One of the main examples of jewelry with social implications is Lenore Dailey’s specialty
Category Archives: Tech
Not always for tobacco chewers
Although spittoons often conjure up images of a rugged cowboy spitting out his chewing tobacco in an Old West saloon, antique spittoons are a collectible with social implications and a history that was far more important than spitting cowboys. According to Sandy Raulston, co-producer of the Golden California Show and owner of Roadside America, spittoons would have been at the sanitariums in Marblehead and Arequipa as vessels for catching the phlegm of patients as they created the pottery that is so valuable today. ”They helped stop the spread of disease,” explained Raulston, who claimed that germs were running rampant when people would spit just anywhere. Some of the spittoons were more than just phlegm catchers; they sometimes contained a solution of an antiseptic such as carbolic acid with the aim of limiting transmission of disease. Use of spittoons was considered an advance of public manners and health. Many places passed laws against spitting in public other than into a spittoon. Some people of this era objected to restrictions on where they could spit as an infringement on their individual rights. Nonetheless, a larger segment of the public favored the use of spittoons. A mass produced sign seen in many saloons read: If you expect to rate as a gentleman, do not expectorate on the floor. With the start of the 20th century, doctors urged tuberculosis sufferers to use personal pocket spittoons instead of public ones; these were jars with tight lids which people could carry with them. While it was not unusual to see spittoons in some public places in parts of the U.S. as late as the 1930s, vast numbers of old brass spittoons met their ends in the scrap drives of World War II.
Ladies of Ill-Repute Made Lace
Before there were computers and cell phones, there were other activities that brought people together. Sometimes the people that were brought together were not the creme de la creme of society and the activity itself and its resulting product gave the person a certain amount of pride and purpose, and a group in which to co-mingle. According to 20-year lace and linen dealer Jim Thompson, in many cities in Italy in the mid to late 1800s, there were women who were the outcasts of society
Currier and Ives' Women of Color
Currier and Ives in the 19th century offered $2 black and white and $3 color variations of their prints. According to Roger Genser of the Prints & the Pauper, the colors did not just magically appear on these prints. Each color was hand-laid individually by a different woman, he explained. ”It was probably peace work so they could essentially take as long as they wanted,” said Genser, adding that it is likely that the women gossiped and socialized as they made print after print. An example of a very crisp and clear hand colored large folio Currier and Ives, which would have originally sold for only a few dollars, was priced at $1,750 in the Genser’s space. A sophisticated group of very skilled women probably kept the chatting to a minimum in this one, because the hand coloring is pristine and exacting. According to Genser, the image was pressed in black and white. No two are exactly the same; the color varied depending on the skill of the artists. They usually took more time on the larger images like this one, since they were priced higher. The framed image is one of a series of four from “The Four Seasons of Life” series. It represents Middle Age, and was printed in 1868.
back in the days when prisoners could used steel bars
Back in Victorian times, steel bars were not only used to keep prisoners locked up, they were also used to give prisoners something valuable to do with their time. When most people think of prison art, they envision folded cigarette papers and gum wrappers, but according to Tim Little of Little Treasures, prisoners also made canes back in the day when steel rods were not viewed as dangerous weapons in the hand of prisoners.Victorian prisoners supplemented their income by taking steel rods and wrapping them in leather strips that were provided to them by friends and family members, said Little, who is married to Jeanne Little, a specialist in vintage jewelry and handbags. These post-Civil War walking sticks are hard to come by, but Little did purchase one at a Bustamante Show several years ago. They probably don’t give prisoners a lot of steel bars these days, so these canes can easily be dated.
Show producers Association getting their first taste of social media
It is rather ironic that the show promoter who has embraced Frank’s social media campaign the most, is in charge of the state’s oldest show.Nancy Johnson, the new manager of the Hillsborough Show, is using Facebook as well as Twitter to help make the Bay Area show more successful. Johnson is also the president of the Professional Show Managers Association (PSMA), a national association of show promoters that was established in 1987. This body is dedicated to the encouragement of high ethical standards. Frank! has been asked to lead an on-line Digital Delight seminar in conjunction with their December 10th conference call. He immediately accepted the offer. ”We have these types of calls every couple of months,” said Johnson. “They are educational sessions for our members.” ”I recommended to Mitch [Sorenson, Executive Director] that I knew of no one who was more involved in this, as a means of promoting antique related businesses, than you,” said Johnson. ”What I was thinking — we all have internet connection while on the conference call. You could get us all on Facebook, get some new ‘friends’ for the Network that way!, and you could do a tutorial as to how to upload your images, how the information goes out, etc. I could be your ‘partner’ since I am already on the Network, and we could show how easy it is to respond to a posting and how then that goes out to my contacts, although I have few. Chris Palmer may be on the call too, so she could also be a guinea pig. Our group really needs to ‘see’ how this is done. You’re the expert and I’m sure you already have ideas on how to do this over the phone and online.”
