Art and Antique Treasure Hunting

San Francisco Art Fair Coming

2011-04-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

The Second Annual SF Fine Art Fair (SFFAF) returns to the Bay Area for the best in Post Modern and Contemporary Art. It will be held at the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, with sweeping and spectacular views of SF Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Opening Preview Party: Thursday, May 19, 6 p.m. - 9:30 p.m., Public Admission: Friday, May 20, 12 noon - 8 p.m., Saturday, May 21, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 22, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Admission prices range from $15.00 to $100.00. http://www.sffineartfair.com/photos-and-videos. Last year on May 20, 2010, the first international SF Fine Art in almost a decade opened its doors to the public and welcomed nearly 15,000 visitors to four days of art, lectures, and events. Featuring 83 galleries from around the world, displaying over 6,000 modern and contemporary artworks by more than 500 artists, the SF Fine Art Fair was an overwhelming success for galleries, art collectors and enthusiasts, as well as the Fair's organizers who say they will assuredly be back in 2011. Attendees to the SF Fine Art Fair will have the opportunity to view and purchase works from collections held by galleries from across the globe, in 50,000 sq. ft. Fort Mason Festival Pavilion setting designed to highlight the spectacular selection of modern and contemporary paintings, works on paper, drawings, printed editions, photography, digital and new media works, and sculpture (both indoors and outdoors) by the world's leading artists. I plan on contacting a few exhibitors to see if they could take a few of my paintings that I had anticipated liquidating.

Art in the White House

2009-12-02T22:44:00.000-08:00

In adding to your knowledge of fine treasures it is good to browse real ones once in a while. Of course you remember my suggestion about paging through Christie's and Sotheby's Auction catalogues. You can also take an online art tour of the White House and see the art that is displayed. Each few months or so you may see different art if you return to the site.

The art is rotated and unused pieces are stored. You can see this wonderful art at the touring website: http://www.whitehousehistory.org/whha_tours/whitehouse_art/index.html. I especially liked the painting of the Native American by the name of Petalesharro.

Local shows of new developing artists are a must if you want to keep current. I went to a high school art show and was delighted to see so much talent. The Art and Design Institutes near your home usually has at least one public show for their graduating class. Others shows are by invitation only, but it's worth your while to visit and find out the schedules.

Some areas support street artist. Stop and look closely at the art. Even if it is just for a few minutes, the artist will be flattered that you took the time. It's all educational.

Treasure Hunting in Bad Weather

2009-11-29T09:51:00.000-08:00

B-r-r-r! It's cold outside! Time to pour up a cup of Joe or hot chocolate and wrap up in a cozy blanket in front of the TV?

No! go online or get your classified ads and search for where those treasures might be. Remember the secret I gave to you in my last blog about the school fundraisers? Well this is secret number 2. Shop for treasures in bad weather because in some cases you may be one of a few hardy souls treasure hunting that day and the pickings are good. You may even be able to negotiate a lower price because there is no one there to outbid you.

Now be advised that in some areas everyone is on to this secret. I remember one morning that the chill factor was mind numbing. I dressed as warmly as I could, got the car going after a few hard sputtered starts and left at 7:30 a.m. for a 9:00 a.m. house sale. It took me only 15 minutes to drive to this estate sale and you wouldn't believe it. Cars were wrapped around the corner and in some cases sitting double parked in front of this beautiful home. I double parked, went to the door for a number and was told that all of the numbers had been given out and that I would have to come back at 10:00 a.m.

Yes I did come back at 10:00 and most of the real treasures were gone but I did manage to get a complete 40 pc. set of Lenox Presidential Suite dishes for $25.00. As cold as it was there were those real treasure hunters who knew the secret.

Treasure Hunting During Economic Downturn

2009-11-28T22:29:00.000-08:00

One of the things that I have learned during this economic downturn is that everything is negotiable. I guess it always was but especially when buyers are hesitant. A few years ago

many people were buying and paying very high prices for collectible plates. Now I'm seeing them for as low as $10.00 or less.

