So does this mean we can’t be friends?

Kettle Falls artist Gloria de los Santos sent me a long letter disagreeing with my column on shopping for "Junk Masters" and other amateur art at thrift stores. She doesn’t approve.

She writes: "Artists are known to be the most highly educated and low-paid citizens in our society. There are scads of professional, extremely talented artists in the Inland Northwest, yet you encourage folks to collect cheap, ugly art by students and amateurs. There is nothing to be said for this kind of art except it's worth nothing, and always will be worth nothing."

Can’t argue with that. The point I made in the column is that these pieces had charm because professional artists didn’t paint them. There is a big difference in collecting fine art and picking up an amateur painting at the thrift store.

However, I will argue that artists aren’t the only ones who are over- educated and under-paid. Writing is another profession that is long on preparation and short on monetary reward. There are plenty of beautifully written works out there, but I don’t begrudge anyone the right to read whatever strikes their fancy.

Junk Sisters

A couple of readers took a minute to drop me a line today. Penny Simonson, the dealer who sold me the "Ballerina" painting I featured in this week's Treasure Hunting column said:

"Thanks again that you share your thoughts and promote treasure hunting the way you do. Truly, each column I've read, I've wanted to write you a note that tells you how alike our collecting and loving-of-things is."

Well, thank you, Penny. Keep coming up with those great finds!

And, an anonymous reader simply said the three little words all (writing) women want to hear: "Love your Column."

I want ya'll to meet my new best friends.

Wish I'd Thought of That

The Junk Gypsy Co. promises "roadside treasures, decadent decor and exotic goods for your home." l didn't see a lot of actual roadside treasures, but I loved the T-shirts, especially one with the "got junk?" logo. I'm just too chicken to wear the one that says, "Flea Market Femme Fatale."

Saturday is calling. I’m ready to get out and play.

After a week of work deadlines, basketball games, and saying, "Do your homework NOW," I’m ready for a little "me" time.

That’s the appeal of junking; the chance to be alone with your thoughts or spend time some quality time with a friend who appreciates old stuff as much as you do.

I’m not sure if the family schedule is going to allow me to get out and play this weekend, (and it wouldn’t hurt me to stay in and tidy up some of those treasures I’ve already brought home) but I’ll be out there if I can.

I need my wireless

We spent several hours in the dark due to a power outage last night. I lit candles and played cards with my youngest daughter and we admired the way things looked in the candlelight.
I pointed out several of my older pieces, like the 100-year-old hand carved dough bowl holding the candles on the coffee table, and talked about how those things were made to be used when it wasn't uncommon for rooms to be lit by candles or lanterns.
It made a pretty picture, and gave us a chance to cuddle, but I'm glad the lights, and my wireless network, are back on.

Suite dreams

Question: I have a bedroom set that has the name "Fashion Flow" on a decal in the drawers. I can find nothing about it. It has a large oval miror on the vanity, and two nests of two drawers with a small drawer connecting the two. The headboard and vanity bench have a metal mesh about four inches wide on the headboard. Any info would be appreciated. -- Hank Kuhlmann

Answer: I'm guessing you have an Art Deco suite from the mid-1930s. Many of these pieces were manufactured by one of the Grand Rapids, Mich., furniture companies. Art Deco furniture is sometimes defined by its curved, or "waterfall" design, and is often seen in a blonde maple finish. I couldn't find anything specific about the "Fashion Flow" label, but I did see an October 1937 copy of The American Home magazine listed on eBay that mentions Fashion Flow add-a-piece furniture. Art Deco furniture is becoming more popular with collectors and some experts predict it will be the next big thing. You're lucky to have the entire set.

Avon calling

Question: Many years ago my wife bought me a bottle of Avon After Shave. Since then I have a collection of 600 bottles. Is this collection of any value? -- Jim Valentine

Answer: Wow, 600 bottles is quite a collection! A disclaimer: I am not an expert or an appraiser. But I can point you in the right direction. Here is the link for Avon bottle collectors.

You might want to check out "Bud Hastins Avon Collectors Encyclopedia: The official Guide for Avon Bottle and CPC Collectors." It's published by Collector Books and lists for $29.95.

