The Weedless Widow
Page 20
Note: When I mentioned these two books to Greer, he told me he’d seen the author and some of her valentine collection featured on Martha Stewart’s program, and that she was a charming lady.
The book I studied while on the ferry was Hidden Treasures: Searching for Masterpieces of American Furniture, by Leigh Keno and Leslie Keno, with Joan Barzilay Freund (Warner Books, 2000). Many of you will recognize the Keno name from the wildly popular PBS television show, Antiques Roadshow. What I know about authenticating furniture masterpieces isn’t a patch on what the Kenos knew while they were still in high school. This one was worth the wait.
Reproductions are the bane of the collector and, oftentimes, you can only determine a fake by comparing it to the real McCoy. The Antique Trader Guide to Fakes & Reproductions, by Mark Chervenka (Krause Publications, 2001), provides sound information and side-by-side photos of fakes and originals to assist you in identification. (Also, see the www.repronews.com listing in the webliography.)
Sam Carver has many books on tools, but the one he most enjoys looking through is The Art of Fine Tools, by Sandor Nagyszalanczy (Taunton Press, 1998). Sam keeps it prominently displayed on his coffee table, and I can see why. Many antique tools were more elaborate than the buildings and furniture they helped create, and this edition is generous with its full-color photographs. It includes some good bits (no pun intended) of history, as well. If you appreciate the workmanship, ingenuity, and whimsy of long-ago artisans, then this is the book for you.
Antique Tool Collectors Guide to Value, by Ronald S. Barlow (LW Publishing, 1999), is a new edition of the earlier work, with updated values. Hopefully, your collectibles are worth even more than the values given in this 1999 guide.
Sam also told me that Grinling Gibbons and the Art of Carving is a masterpiece, written by master carver David Esterly (Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1998).
I picked up a fantastic cookbook for Sheila at Seabolts (one of our favorite places to obtain smoked salmon, Sheila orders from them online; you’ll find them listed in the webliography, below.) The book, Simply Whidbey, by Laura Moore and Deborah Skinner, and illustrated by Margaret Livermore (Saratoga Publishers, 1991), contains fabulous regional recipes from Whidbey Island, Washington. As if that weren’t enough, it also offers many menus compiled from the recipes, and information on island events — everything from festivals, fairs, and regattas to a mystery weekend.
I haven’t discovered a Barbie at a sale in some time, and, after visiting with Sheriff Colleen McIvers, I know why. People are realizing that they’re hot. If you’re going to collect them, you need to know your stuff. Colleen advises to read up, and recommends Barbie Bazaar, the official Barbie Doll Collector’s Magazine (a bi-monthly publication from Murat Caviale, Inc.). She (Colleen, not Barbie) sent me a copy, which was full of information revealing the lengths scam artists will go to in their attempts to replicate those early dolls (which are currently fetching five figures!).
There are several books on Chris-Craft boats (and Gar Wood boats, as well), so I won’t try to influence you one way or the other. But, for the sheer beauty of wooden boats, I will point you toward Wood Through Water: Classic Power Boats, by James W. Ogilvie-Knowles and Justus Hayes (Friedman/Fairfax Publishing, 1999).
The Official Overstreet Price Guide to Comic Books, by Robert M. Overstreet (House of Collectibles, 2002). This annual guide is considered by many to be the bible for this popular collectible. (Thanks to Jon Jordan for the recommendation.)
Note: These statistics were noted in the 2000 film, Unbreakable, starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson: A single issue ranges in price from $1 to over $140,000, and 172,000 comics are sold in the U.S. every day.
I couldn’t bring this segment to a close without directing you to Coffee Basics: A Quick and Easy Guide, by Kevin Knox, Julie Sheldon Huffaker (contributor), (John Wiley & Sons, 1996). This guide, written by two industry insiders, lists mail-order sources for the best beans, plus great coffee drink recipes, tasting tips, and a complete coffee taster’s glossary.
