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Discover Mid-America — April 2010
See the green, yet?
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One fact antiquers don’t brag enough about — if they’re aware of it to begin with — is that anyone into buying and selling antiques and collectibles is a recycler. Yes, my friends, GREEN (Al Gore not withstanding).
Stating the obvious and capitalizing on it via a little marketing and advertising isn’t done enough. Yet, I’ve noticed that here and there some of our advertisers (such as Brown’s Emporium in Independence, MO and Mission Road Antiques in Prairie Village, KS) are using “recycle” or “reuse” in advertising, two words that do catch the attention of any green-conscious buyer.
Pam Buttrum, owner of Stacks Depot antique shop in Belton, MO, has decided to take the antiquing/recycling motif even further. Together with the Belton Main Street Association, she’s organized Living Green Day for April 22-24.
On the agenda are many activities (in addition to browsing for antiques and collectibles along Main Street): electronic recycling, rain barrel and compost displays, a fashion show with vintage clothing, used book bin and author readings, information on energy efficiency and re-purposing, a vintage jewelry designer, a car show, including hybrids, and Bridging the Gap demonstrations. Some of the proceeds will go to benefit the Stacks Youth Project, founded by Pam’s daughter Crystal.
“We want to encourage people to re-purpose what they purchase in an antique store, to keep it out of a landfill and realize that item still has life and a history behind it,” says Pam.
She hasn’t said if this will be an annual event to coincide with Earth Day but Pam is not alone in her efforts. A press release sent to us outlined the recycling efforts of some dealers in Florida at the Deland Antique Show in January.
“They are recycling the antiques themselves or at least parts of them into new forms and uses that will preserve some vestige of the original antique yet appeal to modern needs and tastes,” stated the press release.
Mentioned was a dealer using vintage Bakelite to re-work bangles and bow ties. Another makes jewelry from keys taken from old manual typewriters. A third talked about a reasonably old recycling idea — taking old silver plated or sterling flatware and making bracelets and rings — and how finding old patterns was becoming difficult.
Some antiquers might object to such reworking of old things. Yet, how else to broaden the appeal of antiques and collectibles? Resting mainly on a static recital of history about an item isn’t always enough to ignite an interest in antiques.
The Great Recession has folks holding off buying a lot of new things. People are re-discovering that it makes economic sense, in addition to environmental sense, to seek out what can be reused. Many times I’ve heard from antique shop owners that some customers are seeking smaller items that they can put to use.
It’s a trend that likely won’t go away any time soon.
* * *
Because we do like to laugh despite the economy, check out our new editorial addition, Collecting Classics by cartoonist John Stinger
Bruce Rodgers can be contacted at publisher@discoverypub.com.
> Refurnished Thoughts Archive — past columns
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