an internet publication serving dealers and consumers Dec. 2, 2010
Pickers Pedals Passions & Blunders
STOP! Don’t Touch That Patina! One of the saddest things overheard is when an antique expert tells someone after looking at their item that though it is rare and most sought after by collectors, the true value has been severely diminished simply because someone decided to clean the item or ‘refurbish’ it. And one term is heard the most in these type of conversations….PATINA! There’s patina on silverware, furniture, jewelry, hardware, light fixtures, picture frames, coins, and the list goes on. Depending on the item, it is best to leave the patina as-is until an expert can confirm proper care and cleaning techniques specific to that particular item. If you are planning on selling an item that has patina, the safest thing to do is let potential buyers know that you have purposefully left the item this way and it is their decision to make if they wish to clean it or change the finish on it. I remember meeting a potential client who had inherited some antique
furniture from relatives but chose to only keep just a few pieces for their sentimental value. The other pieces were stashed in the attic and basement for many years. There was one small table she had dragged up from the in her newly painted bedroom (this happened many years ago when the girls were very young). Don’t Touch That Patina continued next pg
basement that was covered in dust that we gently took a rag to clean it up. I pointed out the Maker’s Mark on the bottom of the table and also one repair that jumped out at me. But what was so disheartening was the fact that someone had decided to repaint this particular table. I asked her if there was any back story on this table and she replied that one of her cousins had decided to repaint it to match the new décor theme 1
Pickers Pedals Passions & Blunders is an eclectic mix of unique items, passions, events and bargains and the people who love them. Our mission is to provide more exposure on a monthly basis for antique and collectible dealers in order to connect to consumers who want to find those dealers. There’s always this unquenchable thirst to add to one’s collection and to find that ever elusive item, whether it be a piece of period furniture, a doll, a tea pot, or a vintage piece of farm equipment. We just want to connect folks so that everyone can buy and sell the things that we all love.
Don’t Touch That Patina continued
Unfortunately, her table’s true value was diminished due to the fact that the beautiful natural patina that had accumulated over several decades was just painted over. She was not too terribly upset since she admitted that no one in her family had any depth
Picasso trove turns up in France By JAMEY KEATEN The Associated Press Monday, November 29, 2010
PARIS — A retired French electrician and his wife have come forward with 271 undocumented, never-beforeseen works by Pablo Picasso estimated to be worth at least $79.35 million, an administrator of the artist’s estate said Monday. The electrician, who once worked for Picasso, and his wife for years squirreled away the staggering trove - which is believed to be authentic - inside a trunk in the garage of their home on the French Riviera. T h e c a c h e , dating from the artist’s most creative period from 1900 to 1932, includes lithographs, portraits, watercolors, and sketches - plus nine Cubist collages said to be worth $52.3 million alone, according to French daily Liberation, which first reported Monday on the discovery.
of understanding as to antique furniture. And back it went into her basement. She thanked me for my time to stop by and told me that she learned an important lesson that she would pass down to her children since they would be inheriting the family antiques. Renee Pierre Le Guennec, a 71-yearold former electrician, and his wife showed many of the works to Picasso’s son Claude and other estate administrators in Paris in September, seeking to have the works authenticated, Picasso Administration lawyer JeanJacques Neuer. Shortly after that meeting, Neuer filed suit on behalf of Picasso’s heirs for alleged illegal receipt of the works. Police investigators are looking into how Le Guennec and his wife, Danielle, came by the pictures. “This was a gift,” Danielle Le Guennec told The Associated Press by phone from their home in the town of Mouans-Sartoux,
near the tourist Riviera hotspot of Antibes. “We aren’t thieves. We didn’t do anything wrong.” She said the couple decided to come forward with the works this year because they were getting on in years, and “didn’t want to leave any headaches to our children” with their own estate. Her husband had 2
That’s what the holidays are for - for one person to tell the stories and another to dispute them. Isn’t that the Irish way? ...Lara Flynn Boyle undergone a cancer treatment operation in March, she said. The works, which were kept in a trunk, didn’t appear to be much to her untrained eye, she said: “But even if this was a little jot of the pencil, it did come from the master.” “These aren’t tableaus like the ones sold in America.” Claude Picasso, quoted in Liberation, noted that his father was known for his generosity - but that he always dedicated, dated and signed his gifts, as he knew that some recipients might try to sell the works one day. Undiscovered Picasso Originals cont. pg 11
For new readers who were forwarded this from someone... make sure you OPT-IN to receive your own FREE copy of Pickers Pedals Passions & Blunders! Just email us requesting to opt-in. For info on our Display Ad sizes and rates, email rtwdesigns@embarqmail.com or water.warrior8@gmail.com, or call 336.340.6299 for details.
