For those of us in the Northeast, turning leaves, cider mills and pumpkin patches combine nicely with antiquing. An abundance of shows from late September through October will provide for plenty of shopping in time for holiday gifts.
As a life-long collector it seems I’d be well beyond “looking” for another item. We were leaning toward taking our roadster on a last run for a fall trip, but the thought of buying something we couldn’t live without, but wouldn’t fit, has us leaning toward the small but adequate SUV. I’d call it a station wagon, but I guess that term is passé.
We have been known to take the convertible and ask a dealer or a friendly innkeeper to “hold on” to our purchase until we could return with a larger vehicle. Still, that isn’t always possible, so we’ll probably only be tempted if there is an unusually warm spell.
Sometimes I can’t resist an antique item I see at co-op, dealer, show or auction. I recently bought a Troy N.Y. stoneware jug from the 1830 era, and a primitive redware jug at a local on-line auction. Just couldn’t resist. It’s always interesting to get the “I won” feeling mixed with the “I didn’t really need that.” Most of the time the “I won” wins.
In this 250th Independence Anniversary year, I tend to take a moment to look at my earliest items that were around in the late 1700s and early 1800s. It’s nice to imagine their travel through history before they arrived in our household.
By Grant Hamilton
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