an internet publication serving dealers and consumers Oct.13, 2010
Pickers Pedals Passions & Blunders
‘This is My Therapy’ Says Many of Oak Street Mills Customers Autumn finds us on the road town of Cornelius, so close to traveling westward, towards Lake Norman. Knowing that North Carolina’s foothills and there was a rich heritage of anmountains. We call it chasing the tiques to be found, we made our leaves, expecting all kinds of viway to Oak Street Mill. This brant colors along our highways pretty little town sparked an aland byways. As we leave the cenmost forgotten memory of dodgtral part of North Carolina, we ing deer and farm tractors while found ourselves taking back traveling with my parents on the country roads to skirt around our Queen City, Charlotte. As we turned down one road, memories come flooding back to me in a rush. I recognize some landscapes and landmarks yet progress has crept in over the decades and there were places that I barely remember due This is a collector’s dream...to walk into a booth dedicated to to the march of featuring new Fiesta Ware. progress. back roads towards Concord and We found ourselves driving Kannapolis. down a highway that parallels the When we found Oak Street railroad and wound up in the little Mill, we walked into another world. This particular antique mall breathed new life into the old Gems Yarn mill. Since the
Nan Fabio proudly displays an artist’s rendering of her store Oak Street Mill, which breathed new life into the old Gem Yarns Mill.
Congrats to the Kober Clan of Buffalo, NY on their discovery of owning a Michelangelo painting! see pg. 10 1
An inviting front door also includes a freight dock door being open during fair weather.
publisher of Pickers Pedals Passions & Blunders had a rich background of textiles and the Shopping Therapy continued next pg
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.
Right as you walk through the front door, on the right is what is affectionately called the ‘Man Cave’ which features all kinds of items ranging from $6 - $650. Ladies, bring your men and just park ‘em in this room while you shop.
Hwy 115
HALL Exit 28 Catawba Ave Hwy 73 POLICE OAK STREET MILL
CASHIONS
with wonderful antiques and collectibles, the previous tenant was a woodworking shop. We talked about how much things had changed since my last trip through this particular area and was told that things were liable to change again in the future for This fabulous ornate bird cage sits on top of a bureau, priced at $225. Cornelius with the The photo on the left shows just a few nice items that any man would find appealing. coming high speed rail. uct offering as one big family. As As I reached into a huge plaswe walked around, the ladies told tic bottle filled with individually us that Gem Yarns was the town’s Shopping Therapy mill started around 1910. Prior continued next pg to them filling the old mill up TOWN
Oak Street
subsequent career switch of liquidating old mills after the passing of NAFTA, Dale walked around looking at the building and marveled at how the old building provided the perfect backdrop for its tenants. I walked around looking like a kid in a candy store, marveling at all the different items offered. We were fortunate enough to meet the owner, Nan Fabio, and Robin Wilgus who graciously told us the history of the old mill and how they came to locate the antique mall there. Nan is originally from NY and a retired teacher, a very honorable profession in itself. She told us that once she moved to NC, she became very interested in antiques. Robin does wonders with staging and obviously takes great pride in making sure every item can be easily seen by shoppers browsing through the old mill.
One of the most intriguing things that we noted as we walked the aisles was the wonderful classical music that just seemed to set a comfortable tone for leisurely browsing. We complemented the ladies on their choice of music and Nan replied that quite a few of their customers say that they come in to shop as part of their therapy. We just had to smile because that is exactly how we felt just coming off the road. Nan told us that they have their 12 year anniversary coming up in February and consider nearly 55 dealers they work with on prod-
I-77 North
Shopping Therapy continued
Huntersville Cornelius is a quaint bedroom community located to the north of Charlotte, NC and a stones throw from Lake Norman. Definitely worth a detour before heading west to catch the NC fall colors.
Shopping Therapy continued
wrapped peppermints, Robin pulled out a beautiful hardback book titled ‘Our Vanishing Americana - a North Carolina Portrait’ written by Mike Lassiter, the husband of one of their dealers. I thought I recognized the book but couldn’t quite place it until Robin mentioned that PBS did a story on this particular book. As we flipped through the pages, my eyes fell upon wonderful photos of places and I held back a sigh quietly thinking that things had changed over the course of the years that I spent visiting my kin in this part of the old North State. As I looked over this book, Dale got lost in a room that is located just as you walk through the front door. I had to go retrieve him and realized immediately that he was totally engrossed in looking at just about everything a man could love.
