Quarantine Series: Collectables

Well, we are already a week into our second lockdown and we’ve been busy fixing up The Barn, and bringing in lots of new pieces. We will start to update new arrivals soon. The three attached photos are of pieces that just arrived. But for now, back to the quarantine series as we are quarantining again.

In a previous post I wrote about the collapse of the antique market, but I only touched on collectables or collectibles. I looked it up and both spellings are correct. Isn’t English a crazy language? Many antique stores used to be called antique and collectible shops. This post will delve a little deeper into the collectibles market.

A collectible by definition is obviously anything of which you form a collection. Many antique stores used to specialize in collectibles above everything else. That used to be a big part of the fun of antiquing. Antique hunters would go on trips in search of treasures to add to their collections. The internet has made collecting a lot less fun. It used to be a thrill to search high and low for a specific porcelain doll, or railroad lantern, or cow bell to add to your collection. These days you can just type whatever you collect into a search engine and you will see whatever you are looking for, aside from the rarest of items. The internet is certainly more convenient, but it has taken the romance out of the hunt. Most antique stores that specialized in collectibles went out of business many years ago, or have gone completely online.

The Barn used to be much more focused on antique furniture. Antique furniture is still our biggest seller, however these days we actually sell more collectables than we ever have. How do we do it? Simple, we buy in volume so we can undersell the internet. Check for yourselves, the next time you are in The Barn, look up a particular cup and saucer, or an oil lamp. You will quickly notice that our prices for collectables are lower than what you find online. In fact, we often sell pieces to customers who turn around and sell them online for a profit. This begs the question: Why don’t we sell our products online? The simple answer is, it’s just not what we do, or want to do. We don’t want to spend the majority of our day in front of a computer screen, and deal with all of the hassles associated with selling online. We prefer the hassles we already have. Plus we like being a brick and mortar store. Or in our case a wood and nails store.

Many antique stores used to specialize in collectables for two main reasons. One, you need a much smaller space than if you sell primarily antique furniture. And two, there is a lot less physical labour involved. Many of our best purchases over the years have come about because other antique dealers didn’t want to do all the physical labour and work involved in moving large furniture. Every estate is different, however speaking as someone who has emptied many houses of their contents, I can attest that it is a lot of work.

Most collectables like most antiques have dropped in value significantly from their highs of decades past. But some items have increased in value. If you collect comic books your collection has appreciated over time significantly. We get people in The Barn every week searching for old advertising signs, when we are not in lockdown that is. The prices for vintage or antique advertising just keep going up.

On the other hand if you collected porcelain dolls or wicker prams the prices have collapsed. Tastes have changed over the years. There was a time when you couldn’t buy a wicker pram for under $500 and most sold for significantly more. I can’t remember the last time a customer even asked for a wicker pram, I’m sure it has been years. And yes, people used to collect prams. We used to carry porcelain dolls and they sold like hotcakes, not anymore. Now we don’t even carry them.

These days the most popular collectable items we sell are cups and saucers. We always have at least two china cabinets full. We have a dozen or more hard core cup and saucers junkies who come in at least a couple of times a month to see the latest arrivals. They rarely leave empty handed. One of the interesting things about cups and saucers, that is common to most collectables, is that the more expensive ones sell faster than the cheaper ones. The more expensive collectables are generally rare and collectors snap them up right away. The average more common pieces tend to sit around longer.

Here are some examples of our customers collections that we have heard about recently: mustache cups, miniature tea sets, bells of all types, anything owl related, gramophones, matchboxes, egg coddlers, oil lamps, CN Railway items, anything with a picture of a beaver on it, Tiffany lamps, wool winders, mason jars, sock stretchers, butter dishes, and sap buckets. Those are all collectables that customers have asked about recently. We even have a customer who collects four poster canopy beds. Seriously, he has an entire barn full.

If you feel like starting a collection, miniatures is a good way to go. They are inexpensive and don’t take up a lot of room. We always have a china cabinet dedicated to miniatures at the Barn. I could write a list of all the items we have in stock that are collectible. But that would be pointless, you can collect just about anything. Collectors usually have a great appreciation for the things they collect. And you can see the passion they have for their collections when you talk with them. Some of our customers are so knowledgeable about their collections that they teach us about the items they are buying. Who knows, maybe you are reading this and have never collected anything. One day you could be coming to The Barn to get your fix and add to your collection. But I would recommend something smaller that canopy beds.