3 classes, 3 distinct characters
The first wave of Digital Delight classes are over and each of the sessions had its unique character.The first one was held at the Antique Emporium in Orange on October 3rd and the attendees varied in their computer skills from novice to super geek. It covered the basics from types of computers to how to upload photos from an impromptu podcast. There was even one student who knew more on the subject than Frank! Another was an internet marketer, implying a fairly sophisticated knowledge of computers and the internet. One of the superstars who attended was Nancy Johnson, new director of the Hillsborough Show, who is eager to learn how to promote her show using social networking. She shared with others the challenges of trying to implement changes at her show. The crowning feat of the event was when the group created a Podcast, which is a radio program, usually broadcast in i-Tunes, but in this case using Facebook. It can be informally posted on one’s Facebook wall. Frank! went around getting everyone’s names to demonstrate how easy it is to create one of these informal podcasts. All of the students gathered around to partake in this momentous occasion. They were witnessing the very kind of technological tool that will bring the antique industry back to life. Just like when Samuel Morse sent his first telegraph message on March 10, 1876, “What Hath God Wrought” the students in this first Digital Delight were seeing history in the making. When Alexander Graham Bell spoke over the first telephone wire, “Mr. Watson, Come Here, I Need You,” this Podcast is also a first of epic proportions. The icing on the cake of technology was when hostess Marty Underwood presented Frank! with a cast iron and composition flamingo yard ornament to replace his beloved pink flamingo Mookie that was stolen when his house burglarized. The flamingo adoption was also broadcast on Facebook for all to see. The second Digital Delight was held on October 10th at King Richard’s Antique Mall in Whittier. The event was the first official “class” held at the College for Appraiser’s new school and it was the only one to have a guest speaker. CFA CEO Walt Miller brought his webmaster who shed some light on more advanced social networking forums. Attendees included David Brownlee, certified appraiser who represents the Appraisers National Association at the Rose Bowl’s evaluation table, and Wendy Warren, former owner of Greenleaf Cottage and ebay consultant. Everyone at the Whittier Digital Delight was already on Facebook and had a firm grasp of computer basics, so discussions progressed to using Facebook as a hub to channel information from other social networking platforms. Warren wanted to know how to monetize her Facebook and Twitter pages. The webmaster explained that she must use these two free sites to acquire her audience and then bring them somewhere else that has a web cash register so that she can make money. The “Bring Your Own Chair” Digitial Delight at 4th Street Antiques in Temecula was a smash hit despite some dreary weather. Students assembled on the front porch of the mall on Monday, October 12th, the first day of the rainy season. A little drizzle didn’t get these eager students down. Lisa Ackerman warmed up with a little wine from Granny’s Attics new wine-tasting room. She traveled all the way from Orange to attend the Digital Delight since she was gone on a buying trip the day of her local Digital Delight. With the exception of Ackerman of A&P Antiques & Collectibles, it was mostly an indigenous crowd. This session was almost purely focused on the ins and outs of Facebook. Discussions ranged from how to use friends lists in order to put out tailor made messages and receive customized information to how to promote one’s own special causes. Many of the attendees were already on Facebook, but Rea Douglas was not one of them. After talking up her Barn Sale to Frank!, he instantly posted it on the Network. She was so eager to read the promotion of her sale that she signed up for Facebook right then and there. The biggest convert of the day was Marilyn, poet and grandmother of eight. She wasn’t sold on the whole Facebook idea, but by the end of the day she was so excited by the prospect that tears welled up in her eyes. She realized that she could keep in touch with her grandchildren while promoting her latest book on poetry, which will be published any day now. The class also revealed some exciting Facebook triumphs, including the curtailing of crime. After 4th Street Antiques manager Deborah Streeter discovered that there had been the theft of a Stickley ashtray, she immediately went on to the network and posted the details so that if the thief tried to sell the Arts & Crafts accessory, he would be stopped. She posted it directly, which was great since Frank! was at the Long Beach Show at the time the item had been stolen. Thanks to her quick thinking the word went out right away, preventing any other Temecula thefts. There have now been requests and discussions for holding a much larger event so Frank! will be looking for both locations and guest speakers. The most obvious guest speaker so far is Oceanside estate jewelry dealer T.C. Leary who has been working like crazy at utilizing her Facebook page to expand her business. Frank! was Leary’s first friend but now she has amassed an impressive amount of friends on her Facebook page, and even more fans to her business’ Facebook page. She has been working with a consultant that is helping her establish an even stronger presence. She has also expanded to LinkedIn, a business networking site. Since joining the Collector Network, she has announced that this is the first time ever she has been getting Christmas layaways before Halloween.
