LOOKIN FOR JUNK IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES............

FOR ALL OF YOU SINCERELY VINTAGE FANS, HERE IS THE CATHIE COX COLUMN FROM THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF THE

NEW CENTURY COLLECTOR
ENJOY!

 

 

In addition to selling vintage wares at flea markets and the antique mall, I sometimes have people come to my house to “pick.”  They often ask me where I find all the treasures I have collected.  Here are a few  ideas  on how to find the good stuff.

 

Read between the lines...  Online classified ads for yard and estate sales are one of my best sources for finding vintage items. However, yard sales follow the law of diminishing returns, so I make sure that I only go to the sales with the best potential during the short window of opportunity each week. First, type “antiques” or “vintage” into the search box in the garage sale  section on KSL.com or craigslist and then “sift.” Look for phrases such as “40 years of accumulation,” “Grandma died and we’re cleaning out her house,” or “shed is full.” I avoid ads that say they have antiques and lots of new items, ads that only list one or two antiques, ads that list high prices and ANY ad that includes a Healthrider.

 

It’s a lovely day in the neighborhood. . . As the saying goes, “Location, location,    location.” Get to know which parts of town (or the state) work best for what you are hunting for.  Many vintage aficionados prefer the Avenues and Sugarhouse for their picking. Others have discovered their own “secret” neighborhoods that yield treasures galore. Give different parts of town a try until you discover which ones are your     favorites. And don’t rule out rural areas or distant parts of the state.  Find areas that work for you. . . and go back often.

 

Talk to sellers...  What you see is often not all you can get.  Recently I went to a yard sale that advertised that the house was being demolished.  When I got there all that was outside was newer merchandise.  After asking a few probing yet polite questions, the homeowner invited me to go inside – where the vintage items were hiding. I came out with several choice items including six ornate wood chairs.  Another tip – flea market sellers and antique dealers frequently have additional merchandise in boxes, under the table, in their trailers, or back at home.  Asking them what else they have will often yield fantastic results.

 

Be a detective...  The best vintage isn’t   always on top.  Or in the living room.  You’ve got to be a bit of a detective, opening drawers, cupboards and boxes.  Look under the table, at the bottom of the pile and behind the bookcase.  Look in the  basement.  Once I went down into a cellar (that was basically a hole in the floor under a trap door) looking for treasure.  That  wasn’t the word I used for the dead cat I found down there that the owners weren’t aware of. . . . Another time I found an incredible tweed suitcase at a sale – with three vintage dresses inside.

 

Get down and dirty...  Here are a few    suggestions Ki Nassauer offered on how to shop a junkyard in the spring 2013 issue of Flea Market Style magazine: “Search online for ‘junkyard,’ ‘scrap yard’ and ‘salvage yard.’ Work gloves and sturdy shoes are a must.  Anything you buy is likely to be filthy.  Muddy.  Disgusting.  If you don’t have a pickup truck, bring something to shield the floor of your trunk.  Both you and your car will need at bath at the end of the day, but the junk makes the grime worthwhile.”

 

Road trip!  A vacation is always a nice idea, don’t you think?  Why not take a junking vacation your next go-round.  Flea market magazines love to publish lists of vintage sales and there is a new nationwide online vintage guide called FleaQuest that will give you the skinny on vintage sales, shops and flea markets from Atlantic to Pacific.  In addition, there are several “hundred miles-long” yard sales – most in the East and  Midwest – to give even the most seasoned junker something to drool about. So rent yourself a U-Haul (http://www.uhaul.com/), decide where to go (www.fleaquest.com), pick up a Trip Tik travel map from AAA (google “Trip Tik”; then type in your starting point and your destination) – and don’t   forget to haggle!

 

Before you go. . .   Remember an over sized tote or two, a flashlight to illuminate those dark spots, a thick wad of cash, and a friend to help you carry your stuff home. Happy junking!

                                                            Sincerely, Cathie

 

 

 

 



PUT A LITTLE MAGIC INTO YOUR LIFE.............. COLLECT!

IF YOU'VE EVER WONDERED HOW SOMETHING AS WONDERFUL AS THE NEW CENTURY COLLECTOR ARRIVES AT YOUR FAVORITE ANTIQUES OR VINTAGE SHOP
EVERY MONTH......

WELL......

MAGIC OF COURSE

JUST GIVE THE COVER A LITTLE CLICK, AND TAKE AN EARLY PEEK AT THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE!