Remember what I told you about liquidating? Price it so that you make a profit but low enough that the buyer is getting a bargain. Well I imagine that's whats going on in many places. But if you are shopping at a place where they have not adjusted their prices, just ask for a reduction.

This is a time that you can get a good selection of a variety of collectibles and fine art. Again if you go to a sale and there are not any collectibles and fine art displayed, again just ask. Sometimes they have not brought it out but will go and drag it out just for you.

School fundraisers are my number one secret. It's an excellent place to purchase some magnificent collectibles and help out a school too. Expect to find the unusual.

Black Friday is Over

2009-11-28T01:35:00.000-08:00

Well did you get out and shop on "Black Friday" and help pull some merchants out of the "red"? If so, you may have found yourself in a tug of war for some merchandise like the painting on the left.

I tried it one time a few years ago. I got up at 5:30 a.m. to be the first in line for the advertised digital camera priced at an unbelievable low price. I got to the electronic store and there was already a line out front. The store clerk came outside and handed out slips of paper for certain items and guess what? By the time he got to me, the camera had already been accounted for. The store only had a few of the widely advertised cameras. That was my last Black Friday experience. I found that you can shop online with better success of getting your desired item.

I stumbled on a site by Joel Comm called The Next Internet Millionaire. He has a series of episodes that challenge 12 contestants to successfully launch an internet business and each day a couple of them are eliminated. It's kind of a reality show. When you get ready to liquidate your treasures this site is chuck full of ideas on setting up your own website and selling.

Speaking of Downsizing...

2009-11-26T00:03:00.000-08:00

Actually when you downsize it can be a vehicle to upgrade your collection. OK what do I mean by that?

Have you ever purchased something and bought it home, examined it and realized that it was a mistake? Of course you have. But if you purchased it at the best places to find treasures, there is not a return policy.

So here's an idea. Gather all or some of your mistakes (ahem) I mean treasures and price them so that you can make a profit and price them low enough to entice a buyer.

You can then jump with joy and so can your buyer. You now have space and wisdom to make a better use of your money with your next purchase. Auction Wally has an e-book that can guide you in this process. He explains about selling when the economy is bad or when and unexpected situation forces you to sell. It's at Auctionwally.com and it's only $4.95.

There are a lot of sales online for "Black Friday" so do a search and see what you can find. Have fun.

A Time To Hold And A Time To Fold

2009-11-23T23:07:00.001-08:00

You have searched out nice treasures and held them till the right time to sell. Well, when is the RIGHT time to sell?

Let me ask you this. Did you buy them for your enjoyment. Did you buy them to brighten up your little corner of the earth? In that case maybe the answer is never. It served and is serving its purpose. So keep those specific items.
Pass them on for another generation to enjoy. (Of course they may toss them).

However, if you bought those treasures for investment you should think about liquidating NOW. Why now you ask. I don't know this for sure but many banks own art that was given to them as collateral and they may think about putting it out there to recoup some of those bad loans. Maybe you want your art and collectibles to already have been sold when they put theirs out there. Even a Picasso can lose its value if there is a lot to chose from. Think about it.

200 One Dollar Bills - From Andy Warhol

2009-11-22T18:07:00.000-08:00

No this is not Andy Warhol's silkscreen ink on canvas that sold for $43,762,500 on November 11, 2009 at Sotheby's Auction.

Thats right, I said $43,762,500. Mr. Warhol produced his painting in the early 1960s and sold it to Robert Scull, the taxi cab company tycoon and art collector. It was probably not any where near the million dollar mark at that time.

So here we are some 40 years later and that painting is in the millions. People have collected paintings from the beginning of time. Some make it into that rarified air of compounding whatever money was originally paid for it.

Did you know that there are thousands of paintings that command prices of $1,000 and up. The challenge of treasure hunting is to find one of those paintings and pay less the $500 for it so that you can compound your money immediately when you sell it right away. That's why it is good to go to art shows and find out whats "en vogue".

There is a club devoted to helping its members find those treasures and it has its own online auction for selling treasures you have found at www.31corp.com. The moderator is Daryl Lambert who has over 30 years in the business of finding treasures. See what you think about it.

