Central Kentucky Antiques and Collectibles

By Nessa Conley Speirs on assignment for CentralKentuckyAntiques.com

Copyright 2011 Kimberly Clay

“We’ve been to a lot of auctions, but we can actually understand you!”

Bluegrass Auction and Appraisal Owner Filson Graham on the Success of his Business

THE BEGINNING

In 1999, Filson Graham qualified for early retirement and started Bluegrass Auction and Appraisal, the modest auction business he had been dreaming about since he saw his first auction at age 19. “I immediately fell in love with it. It was almost like a sporting event to me. It had that competitive feel to it, and that stage theater feel to it. I said, ‘When I grow up, that’s what I want to do.’”

Then, his business enjoyed widespread media coverage when he was hired to handle the estate of the late Jim Varney, comedian and actor, most widely known for his portrayal of the iconic Ernest P. Worrell in movies like “Ernest Goes to Camp” and “Ernest Saves Christmas”.

The media coverage from that event helped to put Bluegrass Auction and Appraisal on the map, but Graham says his business’ enduring success has little to do with it. “If I could afford putting my name on the billboards and color pull-outs and brochures it would do nothing more than people telling people,” he says. “Ninety-five percent of what I do is because a friend has heard of me, or a past client.”

THE PROCESS

Graham has done numerous estate sales, and not all of them include or focus on antiques. Going into people’s homes and selling their things means he ends up with a gamut, from fine home furnishings down to farm equipment out of garages. Many of the items from estates happen to be period antiques, but that isn’t a prerequisite.

Graham’s process involves first consulting with potential clients about the estates. He says many of those client prospects expect him to come in and tell them how he does things. That’s not how he operates. Approaching each job with an attitude of never knowing what’s going to happen helps him be more flexible for his clients; so instead of having a “process”, he lets his clients tell him what they want. In some cases, they want more control over the estate, going through it themselves and giving him only what they decide to sell–in other cases, clients don’t want to deal with anything; they hand him the reins. It is in these cases, he says, that many of the most interesting, and most valuable, items are found.

“It’s when we find things in drawers when we’re packing up the estate,” he says. He recounted one such situation, in which he stumbled across an antique silver coffee pot. “Anything can be engraved with anything,” he says, so he didn’t pay much attention to the year–1846–engraved on the inside. It was when he saw the letters “Lex, KY” stamped on the bottom that he invited a colleague, an expert in coin silver, to look at it, and was told it could sell for up to ten thousand dollars. In the end, it garnered $25,000!

This is the story he tells people who worry that their item will go to auction and only sell for five dollars. He reassures them by telling them that auctions bring in a “group of people that have enough knowledge that they are going to bid a fair price.”

THE “JOB”

Graham’s actual job description is “a little fuzzy”. He sometimes finds himself in more roles than simply “businessman”. Quite often, his clients are in stressful situations when they contact him, as in the death of a loved one, and tensions can run high. It is in these moments that he finds himself in the role of counselor and confidante in order to make the client’s overall experience with the auction process as pleasant and efficient as possible.

He also feels a great responsibility to expose the excitement of the auction to as many new faces as he can. He still puts modest ads in the newspaper, but with a decided effort to use contemporary forms of marketing and communication, he has expanded his word-of-mouth campaign to include social media tools like Facebook and Twitter. He also posts regularly to Craigslist online classifieds, and he now offers bidding by phone and internet. “I grew up with auctions. To me it was such a natural way to acquire things and liquidate things… I was in the minority. I made it my pledge: I want [people] to know about auctions. I want them to enjoy mine, to enjoy other people’s…it does become a little social center. We have so many people that have their ‘auction friends’.”

Graham says his business has had ups and downs, and that things have definitely gotten tighter since the onset of the current recession and auction prices dropped; however, Bluegrass Auction and Appraisal continues on — “people still passed away, there were still estates to be sold.” And so far, his job continues to surprise him. His favorite time is when he’s walking up to a potential client’s door, the second before he knocks. “You have no idea what’s on the other side of that door—to me that’s the most rewarding part of what I do. They look to me to give them insight on what to do.”