FARM WITH CHARM

NANCY LONG, FOUNDER OF GARDNER VILLAGE IN
 SALT LAKE IS SELLING HER PERSONAL FARM IN RIVERTON.  LOTS OF BUILDINGS, LOTS OF COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS.  CHECK OUT HER AD IN AUGUST ISSUE OF THE
NEW CENTURY COLLECTOR

 

 JUST CLICK ON THE PAGE TO OPEN UP THIS MONTHS ISSUE TO CHECK OUT THE FARM ON PAGE 3

 

 

WORKING OUT........ VINTAGE STYLE!

FLEANASIUM

 

Nothing can slow you down if you're in good "flea market shape". Saturday morning, Lyn and I jumped up at the crack of dawn, tore two grandsons from their warm beds, guzzled a cup of coffee, scarfed down a banana and a bagel, jumped in the car, and, nearly tore off the rear door as I tried to pull out before it was completely closed. Un-detoured, I reassured my cowering grandson, slammed, pushed and cajoled the door until it would latch properly, quickly recomputed the necessary speed to reach the old Pleasant Grove gymnasium for the FLEATTITUDE 8:00 am early entry time, and was on my way. I'm certain I saw a neighbor hold up a paper scorecard that had a perfect 10 on it. I was the posterboy for flea market fit. 

 

These are the coaches at the "fleanasium", FLEATTITUDE promoter's Jen Reed (left) and Cathie Cox (right). 

 

40 minutes later we were standing in the fleanasium, all of us sporting that "let the games begin" look on our faces. As usual, Lyn began shopping her way to Nirvana, I started kicking tires in search of a bargain, and it didn't take long for my Grandson's Max & Jackson to shed their amateur status.  We weren't there for 5 minutes before I noticed Jackson, a budding antique camera collector, taking advantage of Mike Sovic over an old Kodak autographic. 

 

An hour or so later, Lyn a found a few trinkets, Jackson another old camera, and Max was the proud owner of a 1940's geiger counter. My hands were empty, but all that meant was that I could get a start on saving the money to fix that car door. 

 

If you're not taking your morning exercise at the fleanasium, you're missing out on a lot of fun. Don't miss the next one.  Be sure to keep an eye out in the New Century Collector for upcoming FLEATTITDE markets. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





For our blog readers that follow Cathie's "Sincerely Vintage" column in the collector, here is her article from our August issue.

 SINCERELY VINTAGE

by Cathie Cox

 

On the prowl for retro in Utah?

Here are five of your best bets:

Decades, 627 S State St, Salt Lake City, 801-537-1357, Mon-Sat 11-6; Sun 12-5.  Love vintage clothing?  Then you should run to Decades, where the inventory is endless with plenty of retro in the mix, and the prices are incredibly reasonable.  Owner Justin Ferguson, who has been collecting vintage clothing since he was very young and has experience in theater costuming, says the prices “make it fun if you come. . . and then leave with something.”  An example – most cowboy boots are in the $24-35 range.  Out-of-state customers will fill bag after bag – to take home for resale.  As for selection – let’s just say you’ll be impressed.  Mens’ and womens’, all sizes.  Dresses, tops, bottoms, shoes & boots, handbags, coats, furs, hats, ties, jewelry, even a suitcase full of suspenders!  Ferguson says the quality with older pieces is amazing, making it a considerable value, plus you won’t see anybody else in your outfit.  Got a thing for retro clothing? Decades is your store. . . .

 

Mini’s Cupcakes, 14 E 800 S, Salt Lake City, 801-363-0608, Mon 10-5:30; Tues-Fri 8-5:30; Sat 10-5 and 1751 S 1100 E, Sugarhouse, 801-746-2208, Mon-Sat 10-6:30.  In the mood for a snack after some serious retro shopping?  Then stop in at Mini’s where authentic retro is as plentiful as cream cheese frosting.  Owner Leslie Fiet has retro in her blood.  She begged her grandma to give her the retro lamp in the basement – at age 11.  80% of her clothes are vintage.  In her shops you’ll enjoy your food on a 50s Formica and chrome table with vinyl chairs, or maybe you’ll curl up on a vintage sofa next to one of those retro lamps.  Mini’s is based on what Fiet remembers as “a better time.”  “My grandma baked everything from scratch.  The way we bake is from the way Grandma would have done it,” she says.  So “come in and sit on Grandma’s couch and eat a cupcake.”  They also have incredible box lunches.  BTW, my favorite cupcake is “The Diva” – dark Belgium chocolate with pink crème cheese frosting.