I'm Back From My Long Vacation

2009-11-21T23:46:00.000-08:00

I'm back from my long vacation. I really enjoyed the time off and found some wonderful art while traveling.

I also found a new place to shop for art online. It's called Seeauctions.com. I understand that it's an alternative to the other famous online auction place and that you can sell for FREE the first YEAR.

There is some really good art listed and other things too. Check it out.

I noticed an online TV site called Collectibles Corner TV hosted by Tammy Kahn Fennell. She reviews blogs, antique shows and of course collectibles. Really nice.

I will be posting some of the art that I purchased and could not find any information on the artist. I will be looking for you to help me out. I will make this posting short this time but I have more to share with you. Catch you later.

Beverly Hills Art "Affaire in the Gardens"

2009-02-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

Well its getting near to the time for you to soak up some sunshine at the Beverly Hills Art Show and Festival. Its called "Affaire in the Gardens" and will take place May 16-17, 2009. Rub shoulders with the Beverly Hills residents as you enjoy musical entertainment while you stroll from booth to booth doing your treasure hunting.

The food is great and its a wonderful place for a group of friends to kick back and enjoy the ambiance. To see a video presentation of a previous Affaire in the Gardens go to: www.beverlyhills.org/attractions/affaire/default.asp.

Paint By The Numbers

2009-02-21T22:31:00.000-08:00

Have you ever done any painting? Just for fun several years ago I purchased a Paint By The Numbers kit. It's a joke to a real artist but did you know that it really helps you to organize your color studies. I don't think they make the kits anymore but I saw the vintage kits being sold on eBay.

Unconventional learning has its place and with a little imagination the kit could work wonders in honing a new hobby. You may decide to expand into real art lessons after using the kit. No I'm not kidding. I don't think you would brag about it once you've become a famous artist but give it a try.

Michael Jackson's Belongings Up For Auction

2009-02-18T09:58:00.000-08:00

Michael Jackson's awards, albums, art, etc. are up for sale. You can view them at http://www.juliensauctions.com/ . As you can imagine even the most ordinary pieces are a bit higher than usual but there are some items that have a decent starting bid price.

You can view the live bidding by signing up at Julien's Auction. Michael Jackson's auction starts April 14-25, 2009.

As a treasure hunting fan, I can assure you that there are always a few items that are overlooked in the set pricing. What I mean by that is that if you look carefully and know your stuff you can find some hidden treasures at affordable prices.

Expand Your Treasure Hunting

2009-02-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

Once I got involved in art and antique treasure hunting, I began to expand my search to hunting for historical artifacts. This is enjoyable only if you are a fan of history. It takes being a bit of a sleuth and you must also have the courage to interview strangers to secure the provenance of your newly found object.

There is a whole industry out there that can help you to research if you get stuck. Your nearest school that has an art history or anthropology section can supply you with answers regarding your treasure.

If the piece is too mysterious, leave it for a more knowledgeable person. Take the object that has some clues to work with.

Movies as Art

2009-02-05T14:56:00.000-08:00

In my post "What is Art" I explored the subject of art. One anthropologist whom I knew spent years researching food as art. When you have seen presentations of food at your favorite cooks house or restaurant, you have no doubt that its preparation and presentation is an art and is art itself.

I suppose that's where still-life art got its start. I can just picture someone sitting around the table and as the food is brought out and placed before them, the sight was just so wonderful that they grabbed their canvas and brush and recaptured the beauty of it all. I have done the same thing with my camera on some special occasions, haven't you?

Which brings me to another subject. Movies as art. I mean it's not just a matter of pointing and shooting your video camera to create a masterpiece. Just as with food, preparation and forethought are involved.

Alfred Hitchcock, Fritz Lang, Steven Spielberg all could be considered to be true visual artists with their moving canvas.