Filson Graham spent forty-five minutes on the phone with me, positively beaming about his business, and it’s clear why. His desire to help clients and auctiongoers in any way he can runs as deep as his love for the spirit and thrill of the auction. “We have just grown, quite frankly, beyond my wildest dreams. I am extremely proud of this business.”

We invite you to visit Bluegrass Auction and Appraisal LLC:

Bluegrass Auction and Appraisal LLC
1387 East New Circle Road
Lexington, Kentucky 40505
Phone: (859) 389-8650
Mobile: (859) 552-8488
Fax: (859) 389-8660
Website: http://www.bluegrassauction.com
Email: Contact Bluegrass Auction and Appraisal

Nessa Conley Speirs is a freelance writer based out of Pittsburgh; she has a Bachelor of Arts in writing from Metropolitan State College of Denver and is working toward a Masters of Fine Arts in writing from Carlow University. She has had work published in a number of online and print publications and is currently a writer for the Hillman Center for the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh. A lover of thrifting, vintage kitsch, and antiques, she is thrilled to have the opportunity to write for CentralKentuckyAntiques.com.

Copyright 2011

Many people find collecting vintage and antique cookbooks a fascinating hobby or pastime, and some prefer to collect old recipes using specific ingredients or for types of food. Yet others love the sheer historical significance of many of the recipes, and also the language that is used.

While lovers of history may not be so much interested in tasting the delicacy concocted from “A Receipt For Dormouse Pye”, they would certainly avidly devour the language and how it was spelled in these bygone days. So collecting antique cookbooks with ‘recipe’ spelled as ‘receipt’ holds different forms of fascination for different people, although for each, the triumph in coming across yet another olde cookbook is worth all the searching and hunting involved in the chase.

In general, books are never defined as antique, they are simply ‘rare’ although a collector of rare books is known as an antiquarian. Nevertheless, when referring to popular books on specific subjects, particularly crafts, pastimes and hobbies, including household books, anything over about 75 years could be referred to as antique, and vintage to anything 25 years old or more.

Many collect antique cookbooks in general, while others tend to specialize on specific types of recipes, such as recipes for vegetables, for beef or for Christmas cakes. Some collect cookbooks by particular authors, and other for specific ethnic foods, such as Japanese recipes or Native American recipes. In such cases they will devour cookbooks until they find the recipes they are seeking, and then copy them, because it is not the book they are seeking but the list of ingredients and instructions on how to combine them and cook them.

Antique cookbooks, in particular, offer us an insight into the rudimentary nature of the equipment our forebears used, and how they often had to fly by the seat of their pants to get perfect results. There would be no cooking temperatures, for example, simply instructions such as 60 minutes in slow oven, or 20 minutes at the bottom of a fast oven. Imagine yourself trying to get good results with instructions such as these.

However, back to actually collecting antique and veteran cookbooks, and the recipes that they contain. Once you have started on your collecting, you may decide to specialize, and focus on specific ingredients, foodstuffs or even authors. As with the recipe-hunters, you will seek not individual recipes, but entire books based upon your specialty. Because of the large number of cookbooks and recipe books published over the years, this should not be difficult to do, but for the older cookbooks, you may also have to look in the right places.

Sometimes yard sales and garage sales are good sources, in fact anywhere you would go to find old stuff in general. Old antique stores, the ones that look more like junk shops will be more profitable than carefully laid out antique boutiques with individual items individually displayed. No bargains there – and likely no cookbooks either!

There are also many excellent old bookstores to be found, where everything looks old and dusty and is an absolute treasure trove for lovers of old antique cookbooks. The Cookbook Collector and the Cookbook Collectors’ newsletter are also good sources.

If you tend to look through sales and auction catalogs, it’s important that you know the lingo, and here are some definitions that might help you:

As New: this could be new or just looks new. There is not a mark on it, and none of the pages have been thumbed (or seem to have been). If you collect coins, it’s the equivalent of ‘mint condition.’ Any dust-jacket is perfect. (sometimes written AN)

Fine: Again basically apparently unused, but perhaps a bit older looking through natural deterioration. The pages might be limper and the dust-jacket marked. (F, FN).