As you are probably aware, the government of Ontario has imposed a mandatory lockdown for nonessential businesses until at least December 21st, for businesses in Peel and Toronto. We are located in Peel and therefore will be closed to instore shopping for at least the next four weeks. We will reopen as soon as the lockdown has ended.

We are still open for curbside pickup and delivery. If there are item[s] you would like to purchase, please just send us an email and please include your phone number. We will contact you to arrange delivery, or a curbside pickup time. Photos of many of our new pieces can be seen on our Reproductions page for your reference. If you require pricing or dimensions, we are happy to provide them upon request.

Believe it or not it has already been six months since the first lockdown ended and we reopened. Lets hope this is the last lockdown needed. During the first lockdown we received many requests from customers wanting to come into the store to shop. We ask that you do not make such requests, we will be following the lockdown rules and encourage everyone to do the same.

The good news is that we have lots of great new items on the way that will arrive during the lockdown. And tons of great antique items already in storage. So by the time we reopen The Barn will be packed with all kinds of new goodies. There will be far too many to list but we will provide some highlights of new arrivals before we reopen.

We will continue to post updates on this page every Monday. The three photos attached to this update are of some of this week’s new items. We will attach three photos of new arrivals to each update during the lockdown. We will also bring back the quarantine series that became popular among many readers of this page during the last lockdown.

For anyone who has a piece on order that is scheduled to arrive before Christmas, not to worry. Everything is still on the way and we will contact everyone to arrange delivery or curbside pickup, once your item[s] arrive.

We know this lockdown is coming at a bad time for holiday shoppers. We have been putting out new Christmas themed items all week. We will leave all our holiday items out on display until at least New Year’s day, for anyone needing late holiday items.

If there is anything I haven’t covered in this update, please feel free to email us your questions. Please stay safe and healthy, and we hope to see everyone soon.

This past week we got in a shipment of reclaimed wood furniture by way of Vancouver. Mostly from our Provence line, round extension dinning tables, benches, night stands, and media units have all been restocked. We also received a fresh batch of Irish Coast African Dusk dinning benches.

We had a sample shipment of hall trees a while back, and they turned out to be popular, so we got in a new batch this week. Just in time for winter coat season. We also received some new dove planters and sets of three table top boxes.

There is a big list of new antique arrivals this week, lets start with the furniture: a nice thick Primitive dinning table, 3 section oak barrister’s bookcase, Art deco cedar chest, double walnut spool bed, Louis XV living room chair, drafting table, grain scale coffee table, mahogany corner cabinet, marble top plant stand, piano bench, piano stool, 2 piece oak white wash corner cabinet, oak flat to the wall[also white wash], terrific needlepoint seat cane back rocker and chair two piece set, and more.

Non furniture antique arrivals included: a fantastic fish set with sterling mounts, bone handles, in an oak case- a photo is attached, heavy cast iron wine rack, sewing machine & stool, complete kiwi oak shoe groomer kit, 3 floor lamps[ 2 Tiffany, 1 spool], Chinese water bucket, a nice chrome and marble ashtray stand-a photo is attached, 15 assorted cups and saucer, nail barrel umbrella stand, 3 wall wood carvings[ 16” x 36” each], assorted table lamps, 3 colonial style ceiling lights, Raymond working treadle sewing machine, 2 different cement fountains, 4 assorted chandeliers[ Tiffany, swag, and 2 iron & crystal combos], a quantity of flow blue and and Indian Tree Spode china-a photo is attached, 32” soldier wood carving, assorted paintings, assorted silver plate holloware, another batch of assorted fresh smalls, and lots more.

This past week we got in the first pieces of a new teak root line we will be carrying. These pieces are made from the root systems of teak trees. Teak takes up to two hundred years to rot in the ground. In countries like Indonesia and Thailand, there exists a great deal of unusable land from teak tree plantations, where the trees have long since been cut down. Because the root systems take so long to rot, the land is unusable. Recently locals have been removing the stumps from the ground and turning them into furniture and accessories. We love this because it creates some fantastic pieces, and it’s environmentally friendly. A photo is attached of some of the new pieces. There are tables and benches, but the coolest items are amazing table centerpieces that can be used as bowls but look like amazing natural sculptures. Because the natural form is maintained, each piece is unique.