Passions Destination Calendar of Events
Pickers, Pedals, Passions & Blunders Needs Sales Reps We just can’t get around fast enough! We need Sales Reps for areas in Pennsylvania, Maryland, DC, Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, SC, Georgia, Florida and Louisanna.
Holiday Food and Craft Show Raleigh, NC, Dec. 17 - 19, 2010 at the Fairgrounds Expo building, Contact Phone: 919-742-1023 www.americanheritageshows.com
We are looking for enthusiastic people with interest in Americana and travel. Photography, creative writing, internet access and basic computer skills are needed. No phone calls! All decisions will be based upon resumes and creative introductions. Send resumes to our PO Box in NC or email us, please!
The New Years Antiques Show at the Birchwood Manor, Jan 1-3, Whippany, NJ, The Birchwood Manor. 111 North Jefferson Rd. For info, JMK Shows 973-9272794, 973-224-2797 or visit www.jmkshows.com The Sarasota Holiday Antiques Show and Sale, January 1-3, Sarasota, FL, Sarasota Municipal Auditorium. 801 N. Tamiami Trail. For info, 973-927-2794 or 973224-2797 or visit www.jmkshows.com Richmond Antiques Spectacular & Antique Tool Show, Jan 2-3, Richmond, VA, The Showplace. 3000 Mechanicsville Turnpike. For info, Louis Jesse 804-462-6190 or Bob Taylor 804-769-8866.
Smokey and The Bandit was just a lark. All we did was run up and down those Georgia roads wrecking cars and having the time of our life. ...Jerry Reed ... 3
Give the Gift of Knowledge this Holiday Season! If there is an antique/collectible or classic car lover in your network, then we have the best gift idea that is totally free! Sign up that person to receive Pickers Pedals Passions & Blunders! We know that there are readers out there who are forwarding our newsletters out to fellow antique and collectible lovers, so why not just give them their very own subscription? Don’t worry....if they don’t want to receive our newsletter, they can email us asking to be removed from our mailing list.
Wassail Recipe I believe this Wassail recipe to be more traditional than the rum and beer version and it’s the one of the two that I personally prefer. While this does replace the “spirits” with brandy and sherry, this version of the traditional holiday punch is frothy and is a nice touch to the warm drink. Wassail has been used for centuries in its various forms as a comforting which families would serve to carolers and other visitors during the Christmas season. T h e tradition of going house
Network with Fellow Collectors We want to encourage our readers who are comfortable with surfin’ the internet and different websites to drop in and visit one of the coolest and most helpful sites called iAntique.com. Dan Briddle
recognized that an online forum was needed for people to meet and converse with each other about their passions. Dan agrees with us that it’s all about sharing knowledge and educating newcomers to antiques.
iANTIQUE.com is a social computing community that aims to bring the romance back to the antiques industry. We have the basic features you expect: classifieds, blogs, discussions, pictures, business listings and events, next we add live and recorded Internet-based workshops, 24x7 live audio/ video chat rooms, plus we will be hosting live group events between locations.
