passion for helping small business, combined
with Donna’s passion to build business, makes this a
natural fit to work together. “We feed off each other and
have a good working energy together,” said Weir.
“One night while sharing libations, we discovered we
both wanted to develop a special type of newsletter. We
were looking to promote our businesses, support the
antique dealers that work with us, and elevate awareness
in the antique industry.”
Antique Back Roads’ goal is
to fill a void in the current trade
periodicals. It is a collector-tocollector approach rather than being
filled with advertising and press
releases. It is designed to be a quick
read: informative on a wide range of
subjects with a bit of humor tucked
in. “We take our jobs seriously but
not ourselves,” added Weir.
Icollect247 and B & D Promotions
are the only sponsors so you won’t
see the typical advertising; except
a plug now and then for icollect247
and the Indy Antique Advertising
Show. Antique Back Roads
is available online. Go to www.
antiquebackroads.com to sign
up and continue receiving a free
subscription. Yes you can still get
something of value free in America and not be asked for
anything in return.
Let us know if you enjoyed this publication – peanuts
for the work monkeys is always good.
let us hear from you!
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7
Antique Back Roads
PO Box 56
Tasley, VA 23441
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Indy Ad Show - March 16-17, 2012
Items Dealers will be bringing to the Show:
Embossed Tin Imperial
Garage Automobile Sign
1920’s Eskimo Pie
Countertop Cooler
44”x54” Canvas Poster
1934 Coca Cola Wallace Berry Jackie
advertises “Red Diamond
Cooper Foldout Window Display
Brand Union Made Overalls.”
Bavarian
Vitrolite
Beer Sign
Covington, KY.
1902
Lithograph
(18x24),
Batchelder
& Lincoln
Company,
Boston, MA.
Artist F.M.
Lamb
1950 Coca Cola Fountain Service
Sign single sided porcelain
Wallie Dorr Co
Child’s Pool Table
1901 Lithographers
Ball Poster (15x22)
1920’s/30’s Tin Snow
King Bag Holder
16” tall, 11” wide
We Look Forward to Seeing You There!