P i c k e r s
Nan and Robin laughed stating that this room was known as the ‘Man Cave.’ I could not suppress my laughter at the ladies marketing genius. They had effectively carved out a special room filled with manly man things making it nearly impossible for any gentleman to deny accompanying any lady to go browsing at an antique mall. Indeed, it was all I could do to drag Dale out of this room so that we could continue on with our journey. We bid Nan and Robin good-bye and made plans to return very soon. As we stopped to get gas and indulge another childhood memory by grabbing a Cheerwine
out of the store’s ice cold cooler, we spotted a hot air balloon operator inflating his flying machine. Within minutes, he was airborne and lofting over the fair town of Cornelius. Taking a sip of Cheerwine, I smiled and thought how much nicer it would be to make our return trip in his hot air balloon. Renee 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.
P e d a l s P a s s i o n s & Most Unusual Item Discovery
Someone is going to want this chair! One of our longtime colleagues gave us words of wisdom and a good dollop of encouragement when he was told that we had started this brand new electronic newsletter featuring antiques, collectibles, etc. Pickers & Pedals publisher, Dale Swiggett, stopped by to visit last week and our colleague pointed over to this huge chair in the corner of his office. “Why don’t you try and sell this old chair for me? I got it at a Guilford County auction about 50 years ago.” Dale commented that it didn’t look like any other government office chair he’d ever seen at past municipal auctions. The twinkle in our colleague’s eyes made Dale ask what was the back story on this huge manly man of a chair. “Oh, it was just the Judge’s chair at the courthouse here in Guilford County. Can you imagine all the butts that sat in this chair hearing all kinds of interesting cases? The thing was made in the late 1800’s.”
B l u n d e r s
Heavy oak wood & upholstered studded chair, price $900. Owner says this chair is so heavy that it takes two men to move it. Serious inquiries only...call Dale directly at 336.340.6299 or email him at water.warrior8@gmail.com. Owner asked we handle all inquiries since he has better things to do with his time.
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Passions Destination Calendar of Events Antiques, Art & Jewelry Show, Washington, DC, Oct. 15-18, Walter E. Washington Conv. Center, dmg World Media 239-732-6642, andreacanady@ dmgworldmedia.com
Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival, Oct 29 - Nov 7, Hilton Head Island, SC, info@hhiconcours.com, 843-785-7469 or www.hhiconcours.com
held in High Point, NC, for more info, www.highpointmarket.org
16th Annual Memory Lane Exhibit at the South Florida International Auto Show, Nov 5th - 14th, Miami, FL - held at the Miami Beach Convention Center. For info: AACA South Florida Region’s Show Chairman: Mel Mann at soflaaca@aol.com held in Henderson, NC, for more info, www.eastcoastdragtimeshalloffame.com
Pier Antique Show, Nov 13 - 14, Pier 94, 151 West 25th Street New York, NY, 10001
Cameron, NC Antiques Dealers’ Annual Christmas Open House - all shops participating Saturday, Nov. 20 from 10am - 5pm, Sunday Nov. 21 from 1 - 5pm
Pride of Dixie Antique Market, Nov 27 - 28, North Atlanta Trade Center, 1700 Jeurgens Court Norcross, GA, 30083 Celebration of Lights Boat Parade, December 4, Kingston, TN, 865376-4201 Hometown Holidays, Tifton, GA, Dec. 4, 229-556-7439 NC State Fair - Raleigh, NC State Fairgrounds, Oct. 14 - 24 SC State Fair - Columbia, SC State Fairgrounds, Oct. 13 - 24
Old Fashioned Christmas, Timmonsville, SC, Dec. 11, 843-346-7942
Carolina Classic Car Restoration 336.229.5852 CarolinaClassicCarRestoration.com
www.hinshawschevelle.com (336) 586-0802
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800-846-7252
Ausley’s Chevelle
Big Tony’s Chevelle
Hubbard’s Impala
Chemstrip
Hubbards Impala www.impalaparts.com
Carolina Classic Car Restoration
Hinshaw Chevelle
www.chem-strip.com (336) 584-5613
www.ausleys.com
(1-888-697-7396)
1-888-MY-SS-396
www.chevellesrus.com
The Go-To Experts for Car Restoration Services
Restoring the Car of Your Dreams Pickers, Pedals, Passions, and Blunders was created to bring a number of what would be normally perceived as seemingly unrelated subjects and explain how these unrelated items coupled with common technology were passionately cherished and modified. Such is the case with the growth of custom and racing car enthusiasts in North Carolina. While the Carolinas are better known for NASCAR, the drag strip has now become the proving ground for all the garage bets and of dreams finally realized. Thanks to the ’old Guard’ at Piedmont Dragway like Buddy
Martin, Larry Ferguson, and the late Ronnie Sox, these gentlemen kept the love for Drag Racing and Hot Rods alive until all of us could have the car of our dreams. Sox and Martin were from Burlington, and were known for Hemi’s. Ausleys, Big Tony’s Hinshaws and Hubbards became the places to go for anything and everything for Chevelle Impalas and El Caminos. A new generation has emerged like Danny Johnson, the owner of Carolina Classic Car Restoration and the word has spread far and wide of the high concentration of craftsmen and women with the best equipment. While others will only work on Chevelles and Bow Ties, A customer’s 1960 Chevy Impala 77 bubbletop.
