Antique Trader September 15, 2021

VINELAND, N.J. – Bertoia’s will add yet another chapter to the legacy of one of America’s greatest antique toy and bank collections as they auction Part II of the Aaron and Abby Schroeder Collection, September 10-11. In total, 896 lots will be offered. Considered by many to be in a league of its own, this vast and storied collection contains some of the rarest and most prized toys ever to reach auction. The collection was lovingly assembled over several decades by the late songwriter/ record producer Aaron Schroeder (1926-2009) and his wife and business partner of 49 years, Abby Schroeder. The collection’s holdings include an extraordinary selection of late-19th to early 20th-century American cast iron, including premier mechanical and still banks; ultra-desirable horse-drawn and bell toys, and early American tin and clockwork…

Let’s talk cars. But not about the cars we use to get to work, or the supermarket, or dentist appointments. Instead, let’s talk about the greatest cars ever made – the one you drove when you just got your license. That turn-up-the-radio, arm-out-the-window beauty that drove almost all your teenage memories…now THAT was a car. But first, there’s something important you need to understand. There are two kinds of kids in the world: Those who had a car and those who didn’t. I did not. My dad had a simple rule about using the family car: Don’t ask. In all fairness to Dad, I was the last of five drivers in the family. The road to rejection was paved by the dings and dents of my siblings. Fortunately, I was surrounded by friends with easy…

Two 20-somethings who grew up in the flea market business are on a mission to educate fellow Millennials about mid-century furniture, objets d’art and interior design. Pennsylvania natives Bryce Detweiler, 26, and Chad For-man, 24, have been taking their van dubbed the “Dust Shuttle” — a mobile antiques store — on an inaugural trip around the U.S. this summer for a two-month journey buying, selling and educating. Their trek has included stops in Bismarck, North Dakota; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; and New York City. The pair met while students at West Chester University, later entering (and winning) a film contest and performing music together. On the final leg of their trip, they sat down with Antique Trader via Zoom from Sioux City, Iowa. Detweiler entered the flea market scene during…

RIDGEWOOD, N.J. – Sometimes lunch can lead to indigestion and other times it can end with a grand scheme. Such was the case when, in 2018 during lunch, Peggy Norris of the Ridgewood Historical Society and Kay Yeomans of the Upper Saddle River Historical Society, began to plan the Bergen County, New Jersey, quilt and coverlet show scheduled for October 1-2 in Ridgewood. The show was originally scheduled for September 2020 but 2020 did not cooperate with anyone’s plans. Their idea was to gather quilts and coverlets from museums and private collections throughout Bergen County for a two-day exhibit. It was a daunting task, the success of which seemed unattainable to many except their small, dedicated committee of seven. Ultimately, 80 quilts and 36 coverlets from 29 museums and private collections were gathered…

What do you think of when you hear the name Monet in reference to jewelry? As a fan of vintage accessories, for the longest time I thought most of the company’s jewelry was, in a word, boring. That changed when I discovered pieces from the late 1960s and early ’70s at an estate sale a couple of decades ago. Then, about eight years ago, I ran across a necklace that thoroughly perplexed me. The piece in question looked like a Victorian revival festoon necklace dating the 1960s. But as I examined it closer, I noted really fine enameling that looked much older, as did the filigree elements on the necklace centerpiece. It also held very nice colored machine-cut rhinestones that had held up beautifully over time. The mark was “Monet Jewelers”…

As the great teen philosopher Ferris Bueller so aptly noted in the classic 1986 film, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” No doubt. Of course, the same is true in the Antiques and Collectibles World, which is moving at supersonic speed these days. So, much like man’s best friend, we’ve decided to stop and smell the roses, so to speak. In the following pages, you’ll see stories on NFTs (Nonfungible Tokens), video games, Pokémon and other hot collecting areas capturing the attention of the world. Some you’ll know. Some you won’t. And some – hello, NFTs! – may seem downright confounding. All of which promises to make our walk together that much more interesting.…