Watch this 2001 Japanese animated version of Metropolis (My all time favorite 1927 movie by Fritz Lang) It has 11 episodes. Episode 10 has the sound track disabled due to a copyright dispute but you can look at it for continuity of the story:http://www.youtube,com/watch?v=kOeCghkVfqk

Then after watching that version, please, please see the original Metropolis with the updated music posted by mrbenjaminspeed, a soundtrack specialist:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YihinU2tdhA

This one has 25 episodes and after episode 3 it becomes a little difficult to find the following episodes. I finally resorted to putting "Metropolis part 4 of 25" in the search box, part 5 of 25 and so forth until I completed the whole movie.

Treasure Hunting Story

2009-02-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

I went to a swap meet and was looking at some very interesting art. Now sometimes the people you meet at places like this are more interesting than the art. As I was holding the canvas up to inspect it closer, a fellow standing about a foot away started telling me about the hidden meaning of that painting.

As he continued talking, it became obvious that he was the artist of that painting. As the conversation continued I found out that he was no longer living in the U.S. but was only here for the summer. He would make his money from his art and return to Europe for 9 months and start the process all over again next year.

Then I put the painting down and began focusing more on him. He had long hair, a beard and was supporting himself upon a highly stylized cane. His clothes were unique. They appeared to be some sort of handwoven material in..now get this...bright red and royal blue with a matching hat on his head.

He was so interesting looking that I asked if I could take a photo of him. He seemed to like the idea, maybe thinking I was a roaming reporter or something. I ended up conversing with him for over an hour. Before I left he gave me his card, done by hand of course.

My treasure for that day was a new appreciation for the uniqueness of each human being and how they choose to make their way in life.

(Painting above by Greg Hangebrauck: http://www.ghangebrauck.com.)

Mark Your Calender for Some Treasure Hunting

2009-02-01T22:15:00.000-08:00

Do you remember my Blog about Christies and Sotheby's University? Well the same holds true for certain art and antique shows. Schedule some time and try to attend one of these shows. Take a notepad and interview some of the exhibitors. Of course take care not to disturb them when they have even one customer at their booth. Mark your calender for the following dates:

February13 to 17, 2009. Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show. Palm Beach County Convention Center, 650 Okeechobee Blvd. West Palm Beach, Florida. For more information: http://www.palmbeachshow.com/.

March 6-9, 2009. D.C. Spring Antique Show. Walter Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place, N.W., Washington, D.C. For more information: http://www.dcspringantiques.com/.

September 3-6, 2009. Baltimore Summer Antiques Show. Baltimore Convention Center, One West Pratt St., Baltimore, MD. For more information: http://www.baltimoresummerantiques.com/.

November 5-9, 2009. Dallas International Art, Antique & Jewelry Show, Dallas Convention Center, 650 S. Griffin St. Dallas, TX. For more information: http://www.dallasfallshow.com/.

Happy treasure hunting!

(above paintings are untitled and unsigned)

What is Art?

2009-01-30T11:06:00.000-08:00

Many times I have overheard conversations regarding this question at art galleries, museums and fairs. I've heard them say..."They call THIS art?", "that's not art". What is your opinion of art?

I think that art is life. It's the trees, lakes, oceans, sky, sun, moon, animals, people. It's also love, hate, sorrow, joy. It's wonderful if it is on canvas and you can buy it and take it home and look at it. Sometimes a piece of art will give you what you miss most in life.

Art certainly demonstrates the artists mental state and beliefs at the time of his composition. Just think of how one artist might madly or contemplatively splatter paint all over the canvas while another sections people into cubes with comical expressions.

Yoko Ono even involved the viewers at her "Yes" exhibition by having them climb a ladder and look through a peep hole with a magnifying glass. Now that reached deep into the experience of many people who at some point in their life had enough curiosity to inconvenience themselves in order to find an answer.

Art can set the mood in your home or office and evoke the desired feelings into your visitors. What is your choice of art?

(The above photo is Jeremiah's Lamentation by Marc Chagall)

Spring Cleaning Art Treasures

2009-01-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

I never dreamed that my art treasure hunting would take me down this road but it was one that resulted in me finding boxed signed crystal artifacts, crated dinnerware and unusual sculptures.

This particular journey started when a treasure hunting buddy called and invited me to go "dumpster diving". That was a new term for me and did not seem very inviting so after getting details on where the targeted areas were located, I declined the invitation.

