Photo by Serhii Bobyk.
Foraging for antiques and vintage pieces is the best retail therapy in existence. Hand-chosen by experts, the items have a patina that’s sometimes visual but always deeper than that, evoking nostalgia, astonishment, and a sense of time and timelessness.
These ceramic bowls made children smile over the breakfast table. That sculpture or painting was somebody’s pride and joy. Those classic Levis might have witnessed music history. Our environment changes around us, sometimes at warp speed, but the human love of grace, craftsmanship, and quality is a constant.
So who are the people who devote their lives to curating this beauty for the rest of us? We asked a few favorite dealers in antique and vintage goods to give us a peek behind the curtain and share a few pro tips.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF
CRAIG MCELROY of KINGSTON CONSIGNMENTS
photos by visitvortex
A massive array of vintage, antique, and gently used items curated for quality and variety and priced to move. Craig and Robert invite people to bring in just about anything, so there’s a constant stream of new merch here every day.
How did you first fall in love with antiques?
Growing up, my parents collected American cut glass. On road trips and such, we would visit antique markets and over time I became fascinated by all the different things I would see.
What does a typical day in your life look like as an antiques expert?
Most days are spent trying to find things through various channels that hopefully are special, in good condition, and might appeal to my customer base. I’ll then research through my own knowledge base, online sources, conferring with other dealers, the authenticity of things and what would be good a market price for the acquisitions. And a good part of most days are spent tending to the shop, restocking, and keeping things moving.
What is the most extraordinary treasure you have ever discovered?
A few things come to mind. But a while back I was involved in an apartment cleanout that had a decent amount of sellable, vintage department store furniture. One standout item was a rare dining room table attributed to a well-known designer. Slightly uncertain due to the lack of a signature, I decided to send it to auction anyway. It wound up fetching $30K.
What clues do you look for to determine whether something is authentic and valuable?
The market has fluctuated a lot in recent years. Some things that are “authentic” might not hold a lot of value these days. But other things might. There’s lots of reproduction work out there, but I can spot them most of the time—they’ll often have a uniform distressed application.
What is the strangest or most unusual item you have ever come across?
A circa 1930s primitive-style carved and assembled tortoise side table with geometric influences. I decided to keep it where it sits, in my living room.
"Talk to antique dealers—we all love to talk! Letting us help guide you is a great way to build your knowledge base."
"A rare dining room table attributed to a well-known designer wound up fetching $30,000 at auction."
Have you ever bought something and later discovered it was worth far more than you expected?
I sold a late 18th–early 19th century dining table with some condition issues to a dealer for $800. He took it to Brimfield and was able to sell it for thousands of dollars.
What advice would you give someone just beginning to collect antiques?
Talk to antique dealers—we all love to talk! Letting them help guide you is a great way to build your knowledge base. Of course, do your own research and pay attention to the market. But have fun with it as you go out looking for things that “light you up.”
KINGSTON CONSIGNMENTS
66 N. Front Street, Kingston, NY 12401
845-481-5759, kingstonconsignments.com
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF
Maria Philippis of ball & claw antiques
photos by visitvortex
Thirty-five hundred square feet of carefully curated antiques dealers’ rooms spread through two floors of a historic 1920s Dutch Colonial mansion. There’s an in-house flower shop, and customers can take a break at the Rope Shed Bar amid Maria’s lush gardens, open on weekend afternoons.
How did you first fall in love with antiques?
I can’t pinpoint a moment that I first noticed my love; I just always loved old things. I remember I always loved being in old houses, with old things. I’ve always found comfort in objects that have history and mystery.
What does a typical day in your life look like as an antiques expert?
I would hardly describe myself as an antiques expert. I don’t specialize in anything in particular; there are so many things I love. I buy what catches my eye and I think I can find a buyer for.
I have two types of typical days. There are days that I work at the shop and I spend my day there organizing, creating vignettes, pricing, cleaning, fixing new merchandise, and of course lots of talking with customers. Then there are shopping days. Often getting up at 4 or 5 am, driving hours to markets, auctions, estate calls, other shops and dealers, and trying to find enough things to resell that make it worth my time, gas, and energy.
What is the most extraordinary treasure you have ever discovered?
There are so many. I fall in love every day with beautiful, rare, odd, and extraordinary things. The things that catch my eye aren’t always ‘valuable’; they just have something special about them. I love finding a box of letters or children’s drawings or handmade boxes with baubles inside. I really can’t think of one piece, but an unexpected thing that I sold about 25 years ago was a sealed record album from an unknown garage band called Flood. I bought it for 25 cents and sold it for over $1000 on eBay. That was a shocker.
I generally don’t have a hard time parting with the things I buy, as my job is to source and sell. Once in a while I keep something for myself, but not often. Currently I have been collecting early 20th century penguins—some are stuffed toys, little figurines, a whirligig. All of them are weird, and they make me happy. I also collect shells, but I have become pretty overrun with them and have gotten very picky about the shells I bring home.
What clues do you look for to determine whether something is authentic and valuable?
After buying and selling for most of my life, you just kind of know when things are good or bad. Not always, as I know I’ve missed a lot of great pieces because I just didn’t know what they were or if they had value. I always look for good craftsmanship, eye appeal, any markings, patina, weight, and if I’ve never seen anything like it before.
"I’ve always found comfort in objects that have history and mystery."
What is the strangest or most unusual item you have ever come across?
I recently bought a portable child’s cooling board. What’s that? It is a table that folds up like a briefcase for a traveling undertaker to prepare a body for burial. It’s creepy, but it was a part of life for our ancestors. I bought it with a customer in mind, but it turns out they already have one! So now I have it. If anyone is looking for such a thing, please contact me.