Very Good: Excellent condition, but showing some signs of wear. It is not torn, but has obviously been read at least once. (VG)

Good: An average book that has been well used, but is complete without any missing pages. It is a cookbook that has been lovingly used to cook for the family or the ‘master’. A useable copy as opposed to a book for a collection. (G)

Fair: A book that is quite worn and obviously well used. The important pages are all there, but some may be damaged and the end-papers and the title page may be missing. The cover might also show some wear or damage. (F)

Poor: Only of use as a reading copy: pages can be loose and the binding damaged. Some illustrations may be missing, and the cover could be badly damaged or perhaps even missing. No good for collecting, but fantastic for recipe-hunters because nobody buys them.

Armed with this information, you can visit antique stores, attend auctions and leaf though the catalogs of up-market bookstores. However, you can also find a great deal online, and Alibris and the book catalogs of Amazon, Google Books and Apple’s iPad store can often offer some great deals on old cookbooks. Also check online for lists of antique cookbooks in the public domain.

Collecting antique and vintage cookbooks is a fascinating hobby, whether you specialize or simply collect antique cookery books. You should have a long and rewarding interest and your family might also benefit when you try out some of your finds. Don’t forget to ask grandma about her cookbooks!

By Nessa Conley Speirs, on assignment for CentralKentuckyAntiques.com
Copyright 2010

In an era that is characterized by rapid technological advances, where almost all of our products are plastic or metal and our clothing is synthetic, it may seem like history is slipping away in favor of computer screens, instant updates and iPhone apps.

But a dose of centuries-old charm, a respite from the constant barrage of modernity and trendiness, is easily found at Shelbyville’s preeminent antique dealer: The family-owned-and-operated Wakefield-Scearce Galleries.

The Wakefield-Scearce Galleries are operated out of Science Hill, a member of the National Register of Historic Places; indeed, a customer seeing the Galleries for the first time might feel as if he is stepping into a Charles Dickens novel. The front entrance greets shoppers with white pillars. The rooms are decorated with finely crafted antique goods. Chandeliers drip light from the ceilings, and in early November of each year, the Wakefield-Scearce Galleries welcome the holiday season with a three-day Christmas Gala, drawing crowds of antique- and history-lovers alike, some from hours away.

Composed of 78 rooms, a total of more than 32,000 square feet, Science Hill is a fitting location for purveyors of such fine English furniture; it was, in the 1800s, a prep school for girls, a venue for learning not only of reading, writing, and etiquette but also of the sciences (hence the name). The website calls the Galleries “genteel”, trumpeting them as “a fitting monument to a place so rich with history…”

Founded in 1947 by Mark Wakefield and Mark Scearce, the Wakefield-Scearce Galleries remains in the Scearce family and specializes in fine antique English furniture. It is currently operated by Patrick Burnett, son-in-law of Mark Scearce.

Burnett, who came to operate Wakefield-Scearce about thirty years ago from a background as an industrial engineer, stuck around because of a true love of finding, collecting, and placing beautiful antiques; he speaks of his collection almost reverently.

“Something about it…” he begins when asked why he chose to stay in the antique business. “You get to deal with beautiful collectible things and hopefully place them in homes where they’ll be enjoyed and passed on to their children.”

And certainly, these pieces are meant to be enjoyed for generations. Some of them date back to the 1700s and are valued at tens of thousands of dollars. Each of them possessing that “warm and classic” styling that Burnett describes, they’re worth every penny.

“I love wooden tea caddies,” says Burnett when asked about his favorite items. “They come in every shape and size and form. They were such a simplistic thing but were in most households. They came up with these little boxes with a lock on them for their tea,” he says, adding a gentle reminder that tea was not always easy to come by.

And his favorite, most memorable item? “Well, there are so many,” he says with a laugh. “One of the smaller American pieces I’ve had was a spoon by the silversmith Paul Revere. That was kinda fun.”

As the person in charge of the day-to-day operations of the galleries, Burnett is the embodiment of Kentucky’s particularly welcoming brand of southern hospitality. “It’s a nice day to come and spend a pleasant day in the country,” he says, inviting me for a visit. “We have a dining room that serves lunch daily, fine Kentucky cuisine. Julia Childs once called it the finest fried chicken lunch in the United States.” That may be the case, but there’s a great deal more to appreciate than the fried chicken.