I sat and thought about the possibilities of that invitation and decided that I would give it a try. I decided to not let my friend know but to just show up at the blocks that were designated for Spring Cleaning Pick-up the night before. Pick-up was scheduled for the next morning.

It was a very upscale area and at any other time of the year you would not even see a candy wrapper on these blocks. But there they were. Boxes and boxes of unwanted treasures. Some other "early bird dumpster divers" were there with rented vans trucks and flashlights.

I think that some of the homeowners were even trying to outdo their neighbor by putting their unwanted items in decorative boxes on the curb. One man saw me looking at the items at his curb and told me to wait a few minutes. That's when he came out with these boxed signed crystal artifacts, dinnerware and sculpture which he loaded into my trunk.

Later the next day I told my buddy about my finds and I was told that I must have got the cream of the crop because just ram shackled items were available on pick-up day.

Does your city or town have a particular designated time to collect large items from your curb? Get the schedule and drive slowly down your own street early before garbage pickup time. You will be amazed at the antique finds. Now of course you must know the difference between the trash and the treasures but if you have done your homework using Sotheby's and Christie's resources you will haul in great finds.

Sotheby's and Christie's University

2009-01-23T00:08:00.000-08:00

Sotheby's and Christie's Auction houses are great places to start honing your skills as an Art and Antique treasure hunter. They have already found the treasures and have even given them a value. The local library will either have Sotheby's and Christie's monthly auction report catalogues or they will be happy to order them for you. Just reviewing these catalogues will train your eye to pick up the next hidden treasure.

Did you read about the woman who was walking down the street and saw this million dollar painting sitting by the trash can? Now mind you this was on a busy street in Manhattan. Think of how many people had already walked by that painting. The painting was by Rufino Tamayo whose past paintings had sold for $2.59 million at Christie's International in New York in 1993.

This lady's eye was trained and she grabbed that treasure and hid it for a while and then after further research and seeing that artist's work showcased on a PBS television program, presented it to Sotheby's.

The bad news is that the painting had been stolen years ago but the good news is that she collected a $15,000 reward from the owner and an undisclosed fee from Sotheby's. Not a bad check for a walk down Manhattan.

My point is that everyone else that passed that garbage saw the painting as garbage. But this woman had her eye trained.
(Painting above is by Alexander Caulder)

Outsider and Folk Art

2009-01-18T00:21:00.000-08:00

Not to be overlooked in your hunting is what is known as "outsider" or "folk art". These are best found at art fairs and shows. There you will find "starving artists" creating wonderful art. Sometimes they are just selling old artwork from their stock.

You never know what you may find so keep an open mind. Allow yourself time to really look at some unusual themes presented at these fairs. If you know the present trends then you may pick out some art by someone who has a following and are selling at modest prices.

Other Sources of Great Finds

2009-01-17T00:24:00.000-08:00

Art departments of your local college or university are another source of finding great treasures. Here's how it works. The department has a fine piece of art by a well known artist. Some generous soul makes a donation of the same piece to the school. The school sells the duplicate.

Sometimes the school just wants to downsize and will decommission wonderful works of art at very affordable prices. Guess what? They do not always advertise these sales. It's up to you to call around and beat the bushes.
(Painting above by Keith Haring)

Where have you made some great finds? Feel free to leave a comment.

Searching For Art and Antique Treasures

2009-01-13T08:07:00.001-08:00

Where does one find those art and antique treasures? Most seasoned searchers would tell you to go to the auctions around town or sift through thrift stores or garage sales. Those are good places but my advice to you is to start in your own home and among your friends.

Even experienced seekers have not queried the senior members of their own families. On more than one occasion I have visited garage sales and the senior member of the house will come out carrying something to put on the table while her family gapes and asks where did that come from.

Check your basement, attic or garage and carefully catalog items that came from another era. After I found out that one of my friends was the great niece of Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, I made sure I was the first one at her house when she gave a garage sale. I was not disappointed.

Let your friends know about your interests in old art and antiques. Some items may be in an unused area of the house just gathering dust and you can share the proceeds of your finds with your friends and family.