We also got it some fun new mostly Canadianna themed decorative items. A photo is attached of a few of the pieces. Lots of fun signs, boat oars, wooden figures, decoys, and other fun stuff. My favorite is the ugly fish.

In addition, a large batch of replica tin signs arrived in a variety of sizes and designs. The smallest are six inches. The largest is over nine feet long. That is not a typo, nine feet long!

New antique furniture arrivals included: 2 oak library desks[ 1 small, 1 large quarter cut], small pine blanket chest, 4 drawer desk/chest combo, 3′ x 5′ mahogany office desk, 6 banker’s chairs[2 oak arm, 4 maple side], walnut spinet desk, school master’s desk, 4 nice Windsor chairs, small round outdoor coffee table, rustic 3′ x 6′ kitchen table, cedar chest, oak stool, 2 cast iron and wicker chairs, corner folding what knot, Muskoka child’s chair, and more.

Antique odds & ends from this past week included: four 7′ wooden ladders, step ladder painted white, Wrigley’s gumball dispenser, 2 nice crocks, 2 treadle sewing machine bases, 2 sewing machines, 7 mirrored placemats, assorted china plates, stone carving, tree de-barker, Rapid Flyer red tricycle, 2 Canadian made decoys, large retro mirror, a nice collection of 17 railroad & barn lights-a photo is attached, and more.

This past week we had a rare week with few new arrivals on the reproductions end of our business, which gave us time to bring in lots of new antiques!

In the antique world we refer to anything that will fit in a china cabinet as “smalls”. New smalls arrivals from this past week included: a collection of red Bohemian glass[ two different decanter and glasses sets, 2 vases, and a bowl], lots of clean silver plate holloware- a photo is attached of some of the pieces, a box full of assorted sterling silver[3 bud vases, several trays, baskets, & small dishes], a collection of pairs of candle sticks & a large mantle candelabra, various pewter pieces, two 1930’s Wilkinson razor kits in original containers, Royal Doulton figurines, oval French bowl circa 1910, vinegar cruet, 5 crystal decanters, sets of crystal glasses, 8 piece set of porcelain cookware, a batch of tools including 10 wood planes, and more.

New antique furniture arrivals included: 2 large armoires[ 1 pine with a curved top, 1 French-a photo is attached], teak Queen Ann coffee table, bamboo magazine rack, carved camphor blanket box, mint condition modern tall oak display cabinet with unusual cool sliding door, pair of mid century modern night stands, double walnut poster bed, Windsor arm chair, office arm chair, pine table desk, nice 1920’s walnut sideboard, walnut magazine table, colonial red rocking chair, tv stand painted red, 1950’s chrome kitchen table, custom made tiger maple single bed, quarter cut oak buffet, and more.

Even more new antique arrivals included: 5 fire extinguishers-a photo is attached, table mount coffee grinder, lots of silver plate serving trays, another pile of wicker baskets, metal birdcage, 6′ painted step ladder, milk can painted green, assorted outdoor urns and planters, a few framed prints, working suitcase sewing machine, pair of brass wall sconces, and of course more.

This past week was not completely without new Reproduction arrivals. We did receive a large batch of Art glass serving trays. They make a great Christmas gift as they are all under $30 and look like they should be much more expensive. There are 7 different types, all now in stock. If you want multiples of the same one just ask, we’ve got lots.

This past week we got in a another large shipment of reclaimed wood furniture. Many items have been restocked including the night stands from our Provence line. From our Irish Coat African Dusk line we’ve restocked: medium and large dinning tables, large bookcases, side tables, china cabinets, writing tables, ladder back chairs, large benches, nests of tables, and console tables. Photos can be seen on our Reproductions page.

We also got in a batch of replica tin signs all in the popcorn finish. We’ve been designing some new larger vintage replica signs and many will be arriving before the end of the year. Some more samples should be in around Halloween.

Since most of us are trying to spend more time outside these days, we’ve decided to carry many outdoor items right through the winter. There were a few new outdoor arrivals this week including large Moai statues and buddha heads.