Now and Again, 501 E. 300 S. Salt Lake City, 801-364-0664, Mon-Fri 10-6; Sat 11-6.  Ask Now and Again owner Michael Sanders to define “retro” and you better be prepared to stay a while.  After all, he has carved a niche in Utah – defining the term via his shop, which is perfectly stuffed with “an eclectic mix of retro, vintage and mid-century modern. . . .”  Those retro lamps you eat by at Mini’s – buy them at Now and Again.  Looking for one of those sofas?  Ditto.  Just about anything you could want for your retro home you’ll find here.  Sanders has designed his store based on his definition of retro: “items from the recent past – whimsical – vibrant colors – forced organic shapes – over the top.  Think orange lamps, kidney tables, turquoise fabric.”  Welcome, Utah, to Now and Again.  

Retro Betty, 2821 S 2300 E, Salt Lake City, 801-467-2222, Mon-Sat 11-7.  One step over the threshold into Retro Betty and you’ll know you’ve come to a “happy place”. . . and one conversation with owner Amanda Parrish will confirm that.  Named after Mad Men character Betty Draper, this small yet incredibly charming shop houses colorful 60s-style home décor, upcycled furniture and amazing retro clothing that’s displayed professionally and priced so you can get a bag-full without draining your wallet.  Parrish says she got her love of vintage from her mom, who took her to flea markets in the South when she was a child.  Retro Betty celebrates its one-year anniversary in September.

Retro Rose, 207 E Broadway (300 S), Salt Lake City, 801-364-7979, Mon-Sat 11-6.  “As long as you have one beautiful thing in each room, you’ll always have a conversation piece,” declares Marci Rasmussen, owner of Retro Rose and the sole buyer for the store – which happens to be overloaded with “conversation pieces.”  It’s like a candy store for retro enthusiasts, and I promise you won’t be able to stop buying at just one piece.  Artfully decorated by color with “out of the ordinary” retro-abilia, Ramussen says her emphasis when purchasing merchandise is on color, quality, and usability.  Retro Rose has been in business for 12 years, and you won’t come away disappointed if you truly love retro.

Sincerely, Cathie

 

 

 

 

GO AHEAD, TAKE A PEEK....... THE AUGUST ISSUE IS OUT!

OKAY, I SEE THE GIRL ON THE BEACH AT SALTAIR, BUT, WOULDN'T YOU RATHER TAKE A LOOK AT

THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE

NEW CENTURY COLLECTOR!

JUST CLICK ON THE FRONT COVER TO GET AN EARLY PEEK

AT OUR AUGUST ISSUE 

 

STROLL ON DOWN AND WISH ELEMENTE' A HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

in·sti·tu·tion (instiˈt(y)o͞oSHən)

a. A custom, practice, relationship, or behavioral pattern of importance in the life of a community or society: b. One long associated with a specified place, position, or function. c. Elemente'.

 

If you like your antiques served with a little common sense, and a side of amity instead of pretention, you're probably  part of the crowd that has spent years  filling their homes with hand picked furnishings from Elemente', Salt Lake City's hippest vintage/retro/resale shop. For more than two decades,  Elemente' has been dishing up the kind of things that were trendy before anyone else knew it.  Making my monthly pilgramage down town to see Kate & Teresa turns is something I always look forward to.  Happy anniversary !

 Stop by and congratulate Kate & Teresa 

Friday (July 19th) as Elemente' celebrates it's

25th anniversary. 

 

6:00 until whenever 

 

Elemente' is located on

Pierpont Avenue and 353 West in Salt Lake City

 

 

MULTI-DENOMINATIONAL WORSHIP..... FLEA MARKET EXTRAVAGANZA! or, God loves a good flea market

For those of us who find antiquing to be a religous experience, Sunday morning was nothing less than zen.  The Urban Flea market at 6th South and Main Street, and the Salt Lake Vintage Flea market on 1300 So. and 5th West both held the kind of services that make you want to set your alarm clock.

UNDER THE TREES AT THE URBAN FLEA MARKET

You couldn't ask for a more fabulous morning to wander around the shady Urban Flea Market in downtown Salt Lake City. Booth after booth offered a nice selection of antiques, and vintage merchandise.  The sun was warm, the vendors friendly, and prices enticing. 

THE MARKET STAFF -  (RIGHT TO LEFT)

 ALEX WOODRUFF,  KATE WHEADON & MICHAEL SANDERS

The farmers Market component added to this years Urban Flea market was offering a selection of early Utah crops, crafts and specialty foods.   

 

SUPER PICKER MICHAEL SOVIC WAS SHOWING OFF AN ANTIQUE

QUACK MEDICAL DEVICE HE FOUND AT THE MARKET

By about 10 o'clock, the sun was starting to get a little angry, and we had done about all of the damage we could do.  We had bought a few goodies, and snacked on fresh cherries as if they were popcorn. So it was time to move down the road for some indoor services

 

KEEP'N THE CONGREGATION COOL

By the time we got to the Salt Lake Vintge Flea Market, we found ourselves saying a little prayer for whoever invented air conditioning. It seems like you could melt just walking from the parking lot to the front door, but step inside, and you'll find they keep this chapel nice & cool.