to house to visit like this is known as wassailing and groups often spent an entire day or evening making their rounds. Ingredients: · 1/2 cup brandy · 2 bottles dry sherry · 1 cup water · 1 cup sugar · 3 egg yolks · 6 egg whites · 1/4 tsp nutmeg · 1/4 tsp ginger · 1/4 tsp cardamom · cloves · cinnamon sticks · apple slices Preparation: Place the water and spices into a saucepan. Simmer for 10 4
minutes, without allowing it to reach a boil and stirring occasionally. Add the sherry and sugar and continue to heat and stir for a few minutes. Remove from heat. Beat the egg white and yolks separately. Stir the sherry mix and egg yolks together in a heat resistant punch bowl or wassail bowl. Add the brandy. Whisk in the egg whites until foamy. Garnish the punch bowl with apple or other fruit slices. Serves 12 - cited Colleen Graham, About.com Guide
Spied on Pickers Pedals staffer’s email ...just a lil’ holiday humor does wonders for the soul... "Good news is that I truly out did myself this year with my Christmas decorations. The bad news is that I had to take him down after 2 days. I had more people come screaming up to my house than ever. Great stories. But two things made me take it down. First, the cops advised me that it would cause traffic accidents as they almost wrecked when they drove by. Second, a 55 year old lady grabbed the 75 pound ladder almost killed herself putting it against my house and didn't realize it was fake until she climbed to the top (she was not happy). By the way, she was one of many people who attempted to do that. My yard couldn't take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove up my yard."
I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it. ...Grouch Marx
Pickers Pedals Passions & Blunders Proprietary Reserve Offerings
Nitro Harley Pro Fuel Make - 90” Puppet Chassis Model - Carbon Fibre Body Work Engine - 151 cubic inch OverKill Color - Red Accessories - Hydraulic lift starter, clutches, belts, plugs, beg. tires, etc. (everything w/ this bike goes!) Performance record - 60’ in 1.04.8, 1/8 miles in 4.35, 1/4 mile in 6.8 Price - $25,000.00 Serious inquires only, please! For more photos on this motorcycle, please contact Dale Swiggett at 336.340.6299 or email him, water.warrior8@gmail.com. All inquiries will be qualified prior to appointments made for viewing. 5
for all your classic automotive advertising signs 336.570.1997 www.granddaddys.com
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Pickers Pedals Passions & Blunders Proprietary Reserve Offerings
1936 Plymouth Coupe
1938 Chevrolet 2 door Sedan Street Rod
Make - Plymouth 2 door Coupe Model - 1936 Engine - 350 C.I. Chevrolet 300hp Color - Torquoise Interior Description - Bench cloth seat with tan dash and door moldings, power steering, tilt wheel, air condition Exterior Description - Torquoise with chrome spoke wheels Price - $34,000.00
Make - Chevrolet automatic with air conditioner Model - 1938 Engine - 350 C.I. Chevrolet 300hp Color - Red Interior Description - Bucket seats, tan leather, power steering, brakes, air condition Exterior Description - Red with chrome rally wheels Price - $32,000.00
Serious inquires only, please! For more photos on any vehicle, please contact Dale Swiggett at 336.340.6299 or email him, water.warrior8@gmail.com. All inquiries will be qualified prior to appointments made for viewing.
1940 Ford 2 door Coupe Make - Ford 327 C.I., automatic transmission Model - 1940 Engine - 327 C.I. Chevrolet 300hp Color - Red Interior Description - Bench tan, leather seat, tan dash and moldings, power steering, tilt wheel, power windows, air condition Exterior Description - Red with chrome spoke wheels Price - $42,000.00
1936 Chevrolet Pickup Truck Make - Chevrolet 2 door pickup Model - 1936 Engine - 327 C.I. Chevrolet 300hp, Chevrolet automatic transmission Color - Maroon with black fenders Interior Description - Tan bucket seats with black dash and moldings, automatic tilt wheel Exterior Description - Maroon with black fenders, chrome wire wheels Price - $26,000.00 7
Pickers Pedals Passions & Blunders Classified Items Red Hooiser w/ Metal Top, price $625, Minnie Mouse Breadbox, price $50, Fire Extinguisher lamp, price $325,The Mill at Gibsonville, 136 Eugene St., Gibsonville, NC, (336) 447-1000 (wk4) Green Tint Book Stand, price $395, Aidan Gray Tin Top Table, price $325, The Mill at Gibsonville, 136 Eugene St., Gibsonville, NC, (336) 447-1000 (wk4)
Weathered Mantel w/ Coat Racks, price $475, The Mill at Gibsonville, 136 Eugene St., Gibsonville, NC, (336) 447-1000 (wk2) License Plate Bordered Mirrors, 2’ x 2’, prices ranging from $185 $235, The Mill at Gibsonville, 136 Eugene St., Gibsonville, NC, (336) 447-1000 (wk4)