My only experience with collecting bottles came through my family. My mother liked Avon bottles and my grandmother collected Jim Beam decanters. Once, my grandmother was showing her collection to a guest, and when she lifted a bottle off of the shelf she found it to be unexpectedly light. It seems my grandfather had been quietly sipping the "contents" of her collection without her knowledge. I'm happy to say that was not the case with my mother's perfume bottle collection!

Out of the Closet

The HGTV show "Collector Inspector," featuring syndicated antiques and collectible expert Harry Rinker, is looking for Seattle locations for upcoming shows. Each installment follows Rinker as he prowls through a collector's home, including closets and the basement, in search of undiscovered treasure. I don't know, the idea of a camera focused on my clutter is too much "reality TV" for me, but if you've got friends or family on that side of the state with nothing to hide, here's their chance for instant celebrity.

Garage sale or estate sale?

Question: My mother has read your column regarding collections and collecting. She isn't an avid collector of any one particular thing, however having spent the last 40+ years in her South Hill home a collection has accumulated. She will be down-sizing this spring and needs to part with many things. We are weighing the advantages of garage and estate sales, however it would be easier of us all if we could deal with fewer people. We both were wondering if you could recommend any resources to help. I will be the go-between as Mom isn't yet online. -- Mary Bailey

Answer: I understand your mother's concerns. I had the same questions when we moved cross-country to Spokane. Each situation is different, but usually when a family holds a garage sale, buyers expect lower prices and to be able to "dicker" with prices.

When a family has an estate sale a third party handles the advertising, pricing and the actual sale. Buyers have less wiggle room on prices, and the family gets a better return on their goods. The estate sale agent usually charges a fee and sometimes a percentage of the sale. Both a garage sale and estate sale can be difficult for anyone. However the advantage of having an estate sale - through a dealer - is that the family is usually not involved on the day(s) of the sale. This sometimes helps us separate emotionally from all of those "treasures."

Buy her a vintage Silver Sausage?

Monday night a crowd of women gathered at Julie Buttons Antiques on North Monroe to learn more about collecting buttons.

Button lovers from Spokane, and as far as Post Falls and even Newport, and several brought along their collections. One woman brought a piece of fabric covered with hundreds of beautiful old buttons saved by her mother-in-law as she stripped rags to use during World War II.

As the women shopped and talked about what they would love to find, the subject of vintage Airstream travel trailers came up. I was surprised by the number of women who confessed it was the one thing they would love to have. OK guys, there are birthdays and anniversaries coming up. Now that you know what they want, what are you going to do about it?

Tired, hungry and a car full of junk

Saturday morning’s sunshine was a good omen. I grabbed my keys, and my dog Chester (the only member of my family that doesn’t growl at me when I drag stuff home) and headed out for a little "junking" before anyone else woke up.

There were only a few estate sales listed in the paper but something about one on the South Hill caught my eye. For one thing, it was a private sale and they can sometimes be a great place to pick up a bargain. (The opposite can be true; we all think our own junk is worth more than someone else’s.)

The house wasn't open, and the entire sale was held in the tiny basement. A 50-year accumulation of books, and tools, and anything else you can imagine, and a crowd of shoppers, was packed into four tiny rooms. I started looking through the odds and ends and filled my own box with old tins, a vintage telephone, a Bakelite cake server, and one of my favorite finds, a box of old
sewing items.

I heard someone say that everything in the garage was free, so I checked it out. I dug through the crumbling shed and pulled out a couple of old windows, a mahogany tabletop, and a small pine door, and
dragged them to my car. I went back to the basement and I found a stack of old albums, including a couple of early Count Basie LPs, before I called it a day.

When Chester and I got home, I was tired, hungry and covered with dust and had a car full of junk. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

Welcome to the world of Treasure Hunting

My kind of treasure hunting isn't about searching for a priceless antique, or the "next big thing" in the antiques and collectibles market. It's about appreciating ordinary things for the way they were made or used. It's about uncovering the history, or lore, behind everyday objects, and maybe even finding new ways to use those things.

I’ve been prowling through flea markets and dusty antique shops most of my life and it’s still my favorite pastime. And I know I'm not alone. Many of you have written to share your favorite finds and the interesting stories behind them.

In this blog, we'll talk about that kind of treasure hunting. I'll take you with me as I hit estate sales and garage sales, and I look forward to hearing about
your adventures.