Fern & Acorn pattern, Cranberry Glass, CA 1880

In the first place, being in the antique business and not collecting anything would probably mean you were in the wrong field. Ihave many collections and would like to share one with you along with some basic rules of thumb.

One of my favorite things about developing a collection is the memories that accumulate over time. In one quick glance at a piece, I can tell you where I was, what the weather was like and who I spoke with. What dimension collecting can add to a trip!

One of my own personal favorites is my collection of syrups - pictured here are just a few. A good idea when starting out is to avoid mainstream - such as duck decoys or canes. These areas are already very competitive and, therefore, expensive. The most important factor, as in anything, you have to like the form.

Diamond point pattern, Clear glass, CA 1860s

The original part of my collection was started by my grandmother, Adelaide, some 75 years ago. Her collection was arranged along the tall, narrow sidelights by her front door. I remember admiring the display as a boy when I walked into her house - great shapes and colors. I also remember having to be very careful when handling the pitchers - especially if someone was watching!

Coin Spot pattern, swirled opalescent glass, dated 1882

Not only is building a collection fascinating, it also makes it easier for friends and relatives to plan a gift. In fact, over the last 12 years, my parents have wrapped up a “new” syrup for me each holiday.

One last note - don’t collect damaged goods. For those of you so inclined, enjoy the hunt. For me it’s better than golf!

Just like clothing, hats, handbags and shoes go in and out of fashion; the same is true of American furniture in this country. Here are a few quick rules of thumb to help identify the style and age of a chest of drawers:

Rhode Island Chippendale Chest in Cherry, CA 1760

Chippendale (CA 1760-1780)

A stack of 4, 5, 6 or (rarely) 7 graduated drawers sit atop a molded bracket base or ball-and-claw feet. The drawer construction will feature bold hand-cut dovetails in front and back. The underside or bottom of the case will be dovetailed as well. The top would also be dovetailed - some blind, some exposed. The handles are simple bails with rosette backs or a batwing type of shield.

Hepplewhite (CA 1780 -1810)

The cabinet-makers of this era make an attempt to streamline their work. Artistic use of veneers and inlays, shaped bowfront drawers and graceful, flared bracket feet are often formed as extensions of the sides. The brasses are typically oval and often are embossed with thistles, flowers, birds or other fanciful motifs.

Hepplewhite Four Drawer Tiger Maple Chest, CA 1810

Sheraton (CA 1810 - 1840)

Oval “pulls” give way to round handles in brass or wood during this time period. Rather than standing on feet that are splayed and tapered, the base is formed by round, turned “legs.” Fine Sheraton pieces have very delicate turnings and fancy veneers glued over native pine.

Empire (CA 1840 - 1860)

These pieces could be described as Sheraton on steroids. Massive drawers with large and showy brass or wood knobs, heavier tunings and carved columns flanking the drawers characterize this style. In the antique business, this style hasn’t seen its heyday yet. Although good Empire sells well, 70% of the pieces are still viewed as cumbersome despite great material and craftsmanship.

The guidelines I’ve outlined here just scratch the surface - a little knowledge on any topic can be a dangerous thing. I always tell my customers, buy what you like; you are the person who will live with it. Buy the best you can afford; view it as waterfront property. Do business with reputable dealers who will stand behind what they sell.

French Marquetry Marble Top Console, CA 1860

Awareness toward reuse and recycling in the US seems to be at an all time high. I even found myself buying cloth bags at the local Stop & Shop to save paper and avoid using plastics that remain in some landfill for hundreds of years.

Thinking about this and the antique business – reuse and recycling is exactly what antiques are all about. Who in their right mind would throw away an antique anything? You just don’t. For years, people have been visiting flea markets, auctions, estate sales and shops – looking for that special find. Three things usually are true. The piece was at one time cherished by the original owner and handed down in the family. It is made well and has seen generations of service.

Except in a few rare instances when something is all original and functional, it probably needs a bit of TLC or restoration. Once restored, the piece will serve future generations who will continue to admire its beauty and enjoy the added “character” that comes with age. I’m pleased to think that Leonards was green long before it was fashionable.

Keep in mind, only restore when necessary. You don’t want to overdo repairs and devalue your latest investment. However, be mindful of the fact that most of what turns up at auction, shops and estate sales will need or has had attention. When it comes to antiques, reuse and recycling have less impact on the environment and bring value to your home.

Historically, this loose term was given to all beds from the 18th to mid-19th Centuries. Before box springs, beds consisted of wooden frames laced together with ropes or cords – woven from north to south and east to west – designed to support a “tick” or mattress.

To discover if you have the “real McCoy,” a close examination of the construction and rail material is required. The bed must have mortise and tenon joinery; the posts should be solid not laminated wood, heavy to the touch and out of round. The rails must show evidence where ropes were attached and are the best indicator of age – usually 3” x 4” birch or maple wood.

