September 12th

Today is the day that we've been waiting for, for nearly 2 yrs.  Natural Born Dealers premieres on the Discovery Channel in Canada!

September 10th

I got the Joe Sofa!  Actually, my dad got it whilst I was busy with show stuff.  In any case, it's all mine.  I can't thank Roberto Navarro enough.  He knew how badly I wanted it and gave us a great deal.  If you're looking for some wonderful high end mid century pieces, you can visit his shop on King St in downtown Toronto.  

Can you tell how much I love it?

Now, I just have to find a place to put it!

September 8th

On Tuesday, the Brimfield Antique Show began it's third and final show of the season.  This large show, made up of countless smaller shows is the largest in the States and many say (including myself : ) the largest in the world.  It's truly amazing; a one stop shop for everything unique and interesting.

All winter I look forward to the 3 shows at Brimfield - May, July and September.

The only thing that can make the shows less than amazing is the weather.  When we set up in May we had a week of sunshine.   Unfortunately, this week in September wasn't quite as nice - actually it was horrible.  Rain, rain, rain.  The number of people walking around were not nearly what they would have been had the weather been great, but there was still some amazing items for sale and the best of the best items, priced right, were selling.

Industrial was the biggest theme (again) with some items that I just had to look at and say 'how on earth could someone get that here?'  Seriously, some of the stuff is Massive!  Beyond the overwhelming number of Industrial dealers, there was some other great design, from artists creating original works to antique pieces reworked, 'real' antiques, modern items and so on.

Had I not had to drive all the way to Toronto yesterday, I could have easily filled a van full...I guess I'll have to wait to May...or maybe i'll find some stuff in Toronto or on my way home.

Click HERE for nearly 100 amazing Brimfield Pics!

Here's just a sampling...

September 5th

We are on the Discovery Channel Homepage!  very exciting.

here are some other links to keep those interested in the show busy:

recent interview on Toronto CP24: http://watch.discoverychannel.ca/clip517598#clip517598

recent article on msn.ca: http://money.ca.msn.com/small-business/insight/lessons-from-the-‘pawn-stars’

recent canadian press release: http://ctvmedia.ca/discovery/

canadian press release: http://realscreen.com/2011/06/23/discovery-canada-commissions-three-new-shows/

FL ABC7 article: http://www.abc-7.com/story/14478025/2011/04/19/tv-show-filimg-at-cape-antiques-shop

CapeCoral.com article: http://www.capecoral.com/content/antique-business-bringing-national-tv-show-cape-coral-week

and, the Discovery Channel show page: http://www.discoverychannel.ca/showpage.aspx?sid=34751

For all you sneakerheads out there, in the CP24 interview, if you have a look at my feet you can see a vintage pair of OG Jordan 1s from 1985.  

And, later this week on Canada AM you'll see some 1985 Sky Jordans.  Awesome. 

Sept. 4th

This morning I sent Dad to the copy shop to make a couple thousand of these flyers (click to enlarge) to hand out at Brimfield to promote 'Born Dealers' (finally, we're able!).  I was pretty happy with my work on the flyer and then the mail main came and dropped of a box of a couple thousand of these super fancy postcards with our awesome vintage motorcycle jacket style font and on the back a whole 'Jerry and Jerry are a modern day Sanford & son' with the silly line about us having bought a civil war era cannon (which we never did do) that keeps appearing in press releases and on the DiscoveryChannel.ca website.

Anyways, now we have 2 things to hand out.

I also made some kick-ass t-shirts (1st time i've ironed in a very long time) to wear at Brimfield and at the Toronto Antique show that we're going to try and make it to on Saturday.
Hopefully, at both shows we'll be able to get some people excited and ready to watch in Canada this week and in the states just over 2 months.

September 1st

When I was in Toronto a few weeks back, as I was walking up and down King and Queen St, going into any and every shop, I saw a chair/sofa that I've dreamed about owning since I was a little kid (well before my love of modern furniture had developed).  It's called the Joe sofa and is basically a giant vintage looking baseball glove that seats 2-3 people.   the version that I saw was from the 1970s/80s in a great worn tan leather in overall pretty decent condition (not quite as this one pictured).  It was in a shop filled with high end italian and french items costing hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars.  The Joe definitely stood out from the rest of the items in the shop, and not only because of it's giant scale.  Knowing that a new Joe cost $8K+ I was expecting this chair in this shop to be in the $5000+ range, so when the owner told me that he was asking $2500 all I could think was, 'How can I get this home?'  Being that I was flying home on an 18 person plane, that wasn't an option and I knew shipping would cost hundreds if not more, so I let it go...