We invite you to visit Wakefield-Scearce Galleries:

Wakefield-Scearce Galleries
525 Washington Street
Shelbyville, Kentucky USA
Website: http://www.wakefieldscearce.com
Phone: (502) 633-4382
Email: info@wakefieldscearce.com
Hours of Operation: Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST | Closed Sundays

Nessa Conley Speirs is a freelance writer based out of Pittsburgh; she has a Bachelor of Arts in writing from Metropolitan State College of Denver and is working toward a Masters of Fine Arts in writing from Carlow University. She has had work published in a number of online and print publications and is currently a writer for the Hillman Center for the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh. A lover of thrifting, vintage kitsch, and antiques, she is thrilled to have the opportunity to write for CentralKentuckyAntiques.com.

By Nessa Conley Speirs, on assignment for CentralKentuckyAntiques.com
Copyright 2010

Travelers from Cincinnati are greeted by a giant water tower near I-75 South proclaiming the phrase, “Florence, Y’all”– a perfect southern welcome to the town that plays host to the Burlington Antique Show. Every summer season the show brings together more than two hundred antique dealers, collectors, and visitors for, in the words of Tony Pham, current show owner and manager, “a great, friendly show.”

Pham, who has had sole responsibility for the family-run business since his father-in-law retired in 2004, had a lot to say about the show when I got the chance to speak to him about it.

“We’re very fortunate to be in that area,” he says of Florence, a highly centralized town drawing crowds not only from Kentucky but from a handful of neighboring states. “The Midwest is such a great place to collect.”

While Pham seems well aware of how fortunate he is to be surrounded by so many avid collectors, those in the area near Florence probably don’t know how fortunate they are to have someone as passionate about antiques, and as loyal to the business, as Pham at the helm.

Pham, who got to know the area through his wife, has lived there for ten years; he describes Kentucky’s rolling hills region as “picturesque”. A self-proclaimed antique lover and former resident of Chicago, Pham admits to now rising at three a.m. on show days to prepare for the event.

I asked him how the show came about. While the love of collecting is pervasive in this environment, a sense of entrepreneurialism seems more the culprit for the antique show’s conception: “There was a need and a trend that was going on at that time; my mother-in-law used to go and collect and shop antiques… and my father-in-law thought it was a good time to start one up.”

And fill a need it did– the show started with only forty dealers committed to the event, and since then has expanded to draw in excess of two hundred antique dealers each season, each one contributing to the eclectic diversity of the collection.

One dealer, he says, claims to have run across an antique hand-woven miniature Longaberger basket for $500, which was later appraised at the Antiques Roadshow at $7,000. “You can always find a great piece at a great price if you’re willing to come out and shop and bargain.”

Though thousands of items come to the Boone County Fairgrounds for the antique show every year, Pham has a soft spot for retro mid-century pieces. He describes one of his recent favorites, now taking up residence in his kitchen– a 1940s candy store register: “the highest item would only go up to $1.99,” he says, chuckling. “It’s a great vintage piece, you can put that right in your home. We use it to keep change in.”

Re-purposing antiques seems to be gaining popularity. “I think we’re starting to pique the interest of my generation… we see more and more young people coming out. I think they [re-purpose] more nowadays than in the past.”

The main reason he says he took over the reigns? “New blood,” he says, noting that when his father-in-law retired, he wanted to keep the show– which is closing in on its thirtieth year of operation– in the family.

I asked him if another generation will continue Burlington Antique Show’s decades-long legacy. “I think I have plenty of time left,” he laughs. Collectors can rest assured– Tony Pham isn’t going anywhere.

His advice for new visitors to his show is to come out ready to shop and bargain. “Don’t hesitate to ask if they can do a little bit better,” he says, encouraging a bit of fearlessness in antique shoppers. “People are very nice… if you like something enough, they’ll make it worth your while.”

It seems like just visiting the Burlington Antique Show, nestled in its “picturesque” corner of Kentucky– and perhaps getting a chance to meet and talk with Tony Pham– are worthwhile enough.