Calendar of Events cont.
Carolina Classic Car Restoration will take on anything with wheels regardless of make and model. Carolina Classic Car Restoration has a full team of experts including body, engine, and paint specialists. Contact Danny Johnson at 336.229.5852 to discuss your classic car restoration needs. Dale Below is a rare 1967 Chevelle convertible that we will be following through its restoration process. In this photo, the car is on a rotisserie that enables the technicians the ability to completely address any rust or body issues.
Pickers Pedals Passions & Blunders Classified Items American Pond Boat, c.1920’s, price $6,500, Oak Street Mill Antiques, Cornelius, NC, 704.895.2653 (wk1)
Turn of Century Wakefield Wicker Baby Carriage, price $675, Oak Street Mill Antiques, Cornelius, NC, 704.895.2653 (wk1) Hoosier w/ flour sifter, price $450, Oak Street Mill Antiques, Cornelius, NC, 704.895.2653 (wk1)
Ebonized Curio Cabinet, price $825, Oak Street Mill Antiques, Cornelius, NC, 704.895.2653 (wk1)
NICE Oak Ringgold Iron Pot Belly Stove, price $1,100, Oak Street Mill Antiques, Cornelius, NC, 704.895.2653 (wk1)
Love Seat, price $625, Italian Florentine Trio of Stack Tables, price $160, Oak Street Mill Antiques, Cornelius, NC, 704.895.2653 (wk1)
Decorative Column (as shown in above photo), price $750, Oak Street Mill Antiques, Cornelius, NC, 704.895.2653 (wk1) Old Slot Machine, Monte Carlo, price $525, Oak Street Mill Antiques, Cornelius, NC, 704.895.2653 (wk1)
See something but have a question? Email info@oakstreetmillantiques.com or visit www.oakstreetmillantiques.com 7
French Artist Easel, price $325yh, Oak Street Mill Antiques, Cornelius, NC, 704.895.2653 (wk1)
Vintage Glass & Crystal Chandelier (rewired), price $485, Oak Street Mill Antiques, Cornelius, NC, 704.895.2653 (wk1) Tall Wood Armoire, price $1,600, Oak Street Mill Antiques, Cornelius, NC, 704.895.2653 (wk1)
Carved French Hunt Cabinet, price $1,495, Oak Street Mill Antiques, Cornelius, NC, 704.895.2653 (wk1)
Unusual Wine Bottle, Glass Slipper Styled, price $50, Bill Fenner, Charlotte, NC metro area, 252.207.8999, wmfenner@gmail.com (wk4) Beautifully Framed Art, Red Lady & White Lady, price $200/ea, Bill Fenner, Charlotte, NC metro area, 252.207.8999, wmfenner @gmail.com (wk4)
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. Remember that the most valuable antiques are dear old friends ...H. Jackson Brown, Jr. 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.