 FLEA MARKET OWNER EMY MALOUTAS 



Flea Market owners Will Dator & Emy Maloutas can usually be found at the front desk welcoming their parishioners.  Housed in an old warehouse, the place is stuffed with just the kind of goodies that vintage & retro shoppers are looking for. 

AS USUAL, LYN WAS BUSY SHOPPING HER WAY TO NIRVANA

Antiques & collectibles, vintage clothing, records, jewelry, knick knacks & whatzits abound at the SL Vintage Flea Market.  Nice & cool in the summer, and toasty warm in the winter. You just won't find a better place to go to Sunday School.

 

The Urban Flea Market is open throughout the summer, from 9:00 to 3:00 the second

Sunday of the Month.

 

The Salt Lake Vintage Flea Market is open year round, Saturday & Sunday from 10:00 to 4:00.

And, you'll also want to check out

their evening auction,

the first Friday of every month.

 

 

 

 

 





GOING... GOING... GONE!

SINCE THE AUCITON AT THE SALT LAKE VINTAGE FLEAMARKET WAS CANCELLED LAST FRIDAY; WILL, EMY & THE CREW WILL BE BRINGING DOWN THE GAVEL THIS COMING FRIDAY ON WHAT SHOULD BE THEIR BEST LOT OF CONSIGNMENTS TO DATE.

 

THIS AUCTION IS A GREAT WAY TO SPEND A FRIDAY EVENING.  PEOPLE WATCH, EAT LITTLE AND IF YOUR THE BRAVEST BIDDER, TAKE HOME A TREASURE OR TWO!  SEE YOU THERE.

 

click to see a full sized image

 

THE BEST THINGS TO KEEP ON YOUR SHELF.....

Although most collectors share the same love and intrigue of old things, we all seem to approach collecting with different motivations and goals.  For someone it might be an old piece of pottery, just the right color to accent the kitchen, for another, an example to fill in a hole in a burgeoning collection. Some are intrigued by historical context, and still others collect with an eye toward investment. Having been at it for 25 years, I have accumulated objects that fit into each of these categories. And I long ago, learned that there is no "right" way, or reason to   collect. Each collector finds his own way.

 

As the years have past, our house seems to have become engorged with things we thought we just had to have. Shelves and cupboards house collections of things that caught our fancy at one time or another, becoming roommates of objects strewn throughout the house for decorative purposes. But, on a couple of shelves, in one small cabinet, lives a small menagerie of things that distinguish themselves from the others, and which for me, characterize the most essential part of collecting. You might call them our "memories shelves".  Residing there are Lyn's grandmothers watch, my fathers baby bowl; the sole survivor of a fire that took the family home in 1930. A cherished chalkware cow, which was a favorite childhood plaything, left to me by my grandmother, another grandmothers beaded bag, a collection of miniature hat boxes gifted to my ever bald grandfather by his haberdashers, and a 1950's rocket ship bank which ate coins as we amused ourselves around the kitchen table.  The house is full of things that we've acquired,  but these are the shelves that contain the things we value.Much like old photographs, journals and other documents, personal possessions left behind can help  preserve our family memories. 

 

 

I never saw my grandfather outside of his home, that he was not sporting a stylish chapeau.  Nothing could remind me more of him than the little collection of miniature hat boxes which I found in his bedroom dresser after his death. And don't forget, memories come in big packages as well. That dresser, along with it's matching dressing table, now reside in my bedroom, keeping my grandparents a constant presence in our lives. 

 

And if you're lucky, your affinity for old family objects will become trans-generational.  My grandson Alec keeps me   constantly aware of my promise to pass along that rocket ship bank.  He'll share a few memories too, we still take it out of the cabinet once in a while, and amuse ourselves as we sit around the kitchen table and feed it coins.

 

For our blog readers that follow Cathie's "Sincerely Vintage" column in the collector, here is her article from our July issue.

 

SINCERELY VINTAGE

  by Cathie Cox

I’m all a-flutter for junk. I just spent the past few hours with a bolt cutter performing surgery on a deliciously rusty set of bedsprings, preparing them to be used individually in all manner of DIY projects. At least now, the old bedsprings won’t be propped up against the side of the garage, and my house will look a tad less like a salvage yard for a few days – until I bring home the next deliciously rusty prop up in its place.  Actually, it might only be a day until the slot gets filled again, since we’re heading out in the morning for my second trip in a week to Nephi, home of Picker’s Paradise - Larry Ray’s Heaven-on-earth for junkers. I got to know Larry a little when he was a vendor at our flea market, fleattitude last month. Larry’s the guy with the twinkle in his eye and the good stuff that everybody wants in his booth.  Pedal cars, road signs, rotary telephones, traffic signals (yup, the real kind), rusty wagons and more rust – lots of rust.



