Antique collectors say searching for treasure is almost as fun as finding it
Collectors say searching for treasure is almost as much fun as finding it
Harold Langen, and his wife, Roma, collect antique milk bottles. Langen said a Valley Gold dairy operated in Victoria years ago. The couple have a variety of bottles in their booth at the Antiques Mall on Laurent Street.
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SPICE IT UP
Are you an antiques vendor looking to spice up your booth or make some big finds? A couple of people in the biz share some tips:
People like to dig. Have boxes of items for people to ...
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SPICE IT UP
Are you an antiques vendor looking to spice up your booth or make some big finds? A couple of people in the biz share some tips:
People like to dig. Have boxes of items for people to look through or have your display set up to where they have to dig deeper to find some pieces.
It's not always what you have in your booth, but how it's presented. Look at it from a fresh perspective to decide what, if anything, should be changed.
Many potential buyers get "tunnel vision," where they can't visualize what a piece will look like inside their home. Set up the display in a way that will give them an idea.
Shop around at other stores. Items that are popular in Victoria aren't necessarily popular in other areas. You might be able to find items underpriced outside the region.
The Internet is a great tool for pricing your items right. Go online and see what things are selling for. Then go back and price them slightly under that to make them more appealing to the potential buyer.
Sources: Harold Langen and Joyce Shillings, vendors at the Laurent Street Antique Mall
Not every treasure hunt sits at the end of a dotted path, the prize clearly marked with a red X. Although that might make things easier. No, many a modern-day search leads its explorers to estate sales, antique shops, flea markets and the like.
And, while the road might wind, bend and, at times, dead end, the thrill of the hunt is half the fun for area antique collectors and dealers.
Harold Langen's hunt began with some family history and postcard.
Langen's great grandfather, Sol Myers, began a journey in an ox-pulled wagon from Premont to New York City in 1931. The goal: to attract people to the Texas farming town.
An advertisement Langen has from the cross-country trip touts Premont as the "land of heart's delight," where land is cheap and taxes are very cheap.
Myers funded his trip by advertising on his wagon, Langen said, and selling picture postcards of his journey. Those cards are what have Langen constantly on the lookout.
His collection began with a postcard his mother gave him and, over 20 or 25 years, he found three others.
"Any time I go into a store, I always look through their postcards," he said. "You never know where you'll find the next one."
One memorable discovery came when a card found its way to him.
A family in Castana, Iowa came across a couple of Myers' cards in photo albums and wondered whether those pictured were family members, friends or just passers-by who made an impression. They sent a copy of the card, along with a letter, to the Premont postmaster, asking if he knew of someone who could help solve the mystery. He forwarded it to Langen's mother.
"I spoke with the man and he sent me the card," said Langen, a vendor at the Laurent Street Antique Mall. "It's almost like it was meant to be."
Collector and vendor Joyce Shillings had a similar experience.
Shillings has collected antiques for 50 years, but was on the lookout for a bottle from Jecker Bottling Works. Her grandfather owned the Victoria company and, her grandmother's nine children all owned bottles, she wanted one of her own.
For years, she searched the Internet, poked through antique shops and asked around, but never had any luck. Then, one day, it happened.
Shilling was manning the counter at the Laurent Street Antique Mall when a man came in, asking if she thought anyone would be willing to purchase an old Jecker bottle he had Shilling said she tried not to look to excited.
"I bought it for $20," she said. "I had looked for it for years, but it came to me."
The hunt isn't always about what the collector likes, said Peggy Summers, an owner and vendor at Then and Now. An item that seems insignificant to the vendor might be exactly what someone else is looking for.
"It might be somebody else's treasure," she said with a smile.
Sherilyn Arnecke got a taste of that first-hand.
Arnecke, also an owner and vendor at the shop, found some blue glassware with Shirley Temple printed on it while out on a hunt. She picked them up, but wasn't especially taken with the pieces and considered tossing them out.
Another vendor stopped her, however, and told her she had her hands on something valuable. Arnecke decided to keep them on display.
"And they've been selling," she said.
The treasure hunt can lead to uncharted territory.
Each is an educational experience, said Grace Rodriguez, another owner and vendor at Then and Now. Once a person has an item, it's natural to want to learn more about it, both for personal gain and to be able to provide more information to a potential buyer.
Langen has even learned more about his family. He knows that, at some point throughout the journey, Myers' wife died. While most of his postcards depict husband and wife together, his latest acquisition shows Myers standing alone.
What begins as the search for a single item often turns into a collection in itself, Langen added.
His wife, Roma, is also an avid collector and set out looking for a milk bottle from a Falfurrias creamery. Through her search - which ended when the bottle turned up on eBay - she became interested in collecting the bottles. She now has about 400 from all over.
Collecting is an addiction that's in the blood, Shillings said, laughing.
"I'm 72 now and my children ask when I'm going to give it up," she said. "As long as I'm healthy and able to do it, I'll continue. It's just fun."
And as for Langen? He agrees he'll probably never give it up.
"I don't know how many versions of the card there are," he said. "But I know there's got to be more out there."
Comments
Do old house windows have a value?
August 19, 2009 at 5:34 p.m.