Asian Ningbo Cabinet c. 1900’s, price $500, Bill Fenner, Charlotte, NC metro area, 252.207.8999, wmfenner@gmail.com (wk4) Chinese Feng Shui Compass, price $85, Bill Fenner, Charlotte, NC metro area, 252.207.8999, wmfenner@gmail.com (wk4)
Beautifully Framed Art Print, Jazz Band, price $200, Bill Fenner, Charlotte, NC metro area, 252.207.8999, wmfenner @gmail.com (wk4)
Furniture Samples at Antique Market Place in G’boro, NC Twice a year, wholesale buyers from around the world flock to the High Point Furniture Market to view new trends and manufacturers’ offerings. The event spans 10 days. Antique Market Place in Greensboro, NC has a back room where samples are coming in nearly every day. Be sure to stop by to see what’s new.
Asian Chest Drawers/ Sidebar (wine box & feng shui compass pictured below separately), price $300, Bill Fenner, Charlotte, NC metro area, 252.207.8999, wmfenner @gmail.com (wk4)
Oriental Wine Box, price $100, Bill Fenner, Charlotte, NC metro area, 252.207.8999, wmfenner@gmail.com (wk4) Unframed Art Print, Jazz Band Plays On, price $75, Bill Fenner, Charlotte, NC metro area, 252.207.8999, wmfenner @gmail.com (wk4)
FOR SALE.... 1987 Avion Camper, 32 ft.
If you like Airstreams, you'll love an Avion! Hate to sell but I'm not using this and someone should enjoy it. Aircraft construction, new mahogany floor, cedar lined closets and bathroom, marble floor in bathroom, custom made built-in furniture (leather faced), dinette folds out into single bed, leather couch folds out to a double bed, has separate quarter berths w/ a center plug that can convert to a California king bed, outside awning, jawless crank windows w/ sun shades, full sealed bottom for easy towing, does have built-in stereo. Features new convection microwave, fridge/ freezer unit (never been used). Outer shade canopy is in great shape. A must see item but needs some vinyl finishing. Serious inquiries only please. Can email interior photos.
$7,500
located north of Raleigh, NC For info, call 336.340.6299 or email water.warrior8@gmail.com Capital City Customs Inc. We strive to give your project a new lease on life while improving on the past!
Pickers, Pedals, Passions & Blunders is Now Reviewing Resumes for Commission Only Advertising Sales Reps in the Following Areas Adamstown, PA Maryland Eastern Shore Charleston, SC/Savannah, GA Washington, DC Nashville, TN Birmingham, AL Chattanooga, TN/Northern GA Myrtle Beach, SC Southwest VA St. Augustine/Daytona, FL St. Petersburg, Tampa, FL Ft. Lauderdale/Miami, FL New Orleans, LA Atlanta, GA 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! Dan Matthews 919.772.3005, cell 919.868.7128 capitalcitycustomsinc.com dmatthews@capitalcitycustomsinc.com
on Vintage Airstreams, RV’s, Tractors & Custom Cars We are Equipped to Handle Most ALL YOUR RESTORATION NEEDS! w Custom Interior Design w Sheet Metal Braking/Shearing w Custom Louver Work w Steel Rolling/Tube Bending w Mig/Tig Welding w Chassis Repair/Replacement w English Wheeling w Custom Cabinetry/Upholstery
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.
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! 9
Y a ’ N e v e r K n o w W h a t Y o u M i g h t H a v e ...
A 'Mike' found in Buffalo?
"It wasn't the story that had scared me, but that it had been exposed to heating commonly found inside a middle-class home," Forcellino writes in his new book, "La Pieta Perduta," or "The Lost Pieta," published in Italy and due out in the United States next year.
