December 2007

Here it is December and I am finally getting around to setting up a blog. My friend Theresa of Garden Antiques has told me about hers and after seeing all the wonderful pictures she has posted, I could not wait to get started.
I took early retirement from my career of 30 years with the government and opened an antique shop. I had been involved for many years with a booth in an antique mall but felt it was time to venture out on my own. So here I am. Safely ensconced in my new career with the security of my retirement check behind me and a husband who sometimes understands my desire to "save" all the antiques I can.
I must admit that I want to save them more than sell them. I am having issues with parting from some of my items. It is getting some better now and I really enjoy being able to fit the right customer with the right antique and turning over custody to them of the wonderful item. There is one customer, Gwen who allows me to visit the wonderful primitive cabinet I sold her. She is such great fun to be around and I hope she never stops shopping with me.
I strive to bring a new concept to antique shopping in our area here in Huntsville Texas, home of Sam Houston as well as his burial place. For those of you outside Texas, he is just about the most important person in Texas history. General of the Texas Revolution for independence from Mexico, President of the Republic of Texas, first Governor of the State of Texas, and a US Senator for Texas. If you come to Huntsville you will be bombarded with historical places pertaining to Sam Houston. Huntsville is also too well known for being the home of the Texas prison execution site. The oldest prison in Texas is here as well as many other Units of Texas Dept of Criminal Justice, which is not exactly a tourist drawing card, but historical never the less.
I wanted my antique shop to be different than the antique malls that are so often what we see now that it is clearly harder to make a living selling antiques. I like to dress my windows in a theme showing life in the earlier days.
For instance, this month I have a Christmas theme with one window showing a fireplace hung with stockings for Santa, and my lady mannequin wearing a lovely burgundy velvet dress
with Christmas gifts in front of the tree for a child of the 1900 to 1920 period. In another display window I have a sleigh with old shabby ceramic Santa. In the last window there is a sewing rocker, sewing items, all in reds.
I get excited every month planning the next display window but must say that when we are staging it in the window my husband who is my "assistant" in window dressing gets very exasperated with me as I want it to be perfect every time. He likes the "it looks ok to me"
concept. So if we were ever to divorce, this would be the cause of it. I, of course get to enjoy all the positive comments from the customers over it.
I rent booths to three vendors here. One is a lady who sells vintage and estate jewelry. She has many lovely items and specializes in Kramer, Weiss, Juliana, 1930's Czech, and Liz Taylor pieces. She sells antique ladies belt buckles, brooches, cameos, mourning brooches, music boxes and a whole line of older jewelry items.
The next is a lady who has been in the antiques business here in town for over 20 years. She has also owned a Bed and Breakfast locally for years. She is selling many items accumulated for the B & B. She is a delightful person and involved in everything to do with the city. A walking tourist promoter for Huntsville.
The third is a little lady who is recently starting in the antiques business. This is her first endeavor and she is selling items she has collected for many years. This all makes for an interesting variety of goods.
Since I am so new to blogging, this will take some time to get going in a way to please and copy my friend, Theresa. She has a great style and the most cheerful personality that is so contagious.
Her blog is Garden Antiques so check her out. We were in the Sam Houston Antiques Mall together years ago and she did not like me at all then. I persisted and finally I think she does, somewhat. Another old friend in antiques is Marion, she is the greatest arranger of antiques and has the most interesting things ever. All primitive. Until Marion I did not even like primitives, and now look at me!!!! She sometimes still does shows. She did the Huntsville Antiques show last year with her friend. I bought an old metal steeple from her. It had been on a local Church long ago. I love it and several tried to buy it from me on my way out of the sale. No way!!
It is in my yard at home and will stay. Until I go and my sons who hate antiques has that biggest of all garage sale of my things someday. So try to watch out for that one in the future.
I laugh about that but it is probably true.
I also sell Watkins products and Beanpod candles in my store as well as Romantic Homes magazines.
So check me out when in the area.
Lois