Lowpost Beds

Lowpost Beds (40”-50”H) are considered more of a common man’s bed today than a tallpost bed. However, early beds of any style were a luxury and not considered a household necessity for each family member until the mid-19th Century. The fanciful designs originated as much from the maker’s desire to be creative as the symbolic beliefs of the day - everything from the revolutionary war cannonball to the new beginnings of the acorn.

Tallpost Beds

Tallpost beds were originally designed to support a canopy frame or “tester” on which draperies would be hung to keep the occupant(s) private and warm. New England tallpost beds began with the simple pencil bed and evolved to the high style elegance of the fluted Chippendale, inlaid Hepplewhite and reeded Sheraton.

Headboards

For most 18th Century beds, headboards were viewed as a practical necessity rather than decoration. The earlier headboards were fit low into the posts near the crossrails to help contain the sewn mattress or “tick” and to keep pillows away from the wall. The average headboard was quite small, only about 12″-14″ high and set into the posts with one long slot rather than two tabs as found in beds after 1800. Over time, bedmakers expressed more creativity in their headboard designs - adding height, decorative scrolls, panels, molding, fancy grained woods, carvings and even rolls for primping and smoothing the mattress. Gone were the simple pine and maple headboards of an earlier era.

Back in the 70s when I was learning the ins and outs of the antique business, there were plenty of places to look for that great “find.” Everyone seemed to be chasing these same things – baskets, decoys, crocks with blue decoration, country furniture in old paint, of course, and Remingtons. In 1972, the Bronco Buster sold for $75,000 – one of the 1905-1906 series. To find one would be the equivalent of hitting the jackpot.

I hadn’t thought about Remington Bronzes in years…and never did find one of the originals. Outside of collections and the most respected auction houses, they simply aren’t available. Today, the Bronco Buster that sold in 1972 would be worth upwards of $350,000.

The antique business continues to surprise me. Just recently, for example, one of my longtime customers was downsizing his home and asked if I would consider giving him some advice. I arrived at his home and walked into what seemed like Remington bronze heaven – very exciting! Although none were first editions, it certainly brought back memories of the ones that got away. While antiquing, they remain something to keep an eye out for – chances are that they are recast but many that were done during the 70s were done quite well and in limited editions. As long as they are fairly priced, they are wonderful sculptures to own. Happy hunting – you just never know.

Frederick Remington (1861-1909) cast 22 different subjects such as The Outlaw, The Buffalo Horse and Mountain Man in an Old West theme. The original molds were destroyed after the death of his wife, Eva Remington in 1918.

Having grown up in the Antique Bed business, I’ve seen many different kinds of beds…from elaborate pineapples to sturdy cannonballs, from fancy, imported mahogany to local tiger maple. Historically, a “rope bed” was a loose term given to all beds from the late 18th to the mid-19th Centuries. Before box springs, beds consisted of wooden frames laced together with ropes woven from head to foot and side to side and then tightened by a bed key. A tick of hay, feather, straw or horse hair would then be placed on the network of ropes and that’s where you slept. The phrases “sleep tight” and “don’t let the bed bugs bite” refer to the sleeping conditions often associated with rope beds. One peculiar-looking New England necessity was the Trundle Bed. Extra space in early New England homes was rare. By design, these little beds on wooden wheels could be tucked away under a bed or eave when not in use. When cleaning out old homes, it’s not unusual to still find these beds – forgotten and untouched New England classics. A friend, just yesterday, happened on the following charming poem which prompted the subject of this article.

“MY TRUNDLE BED” - (1860) Ballad by John C. Baker, 1822-????

As I rummag’d thro’ the attic,
List’ning to the falling rain,
As it patter’d on the shingles
And against the window pane;
Peeping over chests and boxes,
Which with dust were thickly spread;
Saw I in the farthest corner,
What was once my trundle bed.

So I drew it from the recess,
Where it had remain’d so long,
Hearing all the while the music
Of my mother’s voice in song;
As she sang in sweetest accents,
What I since have often read—
“Hush my dear, lie still and slumber,
Holy angels guard thy bed.”

As I list’ned, recollections
That I tho’t had been forgot,
Came with all the gush of mem’ry,
Rushing, thronging to the spot;
And I wander’d back to childhood,
To those merry days of yore,
When I knelt beside my mother,
By this bed upon the floor.

Then it was with hands so gently
Placed upon my infant head,
That she taught my lips to utter
Carefully the words she said;
Never can they be forgotten,
Deep are they in mem’ry riven—
“Hollowed be Thy name, O Father!
Father! Thou who art in heaven.”

This she taght me, then she told me
Of its import great and deep—
After which I learned to utter
“Now I lay me down to sleep”
Then it was with hands uplifted,
And in accents soft and mild,
That my mother asked—”Our Father!
Father! do bless my child!”

Years have pass’d, and that dear mother
Long has molder’d ‘neath the sod,
And I trust her sainted spirit
Revels in the home of God;
But that scene at summer twilight,
Never has from mem’ry fled,
And it comes in all its freshness
When I see my trundle bed.