Florence. The truth was this painting was much better than the ones they had. I had visions of telling Melissa Klein them that there was this crazy guy This unfinished painting of in America telling everyone he Jesus and Mary could be a lost had a Michelangelo at home," Michelangelo, potentially the art Forcellino said. find of the century. A scientific analysis of the But to the upstate family on painting proved that the whose living-room wall it hung Michelangelo claim was for years, it was just "The not so crazy. Mike." Forcellino told The When the kids knocked Post that infrared and Xthe painting off its perch ray examinations of the with an errant tennis ball painting -- on a 25-bysometime in the mid19-inch wood panel -1970s, the Kober clan show many alterations wrapped it up and tucked it made by the artist as he away behind the sofa. changed his mind, and an There it remained for 27 unfinished portion near years, until Air Force Lt. the Madonna's right knee. Col. Martin Kober retired "The evidence of unin 2003 and had some time finished portions demonon his hands. His father strate that this painting gave him a task -- research never, never, never could the family lore that the be a copy of another painting was really a painting," Forcellino Michelangelo. said. "No patron pays in "Now, with your PIETA BREAD: An expert says this painting owned by a Buffalo family the Renaissance for an newfound free time, do could be a real Michelangelo worth many millions of dollars. unfinished copy." something with this!" And he did not believe in the Additionally, the provenance, Kober recalled his father telling or ownership history, points to existence of another version of him. the work being done by Michelangelo paintings that are Kober, now 53, dug into the Michelangelo around 1545 for hanging in Italian museums. history of the painting, contacthis friend Vittoria Colonna. That "I had assumed it was going to ing auction houses, Renaissance was about 45 years after be a copy," Forcellino said. art scholars, European archives, Michelangelo did his famed Still, Forcellino skeptically and even meeting museum direcvisited Kober's home outside "Pieta," or pity, sculpture of Mary tors in Italy. He found Antonio Buffalo to view the painting, and holding Jesus, housed in St. Forcellino, an Italian art restorer the trip left him a bit breathless. Peter's Basilica. and historian and told him of the "In reality, this painting was tennis ball, and something more even more beautiful than the ver“La Pieta Perduata� is found horrifying. sions hanging in Rome and continued pg 18
“La Pieta Perduata” is found continued ___________________
The Pieta painting was passed to two Catholic cardinals, eventually ending up in the hands of a German baroness named Villani. The work ended up in the Kober family after Villani willed it to her lady-in-waiting Gertrude Young. Young was the sister-inlaw of Kober’s great-grandfather and she sent the work to America in 1883, according to an account by Kober. Forcellino said Herman Grimm, a noted Michelangelo biographer, saw the "Pieta" in 1868 and attributed it to the mas-
ter. Additional evidence includes a letter in the Vatican library discussing a Pieta painting for Colonna, he said. "I'm absolutely convinced that is a Michelangelo painting," Forcellino said. Michelangelo expert William Wallace, a professor of architecture and art history at Washington University in St. Louis, said he saw the painting before Kober had it privately restored to remove 500 years of wear and tear. Since there is no definitive scientific way to attribute such a painting, Wallace said it would be the weight of experts over time
that would hold sway on whether it is a Michelangelo. One thing is certain, however -- the painting's potential worth. It is now in a bank vault. The rare Michelangelo drawings that have come up for sale in recent years have sold for as much as $20 million. And a possible Michelangelo at the Metropolitan Museum of Art could be worth as much as $300 million. "Millions and millions," Wallace said of the lost Pieta's value. Additional reporting by Isabel Vincent and Clemente Lisi
Read more... http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/mike_found_in_buffalo_Or3Ok3NfUR21qEqBxK3u2H#ixzz123ExUoLd
Letter from the Publisher... THANK YOU! Renee and I are overwhelmed by all the emails and phone calls we’ve received regarding so many across the nation (and across the big ponds also) enjoying Pickers Pedals Passions & Blunders. A few people have asked the same question, ‘what exactly are you trying to do by combining antiques, modern and period furniture with different events and classic cars?’ My answer is very simple - we are combining all the things that we love and it turns out there are a whole lot of other people out there whose interests and passions overlap into these categories as well. For every little lady out there who collects dolls, there is a guy out there who revels in restoring a classic automobile. For every guy out there who dreams of starting his collection of vintage motorcycles, there is a woman out there who wants a finely crafted curio cabinet to store her
Austrian china to show off to guests during the holidays. And everyone loves attending events, especially if it centers around one of their passions. Events are the highlight of many people’s month or year because it gives them a chance to connect with old friends, meet new friends, thin out or maybe add to their collection, learn something new or even teach someone something new. We have several exciting editions planned for the rest of the year and hope that our readers will continue to forward our humble publication out to others. Soon we will be announcing our new website where we will have each weekly edition featured so that everyone can go up and just download the newsletter. We have several writers working on stories to relate their own wisdom and humor also. Once again, thank you! Dale 11
Dale Swiggett is the Publisher of Pickers Pedals Passions & Blunders. He grew up in the Triad area of NC and has backgrounds in textiles and real estate development. But his passions include history, travel, waterfront culture, and gets weak in the knees over classic automobiles.
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!