For more information on the Burlington Antique Show, visit their website at http://www.burlingtonantiqueshow.com, or contact them through the following:

BURLINGTON ANTIQUE SHOW
P.O. BOX 58367
CINCINNATI, OHIO 45258
(513) 922 – 6847

Nessa Conley Speirs is a freelance writer based out of Pittsburgh; she has a Bachelor of Arts in writing from Metropolitan State College of Denver and is working toward a Masters of Fine Arts in writing from Carlow University. She has had work published in a number of online and print publications and is currently a writer for the Hillman Center for the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh. A lover of thrifting, vintage kitsch, and antiques, she is thrilled to have the opportunity to write for CentralKentuckyAntiques.com.

Copyright 2010

Many find that collecting vintage Christmas cards offers them a good insight into the customs of this time of year over the ages. Not only that but they can choose from a massive range, and it has been calculated that every American household sends 28 Christmas cards each year. In the UK, sales of greeting cards outstrip those of coffee and tea combined, and if you are seeking innovation then the UK is regarded as being 10 years ahead of the rest of the world in Christmas card design.

After all, that is where it all started. When noted artist John Calcott Horsley printed the very first Christmas card back in 1843 for friend and businessman Sir Henry Cole, he had no idea of the worldwide custom he was about to launch. 2,050 copies of this same card, showing a Christmas scene and people carrying out charitable acts, were put on public sale at Felix Summerly’s Treasure House in Bond Street, London, England, for one shilling – a significant sum of money in these days. One of these was sold in the UK in 2001 for £22,250 ($29,392.75 USD), a world record for a Christmas card.

The first Christmas stamp was the 1898 Canadian 2-cent Mercator ‘Map’ stamp that was coincidentally issued at Christmas and printed “Xmas 1898″ due to a long story connected with Queen Victoria, too long to relate here. That too is much prized, although it’s a pity that you will never see the two together.

Those collecting vintage Christmas cards will certainly be very unlikely to come across either of these, but from these two ‘firsts’ grew a huge worldwide industry that involved printers, artists and poets worldwide vying to have their design and verse included on the top-selling cards of their day.

There is still a very wide choice of vintage greeting cards available today ranging in price from a few dollars to thousands. The ‘Golden Age’ is regarded as being from the 1840s to the 1890s and Christmas cards of this era are bought and sold at very high prices.

Collectors of the more expensive cards particularly prize those that are made in specific shapes, such as half-moons and circles, and also particularly prized are those designed by famous artists. When Christmas cards became in vogue in the later Victorian years, many artists wanted their names associated with the designs on the front, and as many poets wanted their poems penned on and inside them.

Of particular interest are the 20th century poem cards sent out by Robert Frost to his friends, and ordinary collectors should keep an eye out for the cards printed by Louis Prang. L. Prang & Co. was America’s premier Christmas card printer until cheap imitations and mass production priced him out of business. Prang cards can still be found and are very popular with collectors.

Some collectors focus on specific themes: Santa Claus, snow scenes or robins, often displayed posting cards after the nickname ‘robins’ given to the red-uniformed postmen of the day. Others collect verses written by specific poets or designed by their favorite artists. Irrespective of the theme you prefer, you are sure to find a good selection of Christmas cards if you know where to look.

Collecting vintage Christmas cards, whether as an investment or just for fun as a hobby, is a highly entertaining and interesting pastime, and the following tips should help you find a whole range of Christmas cards that you can add to your collection. EBay is always a good source of any collectible, and is often the first port of call for people when they first begin collecting. However, there is more to the Internet than just eBay, and a visit to one of the online Greeting Cards Museum will give a good background on vintage Christmas Cards, and also a few ads on where to find them.

Although seeking out cards online can be fun and interesting, it is much more fun to visit antique shops, checking out what Christmas cards they have in stock, and you can frequently get some great bargains there. Old antique stores that don’t specialize can be particularly rich in Christmas cards at very low prices, as can yard sales and flea markets.

Although antique stores that specialize in collecting vintage Christmas cards will offer you a wider choice, you will also pay closer to the going rate and are unlikely to make a ‘find’. However, they are good for starting up a collection and learning about the subject.

Another good tip is to let your friends and family know of your new hobby or passion of collecting vintage Christmas cards, and you never know what they might come across themselves and send to you at Christmas. Wouldn’t it be fabulous to open that envelop that has just come in the mail with a Christmas stamp on it and find an original Prang Christmas card – or even one of the first Horsleys! And pigs might fly, but then again. . .