SHEILA TALBOT’S WEBLIOGRAPHY
www.antiquelures.com
Hundreds of pages of information, extensive photos. If you’re into vintage lures, you’ve likely made good use of this site. If you’re just getting started, allow plenty of time here.
www.barbiecollectibles.com
Official Mattel site for the collectible Barbie. Well-designed, with a wealth of information. Includes an index of Barbie clubs by state.
www.butlersguild.com
Whether you’re in the market for a butler, or you want to learn more about this fascinating field of service, you won’t go wrong by checking out the Web site for The International Guild of Professional Butlers. (Don’t miss the Butler Pantry, an online store.)
www.deborahmorgan.com
The author has expanded my segment of her website (click “Jeffrey Talbot” in the index) to include more about antiques, additional recipes from Sheila’s files, and a better-developed links page, which is now categorized by subject.
www.fishingthenorthwest.com
Includes everything from a list of popular fishing spots to information on lodging, stores, and restaurants near those spots. A well laid-out site, with impressive graphics, too.
Fishing regulations are complicated. Be sure and check out the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife site at www.wa.gov/wdfw for information you’ll need prior to making that first cast.
www.kovels.com
Ralph and Terry Kovel have had a passion for antiques for over forty years and have published numerous books about collecting. Their website offers extensive databases. The couple also writes a column for Forbes magazine, as well as a nationally syndicated newspaper column.
www.marthastewart.com
Both the show and the Web site are popular in my house. Martha Stewart frequently provides information on collecting, and Sheila enjoys trying out the domestic guru’s recipes.
www.nficc.com
The National Fishing Lure Collectors Club is about more than just lures. It “encompasses every aspect of collecting fishing related tackle and ephemera.”
www.oldtools.corn
There are many tool collectors clubs and societies. If you’re interested, this impressive Web site is a good place to start.
www.perfurnebottles.org
Site for the International Perfume Bottle Association. Get info on becoming a member and news about their annual convention. Includes many photos and links to assist in research. The organization publishes the journal Perfume Bottle Quarterly.
www.seaboits.com
Seabolts uses locally grown alder wood to smoke salmon in the traditional style of the Pacific Northwest. Located just down the road from Deception Pass, Seabolts has been in business for almost twenty-five years.
www.repronews.com
Web site of the Antique and Collectors Reproduction News, a monthly newsletter that provides money-saving tips to keep you on the right track. You can also purchase supplies, such as black lights and invisible ink, to aid in marking your valuables for identification.
www.thomaspink.co.uk
Thomas Pink has great cuff links, which I’m counting on as future vintage pieces for my collection.
Those who noticed the vein of pink that ran through The Weedless Widow might appreciate this bit of history from the Thomas Pink website: “It’s a little-known fact that the phrase ‘in the pink’ was inspired by our very own Thomas Pink. This legendary Mayfair tailor made his name in the late 18th century, creating hunting coats that were regarded as the finest in the land. If you wore a coat by Mr. Pink, you were definitely on top form — socially, financially, and, of course, sartorially.”
www.tullys.com
The folks at Tully’s Coffee (which is the exclusive coffee brand of Safeco Field) provide a striking website. They offer for purchase a French-press grind, and if you haven’t tried French-pressed coffee, I urge you to check it out. I’m no barista, but I can say that Tully’s ha
sn’t steered me wrong yet.
www.vintagewoodworks.com
Spandrels, beadboards, gingerbread, and fretwork can all be found at the site for this Texas-based company. Request a catalog, shop online, or check out the bookstore, which lists dozens of recommended books on everything from architectural styles to renovation and preservation of historic homes to information on interior elements such as reproduction of historic fabrics, lighting, and wallpapers.
www.washingtonoutdoorwomen.org
Washington Outdoor Women was established in 1997 by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. At the time I checked out this site, the group was offering a number of workshops — from basic fly-tying to big-game hunting.
Look for the other books in The Antique Lover’s Mystery series
Currently available or coming soon from Crossroad Press
Death is a Cabaret
The Marriage Casket
Four on the Floor
The Majolica Murders
A Note from Crossroad Press
We hope you enjoyed this eBook and will seek out other books published by Crossroad Press. We strive to make our eBooks as free of errors as possible, but on occasion some make it into the final product. If you spot any errors, please contact us at publisher@crossroadpress.com and notify us of what you found. We’ll make the necessary corrections and republish the book. We’ll also ensure you get the updated version of the eBook.
If you’d like to be notified of new Crossroad Press titles when they are published, please send an email to publisher@crossroadpress.com and ask to be added to our mailing list.
Thank you for your assistance and your support of the authors published by Crossroad Press.