...and then today I called to see if it was still available, and IT IS!

How is there no one in Toronto that loves this chair as much as I do?

Hopefully, when I head up next week, we can make a deal.

August 31st

Good Monday!  I wish I was in Canada to see the promos for 'Natural Born Dealers', but i'm stuck here in Maine for another week or so.

This morning I got an email from someone that frequents our website (PasternakAntiques.blogspot.com) and has a pair of great chairs that she wants to sell, but like so many people that contact me on a daily basis they want super high, city retail.  Seriously, why on earth would anyone contact me, knowing that I'm in the business of reselling, and think that I'd consider paying more for something than I could sell it for?  Total insanity!  In any case, I did what always do, and made an offer for what I could pay.  In this case, it was less than half of what the seller wanted.  I know a lot of buyers wouldn't have bothered for one of two reasons: a) they don't want to insult a seller, and b) they don't think there's any chance that a seller would accept their offer - BUT, the simple truth is that sometimes sellers like to start super high, but they're willing to take a fraction of what they're asking (myself included on occasion) if no one bites for retail...or 80% of retail, or 60% of retail.  I just have to wait it out.  I don't mind doing that : )  

Post Numbero Uno

There is no better day to start this blog than today.  It's August 28th and it's grey as ever here in Maine, but at least the 'Hurricane of the Century' that was set to hit today hasn't lived up to the hype.  Overcast and drizzling is far better for the Warehouse of Wonders than an inch of rain falling per hour with 100+ mph winds.  But, enough about the weather.

The purpose of this blog is to share my thoughts on antiques, art, design and anything else that I think the viewers of 'Natural Born Dealers' would enjoy reading.  So, let's start blogging!

Yesterday, I visited Portland, ME for one of my favorite events of the summer, the Picnic Arts and Music Festival.

Unlike the majority of art shows that I attend in FL and New England where the artists are in their 50s+ and go from show to show, many of whom ask stupidly expensive prices for their work (in some cases for really amazing work), Picnic is very much the opposite.  It's crafty, but in a good way; and it's young, in a hip way.   Most of the vendors are in their 20s and 30s, recent art and design school grads and some self taught artists, likely working 2nd jobs to fuel their passion.  The pieces that they're making AND selling (I stress this because so many 'artists' don't sell much of anything) are what young people want - custom Ts and graphic blockprints, funky jewely; there was even a guy taking great tin-type photographs (an archaic form of photographer, but a look and method that can't be matched) developed whilst customers walked around; and most items were in the $10 to $40 range.  

I saw so many things that I would love to have had and talking with the artist's as the share their inspiration only makes you want to purchase one of their items even more.  $10 here, $50 there, money and items were changing hand at a feverish place.

Next year, I will most certainly be setting up at Picnic to sell some of my original designs.

Of course, I forgot my camera in the car, so I don't have pics of all the great vendors, but you can see some of last yrs HERE.

After Picnic, I walked down Congress street into the heart of Portland.  There was another art show going on (a 'majority' show as mentioned above) and I walked right through it without stopping.  My only stop was at a store that sells new mid century classics.  Typically, i'd only go in to see what a new saarinen tulip chair or arco lamp is selling for so that I can completely blow my client's minds when i mention 'New, they're $2000; i'm selling vintage with a history for $300'; on this occasion I went in because of the 'Moving' sign on the door and one of the neatest pieces, a Bertoia Asymmetric Lounge, in the window.

Retail is close to $7K, the moving price was $2500 and I offered $1500 cash and left my card.  Now, $2500 might sound like an amazing deal being that it's nearly 1/3rd of the original price and $1500 might sound like a steal, but for myself to pay $1500, i'd have to expect to sell it for $2500+ and honestly, I don't know if that's possible.  Of all of the Knoll pieces designed by Harry Bertoia  I've never sold a vintage piece for more than 60% of the price of a new one, and bertoia side chairs regularly sell for 1/4 of the price of a new one ($$125-150 vs $700).   I think if I had the asymmetric lounge in my warehouse marked $2500, because it's so radical (why I like it), it might be years before I sell it.  That being said, I really like it and if the call and say that I can have it for $1500, i'll be driving back to Portland tomorrow.

Phew!  That's the numbers game I play on a daily basis.  Even if I love something, unless I can make 30% on it immediately (and 75-200% over time) I have to pass.