Buckeye Corn Sheller, price $650, The Mill at Gibsonville, 136 Eugene St., Gibsonville, NC, (336) 4471000 (wk4)
Company Shops Tin Chest, price $275, The Mill at Gibsonville, 136 Eugene St., Gibsonville, NC, (336) 447-1000 (wk4)
Child’s Red & Black Toy Box, Handpainted w/ Tin, price $150, The Mill at Gibsonville, 136 Eugene St., Gibsonville, NC, (336) 447-1000 (wk4) See something but have a question? Visit www.themillatgibsonville.com or email info@themillatgibsonville.com 8
Fire Extinguisher Lamp, price $325, The Mill at Gibsonville, 136 Eugene St., Gibsonville, NC, (336) 447-1000 (wk4)
Worlds Away 3 Drawer Mirror Chest, price $1,390, Crystal Tree, price $95, CeCe in Wonderland lamp, price $275, Harry Potter Case (SOLD), The Mill at Gibsonville, 136 Eugene St., Gibsonville, NC, (336) 4471000 (wk4) NICE Custom Made Bird House, made from receycled materials, price $500, The Mill at Gibsonville, 136 Eugene St., Gibsonville, NC, (336) 4471000 (wk4) For only $14, run your classified item ad with us for 4 weekly editions. Email rtwdesigns@embarqmail.com or water.warrior8@gmail.com, or call 336.340.6299 for details.
Pickers Pedals Passions & Blunders Classified Items Round Table w/ Tile Mosiac, price $195, Custom Made Wood & Black Metal Chairs, price $162/ ea., The Mill at Gibsonville, 136 Eugene St., Gibsonville, NC, (336) 447-1000 (wk4)
Robert Jacobs Chair, price $850, The Mill at Gibsonville, 136 Eugene St., Gibsonville, NC, (336) 4471000 (wk4) Refurbished Cart Tables, price $350, The Mill at Gibsonville, 136 Eugene St., Gibsonville, NC, (336) 447-1000 (wk4)
Kitchen Island w/ Pullouts, price $675, The Mill at Gibsonville, 136 Eugene St., Gibsonville, NC, (336) 447-1000 (wk4)
For those of our readers who are looking for something particular, please contact us and we will do our very best to locate the object of your desire!
Fabulous Wrought Iron Patio Table & Chairs Set, price $812, The Mill at Gibsonville, 136 Eugene St., Gibsonville, NC, (336) 4471000 (wk4)
Wide Variety of Ladder Back Chairs, prices range from $25 and up, The Mill at Gibsonville, 136 Eugene St., Gibsonville, NC, (336) 447-1000 (wk4) 9
See something but have a question? Visit www.themillatgibsonville.com or email info@themillatgibsonville.com
w w w . g r a c e l i w a n g . c o m
“I want to create vibrant imageries that become the active force in expressing Colors and Forms as in Nature, with emotional qualities that are strong and radiate energy and exuberance.”
Letter from the Editor... Pulling a Classic Blonde Move One Christmas, many years ago when I was younger, I undertook a mammouth task to make all my holiday gifts going to members of my family. The experience was quite humbling after killing some of my brain cells, stinking up my entire home, and some sage advice received from my maternal grandmother. You see, I come from a long line of crafters in my family. As far back as my mama’s family line could be traced, it was recounted to me that the women could produce wonders with their hands whether it be sewing their own clothes, interior decorating, nut doll making, creating beautiful folded rose bows from ribbon, making mint candy on slabs of marble, etc. This one holiday season found me short on cash to spend on family gifts so I drove into Durham, NC to a wonderful
warehouse called the S c r a p Exchange, where you could r o a m through and pickn-choose whatever materials they had on the floor to make something. It’s one of my most favorite places in the whole area! I went looking for empty wooden cigar boxes since Durham was once King of tobacco until the plants closed up. And as I entered the door, I spotted a huge pyramid of the most perfect wooden cigar boxes. I chose several and went home armed with all the items needed to make wonderful decoupaged keepsake boxes. 1 0
I prepared my graphics, sized them for each lid proportionately and then took my project into my tiny bathroom to apply the glue onto graphics to be pasted onto each box lid. After the first box, my husband started hollering for me to stuff a bath towel at the bottom of the door to keep the awful stench of glue out of the rest of the home. As an obedient wife, I did and kept working diligently on the remaining boxes. The first couple of boxes came out really good and I got the hang of a routine. Upon finishing the last box, I literally staggered out into the hallway and nearly fell out on the kitchen floor trying to eagerly show my husband my handiwork. He gave me the strangest look after glancing at the last box I managed to decoupage and then walked into the bathroom. He came out, once again hollering for me to step out onto our porch and take several deep breaths of cold December Night air. As I stood there swaying unsteadily on my feet on our porch, my long-suffering husband came out with a cup of hot steaming apple cider spiked with some rum and told me to drink down several swallows. For some reason, I swayed just a little less after downing the hot wassail (recipe on pg 4). Then my husband told me that he was real A Blonde Moment cont. next pg