Have you ever bought something and later discovered it was worth far more than you expected?
All the time. It’s what I hope for on all my shopping trips. I try not to research while I’m out buying and just buy what I love and think there is some money to be made on. Many times when I get home and start working on my hauls, I am surprised to find out things are worth much more than I anticipated. And quite often, things are worth a lot less than I hoped. It’s always a gamble.
What advice would you give someone just beginning to collect antiques?
Always, always, always buy what you love. If it catches your eye, your heart skips a beat, and you can afford it, buy it. Don’t wait. You might walk away and it will be gone.
BALL & CLAW ANTIQUES
213 Broadway, Port Ewen, NY 12466
845-481-4993, ballandclawhv.com
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF
george cole of george cole auctions
Besides his Red Hook showroom, George holds estate auctions every few weeks. He and partner Robin Mizerak have been hired to sell for a former US president, celebrities, and government agencies. They’ve helped charitable organizations raise millions of dollars and sold hundreds of thousands of items to make millions of dollars for tens of thousands of estates.
How did you first fall in love with antiques?
I was eight years old. I had $5 in my pocket. Went to a local auction. My mother had to come find me at 7 o'clock at night. I filled her car three times and still had $2 left. I took everything that I could put in my bike basket and pedaled to the antique dealers the next day, and then I had $50. So I thought, “This is it.”
What does a typical day in your life look like as an antiques expert?
I start at 9 o'clock and I usually end by 9 o'clock. Doing house calls, looking at people's treasures, picking up, emptying out houses, bringing it to storage, bringing it from storage to the auction hall, cleaning it, advertising it, and selling it. After 50 years, you'd think I'd get some smarts by now,
What is the most extraordinary treasure you have ever discovered?
Well, we had a sailboat that came over from England. Got $95,000 for that.
"I was eight years old. I had $5 in my pocket and went to a local auction. I filled my mother's car three times and still had $2 left... the next day I had $50. So I thought, 'This is it.'"
What clues do you look for to determine whether something is authentic and valuable?
First, look at the person, see who's trying to sell it. There's a lot of psychology in this. If they are hanging on to it, there are going to be problems because they haven't actually accepted the fact they're going to get rid of it yet. So you let them hang on to it and come back another day when they're tired of it
What is the strangest or most unusual item you have ever come across?
Well, we've had a pair of ham bones that somebody made into lamps with the green mold and everything. They sold. At first we thought, "Oh God, who would ever want these?” But then it was strange enough that we said, "Sure, somebody will want it.” Yep. They went to a Rhinebeck artist.
Have you ever bought something and later discovered it was worth far more than you expected?
Yeah. We've had a pair of dishes that looked like Home Goods, and they ended up doing $25,000 to somebody from China, and he flew over to pick them up. They had been made back in 1700, 1800, something like that.
What advice would you give someone just beginning to collect antiques?
Do your research and homework first, because it may look good, but it may just be a “yesterday” knock-off. You should go to as many auctions as possible and view and touch it and feel things, and sooner or later you're going to know. “Oh, this one's heavy, so this one must be an antique,” and it is, versus something that's very light, and it isn't.
GEORGE COLE AUCTIONS & REALTY
7578 North Broadway, Red Hook NY 12571
845-758-9114, georgecoleauctions.com
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF
cindy hoose of red owl collective
A 10,000-square- foot antiques, vintage, and design store where dozens of vendors curate a shopping mecca offering vintage clothing, handcrafted goods, unique objects, mid-century modern furniture, rare and collectible vinyl, and all things old and wonderful.
How did you first fall in love with antiques?
I used to love going to rummage sales, yard sales, and auctions with my mom as a kid. That evolved into a youthful desire to NOT be like everyone else—wearing vintage clothing, finding unique items, etc.
What does a typical day in your life look like as an antiques expert?
First of all, I wouldn't call myself an antiques expert—just a vintage enthusiast searching for things I love and want to share with others. Typically, I’ll start the day at an estate sale, digging around dusty attics and forgotten basements for hidden treasures. Then a few hours cleaning, repairing, mending, researching, and pricing. I’ll spend some time merchandising in my booth, which is one of my favorite parts of the day. The rest of the day is spent on the less glamorous side of running an antique mall: administrative duties, answering emails, and coordinating amongst our 90+ vendors and the Red Owl staff. Then back home to hang out with my sweet doggies and husband!
What is the most extraordinary treasure you have ever discovered?
A giant hand-painted plywood—and reflective in the dark!—owl sign, inspired by the Wise Potato Chips logo. I found that at an auction right before we opened the Red Owl Collective, and he now hangs in the entryway welcoming all visitors.
What clues do you look for to determine whether something is authentic and valuable?
Labels, hallmarks, general quality of materials and stitching, and patina can all be clues to authenticity. Doing a bit of research can help determine value, but, honestly, I believe if it’s something you think is really cool, then it has intrinsic value—you have to go with your gut!
What is the strangest or most unusual item you have ever come across?
I find myself coming across the strange and unusual all the time, but a recent fave weirdo is a 1980s wire, tape, and papier-mâché sculpture of a naked goddess on a horse holding an ice cream cone entitled “Escape From the Fat Farm.”
Have you ever bought something and later discovered it was worth far more than you expected?
I have a piece of art that I bought for about $10 just because I love it, and it turned out to be made by a famous Japanese artist.
What advice would you give someone just beginning to collect antiques?
If you like it, buy it! Your personal taste is really the only thing that matters when starting a collection.
RED OWL COLLECTIVE
845-481-4675, 25 Cornell St, Kingston NY, 12401, redowlcollective.com
