{"id":11431,"date":"2021-05-28T15:56:22","date_gmt":"2021-05-28T22:56:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=11431"},"modified":"2021-05-28T15:56:22","modified_gmt":"2021-05-28T22:56:22","slug":"tips-from-a-veteran-vintage-shopper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=11431","title":{"rendered":"Tips From a Veteran Vintage Shopper"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Tips From a Veteran Vintage Shopper, photo by Erick Madrid. Originally published in the Santa Barbara Independent on May 20, 2021.<\/p><\/div>\n

Unlike many of today\u2019s cheaply\u00a0manufactured products,\u00a0antiques were built to last a\u00a0lifetime. These high-quality\u00a0items can be a chic, unique,\u00a0and eco-conscious way to furnish your\u00a0home. But you need to know what to look\u00a0for.<\/p>\n

Antiques dealer Anne Luther<\/a> founded\u00a0Raggedy Anneteques at age 14, selling her\u00a0wares at flea markets and swap meets. She\u00a0shared some tips during a recent walk\u00a0through the Antique Center Mall<\/a> on Hollister\u00a0Avenue, where her collections are on\u00a0display (she also has space at the Summerland\u00a0Antique Collective<\/a>).<\/p>\n

DON\u2019T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER:\u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t think because you see a rack of
\nHawaiian shirts when you walk in that there\u00a0won\u2019t be anything in the store for you,\u201d said
\nLuther. \u201cMulti-dealer collectives often have a mix of dealers\u00a0with a range of items to offer. Shopping at these kinds of\u00a0places saves you time and helps you develop your own style.
\nDealers will sometimes have to buy an entire estate or box\u00a0at auction to get the items they really want. So make sure\u00a0to look closely. That Asian art dealer may also have a small
\nbox of English china in the corner. You never know.\u201d This is\u00a0also a good way to find bargains, she said.<\/p>\n

LOOK CLOSELY: You may be surprised by what you spot.\u00a0\u201cMake sure to look both up and down when you\u2019re in an\u00a0antique collective,\u201d she said. \u201cReal estate is expensive, and\u00a0dealers take advantage of every inch of space, hanging things\u00a0from the ceiling and tucking them under tables.\u201d<\/p>\n

TOUCH THINGS: \u201cYou\u2019re not in a museum,\u201d said Luther.\u00a0\u201cFeel an item and its weight. The heavier the piece of furniture\u00a0\u2014 specifically chairs \u2014 the more\u00a0likely that it\u2019s a period piece from the 18th\u00a0century.\u201d Her pro tip: If you reach your\u00a0hand underneath the front of a chair,
\nyou can feel the raw wood. If it\u2019s smooth,\u00a0it\u2019s been machine-cut, and the chair was\u00a0made after 1860. If it\u2019s rough, then it\u2019s\u00a0hand-cut, and the piece is likely much\u00a0older. For china, pottery, and glassware,\u00a0she advised, \u201cCheck for chips and cracks\u00a0with your fingers as well as your eyes. Run\u00a0your finger over all of the edges.\u201d<\/p>\n

DISCRIMINATE, BUT DON\u2019T HOARD:\u00a0\u201cIt takes three of something to make a collection,\u201d
\nsaid Luther. If you have tabletop\u00a0items, like lion figurines for example,\u00a0\u201cwhen you display them at home, you\u00a0want to put them on a tray to give them\u00a0a little more presence and interest. And\u00a0you don\u2019t want to buy every single lion you\u00a0ever see: This is how hoarders get started. Be discriminating,\u00a0buy the best quality you can afford, signed pieces or pieces
\nmanufactured by well-known names. Keep refining your\u00a0collection, replacing inferior pieces with better quality ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

Antique Center Mall, 4434 Hollister Ave., (805) 967-5700, antiquecentermall.com<\/a>; Summerland Antique Collective, 2192 Ortega Hill Rd.,\u00a0Summerland, (805) 565-3189, summerlandantiquecollective.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> Originally published in the Santa Barbara Independent<\/a> on May 20, 2021. To see the story as it originally appeared, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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