New antique arrivals from this past week included: 2 oak barrister’s bookcases[ 1 three section & 1 four section], Eastlake pump organ, unusual bamboo easel, large pencil etching, large wicker planter, a terrific pair of Tiffany style dragonfly table lamps-a photo is attached, red swivel bar stool, cedar water bucket, iron poker set, narrow marble top console table, large primitive wool winder, large 7 foot tall ornate Belgian dinning room cabinet, 2 egg scales, an assortment of tools, a bunch of wicker baskets, a pile of odd chairs, vintage floor lamp, dozens of framed prints & paintings including some watercolours, 2 brass table lamps, iron doll tricycle, large copper & wood table lamp, large pine bench with lift seat, 2 vintage wall lights, assorted smalls[cranberry, vases, 62 piece service for 8 Noritake Bristol china, 90 crystal glasses with brandy, sherry, and wine decanters, silver plate holloware, etc.], and lots more.

This past week we received a shipment of lots of new items and some old favorites from our Nature Form line. There are a couple of photos below, and more items can be seen on our Reproductions page. New Nature Form arrivals included: the very popular blown glass stump vases[we currently have 7 different sizes in stock], lots of tribal masks, assorted duck head canes, wall display ship’s wheels & anchors, small bongos, large teak jewelry boxes, leaf design fruit bowls, one piece carved fruit bowls with handles, beard bark masks, lots of fun wooden figures[turtle on a log, 2 sizes of owls, large sets of 3 cats, iguana on a log, monkeys, spiders, a large shark, wall mounted elephant head, 2 types of ducks, & a large eagle], and many fun Halloween items. Lots of skull head canes and coffin boxes in various sizes were among the new Halloween arrivals.

A few weeks back we bought out the end of lines of a bunch of outdoor items from one of our long time suppliers. Well, we’ve managed to acquire more, and there are new kinetic wind spinners available. We only leave one of each type of wind spinner out on display, but we have enormous quantities of many items. So if you need multiples, or want to create a kinetic wind farm in your backyard to help get you through the pandemic, just let us know.

New antique arrivals included: 2 nice mahogany six drawer chest of drawers[1 banded chest on chest, and 1 Chippendale with a serpentine front], unusual Royal Doulton figurines, 1 Dresden figurine, set of six oak dinning room chairs, a bunch of china florals, 2 red planters, cast iron box stove- Windsor Quebec Bourget foundry, Singer treadle sewing machine, Coalport Indian tree china[10 cups & saucers, and cream & sugar], decorative iron sewing machine, vintage 8 bottle milk carrier, metal mantle clock, vintage black rotary phone, wicker shelves, magazine rack, assorted smalls, and more.

We also got in a magnificent pair of French brass chandelier table lamps. They are enormous, 44 inches tall. A photo is below. If you have a spare ballroom that’s in need of lighting, these will work!

This past week we received an enormous shipment of reclaimed wood furniture. We’ve managed to restock most of our Provence line. Photos can be seen on our Reproductions page. Provence new arrivals included: king & Queen beds, one door dressers, four drawer chests of drawers, coffee tables, dinning tables, benches, two drawer hall seats, and sideboards. Also from our Irish Coast African Dusk line, the ladder back chairs, and the writing tables showed up.

Just a quick note about reproduction furniture. The furniture and home décor business has seen an explosion in demand over the last three months, and most suppliers are having trouble keeping up with demand. What this means is that in the short term the wait times are only going to get longer. For example, our Springwater line which is made in Ontario has a cut off date for holiday orders every year. Usually customers will need to have their orders placed by December 1st in order to receive their items by Christmas. This year the cut off date is October 16th. Similarly imported items are taking longer to restock when we run out, and shipping times are increasing as well. There is currently a 20 day wait at the port of Vancouver to get a container loaded onto a train once it arrives. We are doing our very best to keep everything well stocked, but with exploding demand that is not always possible. Please plan well ahead if you need something for a certain date. And we thank you in advance for your patience.