 

After seeing what treasures Larry had in his flea market booth I just had to see “paradise” for myself. . . so a friend and I set out earlier this week with an empty SUV, some leather gloves and a few cold drinks and made the trek to Nephi. We were not disappointed. In the least. Here’s a partial list of our haul:

 

* Two old sewing machines, one totally rusted. Several faucet handles. A double bike basket, the kind that goes over the back fender. One wire shopping cart, the old kind. A basket full of ornate door knobs. Several glass bottles. Two Chevrolet emblems. Two feet for a cast iron tub. One rusty bucket. A couple of huge rusty hinges. A small painted wood drawer. A minnow bucket. Two rake heads, very useful for hanging jewelry. And a very old Frigidaire refrigerator.

 

Oooh – it was a good day for junkin’.So. . . what is this newfound attraction to stuff that used to be tagged to go to the landfill? Junk seems to be popping up everywhere the past few years, and in well-respected antique circles to boot. Take, for example, Junk Bonanza, Junk Salvation and Funky Junk. . . all flea markets ranked among the best in the country (in Minnesota, Washington state and Idaho, respectively). There are books about junking. A few of my favorites are the “Junk” series by Mary Randolph Carter; Found, Free, and Flea: Creating Collections from Vintage Treasures by Tereasa Surratt; and The Salvage Sisters’ Guide to Finding Style in the Street and Inspiration in the Attic by Hackett and Young. There’s even a Facebook page and blog that represents a guy’s perspective on junking, Junk Nation Review. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. . . or, perhaps a better analogy is that this is just the junk we can see from the curb, not even touching what’s in the garage, the yard or the shed.Curious as to exactly why junk is America’s newest antiques darling,” I put out the question to some fellow junkers. Their replies were eerily similar.* “Simply said, we live in a disposable world nowadays. I love collecting and junking because it reminds me of my grandparents and simpler times. Getting something new was a real treat back in those times. I treasure my vintage finds as they spark memories of my awesome childhood".

 

* “I think that our history and heritage is being lost in the new generation and it's so important. There are certain things that I feel like we need to keep in order for those who come after us know what it was like for those who came before us".* “My grandparents are gone and there were 90 grandchildren to share with, so I watch for things they had so I can have them too. My most treasured item from my grandpa is an old chew can. Smells like grandpa, I love it, cried when my sister found it".* “When I see a piece that resembles something we had when I was a child I want it. It is my "comfort quilt" in this crazy busy world. I miss Mayberry".

 

There was another stream of thought in the replies I got. This one along the line of how junking is “green” and affordable, and how we can turn our junk-treasures into something “more” than what they originally were: “The creativity of people absolutely blows my mind!! Junking is a new art form and I love seeing what people do with things that would otherwise be destined for the landfills.  Personally, I have always been a "Junkie,  but I think the recent surge has been spawned from the recession: people are getting more creative with less, to make money, or help make ends meet.  Or, just finding fun and inexpensive ways to feed their addictions, create art, etc. Right now I am making some very cool bathroom towel hangers out of cement finishing tools. . . ha – who would of thought?!".

 

So. . . what do I think about all this? I love antiques that show their age. Love the rust, the dents, the chipping paint, the frayed edges. I love things that are not perfect. Things that have earned their place in the world by having been here for a while. I love my “new” rusty sewing machine that was likely cast off when a newer, sleeker model came along. I think I’ll hang onto it to remind me of all good things from years past. I miss Mayberry, too.

 

WHAT? MARILYN MONROE WITH THE COLLECTOR......

ISN'T THAT ONE OF EARL MORAN'S MARILYN MONROE PIN UPS? READING THE NEW CENTURY COLLECTOR?

WELL, IT DOESN'T SURPISE ME.....

EVERYBODY READS THE COLLECTOR.

 

Check out the new July issue, and find out all about

Marilyn Monroe & famed pin up artist Earl Moran.

 

THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE  NEW CENTURY COLLECTOR WILL BE IN YOUR FAVORITE ANTIQUES OR VINTAGE SHOP THIS WEEKEND!

 

But of course, if you just can't wait, to ahead and take an early peek at the new issue right now!

 

JUST GIVE THE FRONT COVER A LITTLE CLICK