design
uN oe
a of the times

ONE of my favorite
stories is about an
antique dealer who
makes a habit of
dressing up as a
priest when visiting
small farming corn-
munities on his
antique collecting
sprees.

Qn one trip he finds a
particularly precious old
chest and tells the unsuspect-
ing farmer that he has come
to collect firewood for the
poor in his parish. The
farmer gladly parts with the
old relic, and while the priest
goes to fetch his car, he even
cuts it up into convenient
firewood lengths for him.

Have you noticed that

‘antique and collectible stores
abound on the North Shore?
- HW Premember correctly

there were no more than a
couple of second-hand stores
at the foot of Lonsdale about
20 years ago. They were the

‘kind you sneaked in to when
the budget was so tight that
even Woolco furniture was
out of the question.

. But in the last few yours
antiques and collectibles
have decome genteel, along
with the stores that sell them.

Some items sell at astonish-
ing prices. especially when
they carry resemblance to an
casily-recognizable style
from the past. Even items
from the 1950s and 1960s
are becoming coll :ctors’
choices.

There is in fact a store in
town that specializes in kid-

shaped tables, armless
chairs with orange or plastic
upholstery and a vast array
of plastic kitchen ware. Its
customers are mostly young
people who don’t remember
Tupperware parties and who
have never lived with brown
and orange color schemes.
The day will come when a
well-preserved Tupperware
bow] (with lid) will be priced
at several hundred dollars.

According to guidelines
set by customs officials an
item qualifies as an antique
when itis more than 100
years old. These items can be
very castly since they are
often bought and sold for
their investment value. or
their fine hand-crafted detail-
ing, rather than their practi-
cal use.

But you can still find real
bargains, even among items
from last century's Victorian
era. I recently discovered a
beautifully made and well-
preserved dining suite from
the 1860s in excellent condi-

tion. At just over $5,000 it
was a third of the price of a
reproduction from that same
era in an elegant downtown
store, Hf vou are ia the mar-
ket for an heirloom it is well
worthwhile to check out the

" Antique Warehouse on SW

Marine Drive or the Red
Barti in Cloverdale.

Anything made during
this century is a collectible,
un aspiring antique.

See Antique pieces page 13

NEWS photo Bria Lactwidge

ANYTHING made during this century is a collectible, an aspiring antique, writes
Edith Saatkamip. Lion’s Mark Antiques on Lonsdate Avenue (above) Is one of a
number of North Shore stores that cater to the antique hunter Is us all.

RAAWER
SMART

wes More Than Money

BChydro

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