New antique furniture arrivals included: a fantastic burled walnut 2 piece desk- a photo is attached, Drexel Travis Court Collection mahogany poster bed & matching dresser, Hespeler bedroom furniture[dresser with mirror, chest of drawers, night stand, and vanity with mirror], walnut Windsor arm chair, pair of mahogany side chairs, cedar cedar chest with copper strapping, set of 6 Duncan Phyfe dinning chairs, pair of walnut living room chair, nice oval walnut coffee table, pair of press back chairs, chicken coop chair, 2 primitive trunks with original paint, 4 bedroom pieces all painted in a faux finish[2 dressers with mirrors, vanity with mirror, & chest of drawers, set of six press back chairs-a photo is attached, unusual Quebec pine cradle-a photo is attached, walnut sofa table with extendable leaves, mahogany Victorian server, walnut hall table by Hespeler, two seater thatched porch rocker, and a shabby sheik rectangular coffee table.

The rest of the antique arrivals included: Russian brass samovar, rare and very old cast brass microscope, vintage Tiffany style table lamp, Hutschenreuter 28 piece tea set, kerosene heater, candle stand, 2 silver plate tea sets and assorted silver plate holloware, milk bottles with carrier, 2 Canadian decoys by C. Cox, 1 cent gum dispenser, Royal Albert Canterbury china[cups & saucers, and various plates], 84 piece Limoges Bridal Rose set- lots of serving pieces, 1873 domestic bible, book of common prayers- also 1873, vintage Mary had a little lamb metal windup toy in original box, and lots more.

Please stay safe and mask up!

This past week we received a shipment of large Tiffany style lamps. A photo of a couple is below. We also got in the smaller lighthouse and butterfly lamps, both in two types. As well, a batch of large Art Glass vases arrived. A photo of some samples is below. The Art Glass trays also turned up.

We thought we had seen the last of the wine bottle figures. However, since we’ve gotten so many requests to bring them back, we did! Fourteen different models are available. A photo is below. They are always popular for gifts, the season is rapidly approaching, and who couldn’t use some wine with the year we are all having. 

Antique furniture arrivals from this past week included: a terrific curved inlaid Chippendale hall table, mahogany table desk, 2 bachelor’s chests- one Victorian, 2 Victorian balloon back chairs, set of 4 late Georgian/early Victorian chairs, retro round mahogany dinning room table with 3 leaves and heat pads in perfect condition, spectacular refinished large inlaid drum table, walnut china cabinet, camphor wood carved chest, mahogany Duncan Phyfe dropleaf table, wicker nightstand, nice high back Boston nursing rocker, redone leather top 3 shelf lamp table, and assorted odd accent chairs.

The rest of the antique arrivals included: large leather & wood trunk, nice Eatonia oak treadle sewing machine, pair of 1960’s leather men’s ice skates, 4 pane window mirror, nice stained glass window, an assortment of silverplate trays & bowls, pair of large wall sconces, 2 cranberry hobnail pitchers, 1920’s evening purse, 4 pieces of Murano glass, vintage marble and brass ashtray stand, cast iron railing & fencing, Tiffany lamp, assorted smalls including pig banks, odd pulpit type stand, red lantern, plant hangers, 4 carboys, red wagon planter, and of course, more. 

This past week we got in a shipment from our Mango Wood line. The icebox server, sideboard, and tall cabinet are all back in stock. Photos can be seen on our Reproductions page. We also got in the large rosewood room divider/box shelf.

Yet another batch of replica vintage tin signs arrived. Some of our customers who have been spending more time at home these days have told us that they are tired of looking at bare walls. Which explains the recent surge in popularity of our replica signs. A new batch of cast iron hand bells also turned up.

One of our long time suppliers is shifting business models, like many companies are these days, and they will no longer be importing outdoor/garden items. We made a deal to purchase a great deal of their remaining inventory with many items at drastically reduced prices. There were only a few remaining pieces of some of the items, while other items numbered in the hundreds. The greater the quantity of the item, the greater the discounts, which we will be passing on to our customers. Discounts range from 15% to 60% off original pricing. Sadly this will be our last shipment of these items. Items include: garden weather vanes-witch on broom, rooster, & horse, iron planters and wall planters, kinetic wind spinners- tractor, boats around lighthouse, painted disks, dual leaf, windmill, & biplane, large & small crab baskets, and table top and fence post figures- polar bear, moose, deer, owl, blue jay, & cardinal. A photo of a few samples is attached.

