Treasure Hunt

Are antique shows dead? Not if Frank Gaglio has anything to say about them. A respected dealer and promoter for over 30 years he created BarnStar Productions. He has his work cut out for him.

If you haven't been out to an antique show lately, you might be in for a shock. Long lines are long gone. Times where 200 people would wait for the gates to open like the Great Oklahoma Land Rush are a thing of the past.  The NY Triple Pier Antique Expo is down to one sad pier filled with clothes that look like somebody emptied a Salvation Army. At the last Wilton show in the high school auditorium there were 5 people in line, three thought there was a basketball game.

But wait, in all fairness the booths inside had lots of great merchandise, fairly priced. Like this excellent United Cigar sign from Michael Friedman and Donna Vita. 

Times have changed.  Collector tastes have changed. The pewter, quilt, clock and glassware market is over.

"Let's go to Jason’s and hang out, he just got an antique colonial blunderbuss to die for." Said nobody, ever. 

What do collectors want these days? The interest is certainly there. The most popular shows on TV are American Pickers and Pawn Stars. 

It might help to remember the 40 year rule. You want stuff you grew up seeing, had at one time, or was just out of reach 40 years ago.  Popular culture helps. Early Sony TPSL-2 Walkmans took off as the main character used one in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie. They shot up from roughly $6 to $400 overnight.

Crazy looking, great folk art and colorful fun signs. Think a Tilt-a-Whirl carnival sign as opposed to a Prudential Insurance plaque.

Road Runners, GTO's and muscle cars just keep rising in value. Until the day they don't.  We have all seen the estimates on items from Antiques Roadshow in 1999 compared to 2015. Everything cratered by 50% in valuation.

So here is what Mr. Gaglio has in mind at Rhinebeck . No early buying, just get a ticket and get in. He has completely filled the three huge agricultural buildings with dealers. He is advertising the event in newspapers and buying billboard space. 

New energy. And It sounds really promising.   The treasure hunt is back!

Rhinebeck Antique Show at the Duchess County Fairgrounds, May 23 and 24th.

http://www.barnstar.com/    

Cocktails with Noel

Dispatch from the Campbell Apt, sitting next to the John Campbell cast iron safe now in the fireplace at the Moroccan themed temple that was his private office in Grand Central Station. The cozy warmth of old money heats you better than a Presto Log. 

We are with Noel Barrett. Noel knows the collectible and antique field better than anyone. He owns a great auction house, he's a regular on Antiques Roadshow and was best friends with Ward Kimball (creator of Pinoccio) who, in turn, was Walt Disney's best friend.

We were able to remember three things from the conversation:

1. Noel always carries a couple of Roman coins with him. They are over 2000 years old. Worth about $6 each. Point being:  Just cause it's old don't mean it's worth something. Age does not equate value or beauty. Applies to everything collectible.

2. The 40 year rule is still going strong.  People want to collect what they saw as a kid and could not get hold of. So go back 40 years from the age of the collector and see what he is after. Roadrunner's, Pontiac GTO's, Dodge Charger's. Model T Fords not so much. Makes sense.

What kid in Brooklyn is going to score with an old clock collection or Roy Rogers memorabilia? That's over and should be treated as such. Old junk.  

3. So what should we buy today that was made back in the 1980's?   Noel:  The mistakes. The one offs, like a Soundman tv worn on the wrist, a souvenir ashtray memorializing the Three Mile Island cooling towers. Smoke rises lazily out from the towers. A gasoline powered surfboard. Any old Sony products that use cassettes. Think Guardians of the Galaxy and the main character using a Sony TPSL-2. Little tv's that sat on a desk.

That's all for now.