three digital delights in October
After reading the September issue of Collector, Chuck Garcera of King Richard’s in Whittier was the first to offer his mall as a site for a Digital Delight Workshop. It is a likely location, not only because it is the largest antique mall in Southern California, but also because it is the new home to the College for Appraisers. Because of its large size, it has plenty of room in which to create a classroom environment and because it will also be the site of other workshops, it is a great coincidence of events. The Whittier Digital Delight is slated for Saturday, October 10th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the only afternoon workshop so far. The other host locations are holding the social networking classes after business hours because their smaller sizes make it impractical to hold a class while customers are shopping. The first Digital Delight is being held Saturday, October 3rd from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Antique Emporium in Orange. Refreshments will be served, but get there early because there will only be room for a couple of dozen students. Two days after the Whittier Digital Delight, 4th Street Antiques in Temecula will host the third Digital Delight class on Tuesday, October 12th from 5:00 p.m to 6:30 p.m. Interested students must bring their own chair to this event. Each Digital Delight will inevitably have some variations but the discussion topics will include: 1. Kinds of computers available a. Desktops b. Laptops c. Netbooks 2. Operating Systems a. Mac OSX (Snow Leopard) b. Windows XP & Vista 3. How To Install Programs 4. Importance of using several internet browsers 5. Peripherals a. Trackballs b. Flash drives c. External disk drives 6. Difference between USB and Firewire ports 7. Accessories a. Digital cameras: choosing between $100 and $1,000 cameras 8. Uploading photographs to online galleries and sharing them with friends and clients 9. Creating usernames and passwords 10. Facebook basics a. How to register b. What information you should provide c. How to find and attract friends d. How to create specialized lists of friends e. How to send a single message to multiple friends There is no need to RSVP to any of the Digital Delight Workshops. Seating is on a first come, first served basis, but remember to bring a chair to the Temecula event. Although Frank! will be facilitating these events, he is counting on well versed and knowledgable users to share their wisdom and experiences. Please bring your laptop or netbook with you if you have one. For more information, call Frank! at (909) 593-1018.
Samantha Shane
Philadelphia model Samantha Shane is the Collector Network’s 500th friend is part of Franks! attempt to usher in younger people in the world of antiques and collectibles.Although her current passions are modeling, tanning, working out, and playing with her chihuahua Vita, she may now start hitting the antique shops and shows. Shane is in a relationship with Rachelle Watson and enjoys reading “How to Make Love Like a Porn Star” and her favorite movie is “Mean Girls.”
kicks off Facebook Campaign
Despite its anti-internet stance up until now, Collector magazine has finally found a way to make the Internet work for the traditional brick and mortar antique shops and shows. It has launched Collector Network.The three components of The Network are Collector Magazine, its video-site, and the social networking phenomenon, Facebook. Up until now, the internet has been damaging traditional antique venues with ebay, Ruby Lane, and Collector’s Universe syphoning revenues from antique shops and shows. The seeds of The Network were planted by a couple of female entrepreneurs. It was Julie Randall of the Torrance Antique Fair who asked Frank! if he was on Facebook in January. At that time, Frank! had no interest in spending any time registering for a website for idiot kids to date. But, it wasn’t until several months later when Janice Johnson of Sherman Oaks Antique Mall asked Frank! to be her “Friend” that he started to realize that something was going on. Collector is encouraging local antique shops, dealers and shows to join the Collector Network, which is using Facebook as one of its platforms. The Collector Network has turned the free website, Facebook into a powerful, dynamic tool that the antique industry is using to connect to buyers, sellers, appraisers and restorers. In the 13 years since ebay went public, Collector has only had a handful of websites ever mentioned in its editorial and it’s not because Collector didn’t know what a website was, and there was certainly plenty of pressure. In order to avoid falling down the slippery slope, Collector rarely mentioned the internet and usually when bashing ebay (which it will still do). Finally, after all these years and all the vocalized resistance, a platform has emerged. Facebook now makes it easy to take advantage of the internet’s power. Harvey Liss, former producer of the Calendar Costa Mesa Show, as well as shows in Santa Barbara and Burbank urged Collector to jump on the internet bandwagon years ago, but there never seemed to be a good way to benefit the antique business. There were plenty of websites for trade newspapers that were of marginal financial value. They were hardly updated. When Collector refused to join the Internet frenzy, the publisher received a lot of criticism. He was called a technophobe, and the expression, “You should get into the 21st century!” was often flung at him. This was ironic. At the age of 8, Frank built crystal radios. He didn’t have a toy for more than five minutes before disassembling it and building something new from the motors and gears. In junior high, he took several classes in electricity because he found it so fascinating. He has been on a computer 12 hours a day since 1985. When he used his Casio digital camera about 15 years ago at this Panorama of Pottery Symposium, it was the first digital camera that anyone there had ever seen. Attendees’ hearts were racing. They hardly noticed the pottery, but couldn’t ask enough questions about the camera. They wanted one although they had no idea what they were going to do with it. Frank’s hand is hardly ever more than 18 inches away from his iPhone. In the beginning, the Internet was dependent on a dial-up connection making it slow. Website developers were amateurish resulting in disorganized and fairly useless web pages. Now, it has evolved into something that its promoters were claiming it was years ago. Back then, businesses, even grocery stores, were condemning people for going to the store to buy milk. They claimed that if you weren’t immersed in this digital lifestyle, you were somehow wrong or immoral. By now, the damage caused by the Internet has already been done. Much like Mark Twain’s quote that the rumors of his death have been greatly exaggerated, the same applies to traditional antique venues. Although bloodied, not bowed, and definitely not out.