New antique arrivals from this past week included: a terrific ship’s wheel circa 1930’s-a photo is attached, 2 pairs of bedroom lamps- one pair being trilight cupid lamps, cast iron mantle clock, a nice drafting table, assorted china including a large soup tureen, a pair of leaded glass doors, brass magazine rack, pair of twin walnut spool beds, pair of dark teak night stands, maple medicine cabinet, step ladder painted white, 3 railroad lights all with red glass, some modern metal wall art, 2 piece cement fountain, a selection of copper pieces, wooden sleigh, excellent oak carved British barometer, more red flower pots, three section French style gilt mirror, framed vintage movie poster, large plate rail, wooden framed bevelled mirror, and more.

This week we got in a large shipment of reclaimed wood furniture. We’ve restocked many pieces from our Irish Coast line in the African dusk colour including: large & medium extension dinning tables, small coffee & end tables, media units, and three drawer nightstands. The three drawer Lifestyle filling cabinet is also back in stock. A couple of Sundried pieces showed up as well: the large bookcase and the medium media unit.

We normally sell out of garden gnomes in the fall and bring them back in the spring. But they have become so popular that we have decided to stock them year round from now on. We got in a fresh batch of garden gnomes this week!

Antique furniture arrivals from this past week included: 2 piece 2 door pine flat to the wall cupboard, halfmoon hall table, wicker mirror, pine dry sink, pine open corner cupboard, 3 door pine flat to the wall, 4 oak school chairs, 2 modern marble top wine tables, 2 Victorian chairs, assorted lamp tables, cherry wood wash stand, leather top kneehole desk, 2 chicken coop chairs, assorted primitive chairs, and more.

All the rest of the antique stuff from this past week included: cool Dentist drill and light set-a photo is attached, 5’7” arched top window mirror, selection of cups & saucers, carboy, blue ceramic planter, assorted copper pieces[ pots, kettle, & boiler], 3 pot planter, Tiffany style floor lamp, tie stand, some red ceramic planters, iron towel stand, 2 unusual round wooden planters, 4′ wooden step ladder, white step ladder, 3 Tiffany style hanging fixtures- one nice one with blue glass and grapes, set of 4 large four seasons figurines-a photo is attached, large quantity of coin silver flatware, red mini firepit, 5 wicker baskets, Guizot’s history of France[8 books], 3 vintage suitcases, collection of 10 sugar shakers, gas cranberry hobnail hallway light fixture, and more.

Last week we got in 50 of our best selling replica vintage tin signs. A while back we special ordered all the ones that sell out first, and they finally showed up!

We also received a large shipment from our Nature Form line. New Nature Form arrivals include: the very popular blown glass stump vases in 5 table top sizes plus 3 floor model sizes, cool new multilegged stools in two sizes, hand carved teak fruit bowls, Corona boat paddles and lifesavers, 2 new totem poles[large and small], 20” motorbikes, Volkswagen wall plaques, parrot puppets, carved elephants & hippos, skull treasure boxes in four sizes, hand carved fruit bowls with handles in two sizes, skull canes, and skull signs[Halloween is coming]. There was also a new multilegged table to match the multilegged stools, a photo is attached. Photos of some of these items can be seen on our Reproductions page.

New antique furniture arrivals include: 11piece banded mahogany dinning room suite [table with 3 leaves and heat pads, china cabinet, sideboard, and 8 shield back chairs-dated 1931], curved glass oak curio cabinet, Gibbard French Provincial server, perhaps the best Canadianna flat to the wall we have ever had-a photo is attached, Jacobian gateleg dropleaf table, mahogany lyre drum table, 1970’s round banded dining room table with 2 leaves, nice walnut 1880’s dresser, 2 primitive wash stands, some pine lamp tables, blue French Provincial living room chair, small pine blanket box, assortment of small primitive tables, oval Eastlake coffee table, gunstock chair, wicker desk, wicker vanity, 2 more cherry lamp table, Oriental treasure box, Boston nursing rocker, cherry wood dropleaf table, set of 6 oak press back chairs, 3/4 maple roped bed, a fantastic tiger & Birdseye maple queen size roped bed, and more.

New non furniture antique arrivals include: a great pair of stained glass window-a photo is attached, 20 rolls of vintage wallpaper, wicker towel stand, 2 brass planters, 27” x 34”gold fleck mirror, 4 more wicker baskets, 6 assorted tree stumps, cast iron Singer sewing machine base, shaving mirror, 2 nice window mirrors, Royal Albert large 6 cup tea pot, 8 assorted cups and saucers, and more.