springhollowantiques.com Blog

The first few months of this year have been especially exciting in the museum world (my other ‘job’), beginning with a first ever collaboration between our little hometown Woodstock Museum & the much much larger Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) in Winchester.  Our museum loaned MSV artifacts for an exhibit on Woodstock photographer Hugh Morrison, Jr, which will be on display through July 3rd, 2011.  In exchange, today MSV delivered to the Woodstock Museum a wonderful 1890′s hand carved wooden carousel horse, said to have been made just southwest of town by James Sheetz.  This merry-go-round stallion wears an eye-poppin’ paint job from the 1980′s that makes you want to jump on & RIDE!  So, wouldn’t you know, what does my Pennsylvania picker bring me?  An 1880′s rocking horse!!  It’s the continuing saga of life’s little coincidences I’m learning to expect & enjoy.  Take a peek at the websites for the two museums:  www.shenandoahmuseum.org  & www.woodstockmuseumva.org.  Then take a look at my rocking horse:  www.springhollowantiques.com

Giddy-up!

Postscript:  April 7th continued to be a day of horse tradin’…the rocking horse sold soon after I posted this blog.  Yee-haw!

A miniature circa 1940-50′s log cabin has recently been added to my shop inventory & is featured on my website.  It occurred to me that log cabins and homes have been a sporadic theme in my time here in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.  We came to the Valley in the late 1970′s, buying a few acres on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River.  The original 2 story log house anchored the remaining acreage of the subdivided farm.  Some close friends then decided to build a hand-hewn log home on the river, they live there still.  Soon after they finished building their home I joined the board of the Woodstock Museum, which had just completed restoring an early log house.  In the course of the years of living in Woodstock I have seen at least 3 log structures demolished in the downtown area.  The latest demolition sparked tremendous controversy & the quick revamping of demolition permit procedures.  But, I can still look out my front door, north & south, and see two log homes still standing – testament to the men and women who settled along the Valley Pike, now known as Rt. 11, or Main Street in most of the towns strung along its way.  Spring has sprung in the Valley of Virginia.  Come visit & see the log homes, large & very, very small!

This was a major pottery weekend!  From one place & another I’ve amassed 10 pieces of mostly signed local stoneware.  There is one redware double handled vase that I actually sold back in 2006…it’s attributed to Jacob Medinger of Montgomery Township (now County), PA.  Medinger was the last of the true PA German potters of the 19th century.  His vases are very distinctive with their urn shape, ribbed strap handles & coggle decoration on the shoulder.  The local stoneware includes pieces signed by Solomon Bell (including a 2nd maker’s mark), W.H.Lehew, J.M.Hickerson, & S.H.Sonner, all of Strasburg, VA.  There is also a wonderful ovoid high collar crock with cobalt blue tulips ringing the shoulder.  This piece was likely from Maryland or Pennsylvania, although it is reminiscent of Keister, Strasburg, VA.  A photo of the entire collection is on my website’s home page, and a few pieces have been posted on the “Smalls” page.  Take a peek at the plethora of pottery!

Another Saturday, another auction!  Spent the early morning at a small local sale, but someone else wanted the banded yellow ware butter crock with its lid more than I did, unfortunately.  There’s absolutely something to be said for going into a nice shop & knowing up front the price, and on top ‘o that, being able to leisurely ponder whether or not to buy that wonderful thing…unless, of course, someone else is ready to pounce when you step away!  The only thing I took away from the auction today was homemade red velvet cake…mmmm

After the final wild & windy days of February, March has come ‘in like a lamb’ rather than the proverbial lion…and I have the ‘go antiquing’ itch, which usually means that other folks do, too.  If the weather holds, with days in the sunny 50′s, there’s a chance the big outdoor flea markets will start opening on the weekends.  The heck with gas prices!  I’ll be off & running, searching for wonderful old stuff for the shop.  Anyone out there looking for something in particular?

Spent Saturday morning at a local auction house looking for a few things for the shop.  Was successful in bidding on a huge box of buttons and a wonderful homemade primitive washboard…just in time for spring cleaning!  These things came from an estate out of Warrenton, VA, just over the mountains east of here.  I’m a sucker for buttons, especially BOXES of them.  I haven’t yet put them on the website, but with this latest batch I’m tempted to create a page just for buttons.  This group has some wonderful large celluloid coat buttons & great 1920′s buckles, huge ones!  A nice showing of Victorian metal, glass & carved mother of pearl buttons rounded out the treasures hiding in the tins.  I’ve been sorting ever since I got back from the sale…  Hope all you folks visiting the Heart of Country shows down in Nashville had a great time!  Don’t forget to stop in & tell me all about it

The shop also serves as our home, the back half that is.  This morning the sun is shining & it’s already 50 degrees outside, spring is in the air!  The critters are stirring…a beautiful black & white stray cat (probably a neighbor’s from up the block) decided to hang out on our back patio, something it has never done before…venture into ‘dog territory.’  I finally figured out that there was a definite attraction for the kitty in the patio area.  A small bird had gotten itself caught inside one of the large gutter downspouts!  The bird kept trying to climb back upward, toward the blue sky I suppose.  The vigilant cat KNEW that dinner was just a whisker away, but couldn’t figure out how to close the deal.  Kitty finally gave up & a few strategic taps on the downspout guided the poor frantic bird down & OUT!  What a great day to be down in the Shenandoah Valley & out antiquing!  The shop is open & stocked to the gills, and the candy bowl is full of chocolate ~ y’all come on down & visit.

I spent a sunny morning doing my other ‘job’ as a member of the Woodstock Museum’s Board of Directors.  Today that entailed being interviewed by one of our local TV stations for a bit on the Museum that will appear on the Friday, Feb 11th, morning show & again that evening during the newscast.  I dread seeing & hearing myself!  After the show airs they post the segment online…I’ll put a link to it for you to see.  The rest of the day has been chill & dreary.  I went well over my quota of hot tea for the day!  It was a good day to update the website, so take a peek at what’s new.  Just for your info, if something is now missing that you were thinking about buying drop me an email.  I often remove items that have not sold to make room for the new.  Here’s the link to the TV segment  (you’ll need to copy & paste into your browser)  Well, it looks like the video is no longer available for viewing…but you can still read the transcript of the interview:

http://www.tv3winchester.com/home/headlines/Backyard_Adventure__Woodstock_Museum_115908679.html

My Pennsylvania Picker stopped in this past week, bringing some great small things!  I’ve known this fellow for longer than I want to admit, & he’s got a great eye for early stuff, including textiles.  This latest visit brought a framed pen & ink drawing with a family register in old German done in pencil – very decorative with its mariners compass & two 19th century men – and much, much more.

Today the sky is blue, the sun is shining & meatloaf is waiting for the oven!

It’s one of those perfect snowy winter mornings!  Woodstock has been fairly snow-free this winter, until last night…my yard stick measured 7-8″.  That’s enough to slow things down, pretty much to a stop, in this little Virginia town.   I’ll be out shoveling shortly, & most likely won’t be opening the shop today.  Of course, I’m always happy to open up if you give a call!  Stay warm.