August 18, 2004
Antique sale attracts a crowd
Buyers hunt for tools, toys and other treasures at Civic Center show
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Elvis was sighted, stories were told and memories evoked in force this weekend during the Antique Show and Sale, held Saturday and Sunday at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center.
For some attendees, the event was part serious antique show and part stroll-down-memory-lane.
Oil cans, toys, bottles and tools had Ken, who declined to give his last name, marveling at what brings in money. He suddenly regretted decades of efficient housekeeping and garage cleaning that sent baseball gloves, minnow buckets, golf irons and hand tools to the landfill, items fetching a premium price at the show.
"It's amazing what you throw away over the years," said the Flint resident in town for a vacation. "I've never given it any thought, you just throw away the little things, tools and toys. You get somebody in their 50s and 60s and we've chucked it all; it just blows your mind."
The show featured 65 dealers who filled up the Howe Arena and spilled over into tents on the grounds. They offered everything from house wares to housedresses, egg cups to tea cups and evening gowns to night gowns. One booth featured photographs of bygone eras, attracting buyers who wanted an instant family history for their walls.
Larry Brandell and Olaf Olsen offered an extensive collection of holiday items, including Christmas tree ornaments, decorations and even boxes of old-fashioned tinsel. Brandell said their wares are recession proof: in bad economic times, people stop by their booth and see an ornament or decoration that triggers positive emotions. They have to buy it and the cost per item is not extravagant . In booming economic times, people purchase without questioning their impulse.
"We sell things that evoke childhood memories," Brandell noted. "One lady saw our boxes of tinsel and said how her mother used to make her iron each strand of tinsel after they took it off the tree, and they would pack it away for next year."
Sometimes the memories are bittersweet, said Brandell, recalling a customer at a show in Atlanta who cried when he saw the booth's collection of cookie tins.
"He grew up so poor all he got at Christmas was a tin of cookies from the Salvation Army or a charity," said Brandell, who is part owner of Elves Antiques, based in Grand Rapids.
In addition to knowing your merchandise and setting reasonable prices, enjoying the people and the shows are crucial to succeed in this business.
"Like at the Petoskey show, you walk in and see all the tents up on the green grass and wow, there's no place I'd rather be," said Brandell, who was attending the Traverse City show for the first time.
Many times antiques inspire creativity in their purchasers as an item's original purpose is replaced by modern needs. Nina Hamilton purchased and lovingly restored two postal box pieces and recently sold one to a woman who wanted it to hold her compact disc collection.
"She had a huge collection and brought one in first to make sure they fit in the slots," recalled Hamilton, owner of Trinities Antiques in Muskegon. "There's even a little place for the tabs so she can label them."
Hamilton said being an antique dealer specializing in furniture is like being a jack of all trades. She is part carpenter, part refinisher, part upholsterer and part interior designer. The latter skill gives her booth a homelike look that, she hopes, invites potential customers to envision a piece in their home.
Pricing items is a challenge, Hamilton said, especially for dealers new to the trade. In her business, she often invests extensive hours refinishing a piece, but she works to price items affordably.
"I try to keep it reasonable so other people can afford it and use it," said Hamilton, who began collecting when her children were young and now attends shows with her grandson. "I like it when they take something and give it a home."