Blonde Moment continued
proud of the fact that I thought enough to try and make some creative gifts for our families. He said that we should keep the last box I worked on due to the fact that the graphic was applied a lil’ crooked. I was indignant and replied there was no way I, a graphic artist by trade, could get anything crooked. But sure enough, I looked at the box lid and was dismayed to find it very crooked. After Christmas, my grandmother called to tell me how proud she was of my first decoupage project. Then she gave me some sage advice. “I talked with Brad and he told me how you worked long and Undiscovered Picasso Originals continued
“To give away such a large quantity, that’s unheard-of. It doesn’t hold water,” Claude Picasso was quoted in Liberation as saying. “This was part of his life.” Danielle Le Guennec said the couple didn’t intend to sell the art. To some, the emergence of the works by the 20th century’s most renowned artist is akin to opening a time capsule, or a discovery on par with the recent publication of Mark Twain’s 100year-dormant autobiography. “Claude Picasso was astounded. He couldn’t believe his eyes,” said Neuer. “Just about everybody has felt that way ... when you have 271 Picasso works that were never seen, never inventoried - that’s just unprecedented.” The couple first contacted the Picasso Administration, the Paris-based agency that manages
hard on all these keepsake boxes. But child, when applying glue you need to make sure to open a window for ventilation.” OK, so I had a classic blonde moment but at least I upheld my women folks tradition of trying to be a craftswoman. Well, minus a few brain cells. Renee Warren is the Editor of Pickers Pedals Passions & Blunders. She grew up around antiques and collectibles while living in both NC & SC but just wishes she had paid more attention to her grandmothers about their love of antiques and collectibles. Her favorite category is anything Asian or Oriental.
the artist’s estate, by mail in January, seeking to have the works certified as authentic, Neuer said. Le Guennec then sent a series of packages with photos of the works to the administrators, but the images were too poor to judge - and they didn’t turn up in reference books anyway - so the couple traveled to the administration’s office with most of the trove in September. The administrators, who pored over the works for about three hours, considered that the works might be fakes. But they eventually ruled out that prospect because of the expertise, variety of techniques, and the use of certain numbers in the works that no faker was likely to have known, Liberation said. Police on Oct. 5 raided the couple’s home, questioned them and hauled off the works - which are now held by France’s official agency in charge of battling the illegal traffic of cultural items. 1 1
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art says Picasso produced more than 20,000 works of art during his long career. Hundreds have been listed as missing - a number so large in part because he was so prolific. These works are different: they’re not known to have existed. The former electrician claimed to have worked at three of Picasso’s properties in southern France - a villa in Cannes, a chateau in Vauvenarges, and a farmhouse in Mougins - the town where Picasso died in 1973. The daily said Le Guennec had installed a security alarm system for Picasso there. “My husband was wellregarded by the master,” Danielle Le Guennec said, but noted that the couple was having “a little difficulty” with his son. “He’s put a knife in our back, taken us to court and accused us of theft - he’ll have to prove it,” she said. “We’re still happy to have our works ... we’ll see what happens next.”
Pickers Pedals Passions & Blunders is a NC-based publication. Mailing address... PO Box 578 Rolesville, NC 27571 Publisher... M. Dale Swiggett 336.340.6299 water.warrior8@gmail.com Editor... Renee Warren 919.880.5217 rtwdesigns@embarqmailcom Website coming soon!