Municipal renovations are another resource that's often overlooked. I heard about the renovation of a huge resort in Arizona a few years ago. I was not able to attend but I can assure you that some wonderful items of age were quite likely thrown in the dumpster.

I went to the office of a city official and his staff was upgrading the place. I purchased a Mies Van der Rohe credenza from them for $25. I'm sure it was going to be dumped the next day. They did not know or care about the designer. They wanted the place "upgraded". That fine piece of furniture graced my home for many years until I decided to sell it. It sold very quickly and at an excellent price.

Art is Currency, Money in the Hand

2009-01-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

If you own art, you own real currency like money in the hand. Even so-called "bad art" is purchased as "folk art". You can use it to barter, trade or sell in an open or closed market. You might own a few pieces that you could part with and someone comes along with a coveted Paul Guaguin woodcut. If the person who own the Paul Gauguin woodcut likes several of your lesser know pieces, you've got a deal!

Art can be used to barter for commodities and services. A home designer may provide a recommendation for you to move into a beautiful unlisted home or apartment in exchange for a few pieces of your art that he can use for his clients. If you are into antiques, you may make a great trade for a fine, rare item.

Money changes from gold to gold backed certificates to fiat currency. The same with silver. But a fine piece of art passes from generation to generation, increasing in value as time goes on. It's true that in some cases the frame is more valuable than the painting but, hey!...if YOU'VE got the frame, it's your treasure.

Where do you find those treasures? Stay with me....i'll be talking about that in future posts.
(title of painting at top:Maruru by Paul Gauguin)

My Art Journey Begins

2009-01-08T03:18:00.000-08:00

My first encounter with developing a love for art was when I was 3 years old and my teen age uncle taught me how to draw cars using coins and a ruler. We spent many evenings sitting around my grandmothers dining room table designing cars. My art lessons ended when he went away to the army.

The next time my interest was piqued was when I was 10 years old and won an art course that was offered through a popular magazine. The "free course" involved copying illustrations which had been mailed to me, completing the assignments and mailing them back to the studio. The instructor would return my work with corrections and suggestions along with a new assignment.

After several weeks of my "free course" my parents received a huge bill informing them that I was actually signed up with their art school for a year. Apparently the "free" part was only the first lesson which everyone who sent in their sketch won.

Needless to say my parents sent back all of their materials and I didn't have another art course until high school. I had art appreciation courses in college and over the years frequently visited various art facilities and galleries admiring great art. I started collecting while I lived near an established art community and have continued to collect throughout the years.

Gradually my interests expanded to include antiques. It was a whole new world that fit perfectly with my love of history.
(Title of lithograph at top:Saloman (Solomon) Verve by Marc Chagall)

Don Quixote Rides Again

2009-01-05T22:21:00.000-08:00

During my travels I discovered a set of 6 William Hogarth original steel cut etchings. William Hogarth did this series for the Cervantes book, Don Quixote. His etchings were not chosen to illustrate that book for some reason and I was mentioning the history of this whole chain of events to a friend. She said Cervantes was her great uncle. I thought she was kidding. Then at a later time she produced all of her family photos and documents and sure enough traced her family history to the author of Don Quixote.

William Hogarth (1697-1764) is considered by many to be the greatest English caricaturist of all time. He was a perceptive observer and his illustrations of the social and political conduct of his day are fascinating historical documents and humorous depictions of human foibles, which have remanined much the same over the last two centuries. Hogarth was a painter of considerable accomplishment, but it is for his remarkable prints, which he both composed and engraved, that he is best known.William Hogarth was one of several engravers invited to present illustrations for J. and R. Tonson's edition of Don Quixote by Cervantes (1738). By 1720 Hogarth was engraving on copper and began to produce illustrations for a number of books and it is my pleasure to present the entire set of those illustrations produced in 1738 for your viewing.>

(etchings at top of page: William Hogarth's Don Quixote series)

Atlantis Gold Mine Disappears

2009-01-05T16:41:00.000-08:00

Atlantis Gold Mine Disappears:

There I was on a lonely Midwest U.S.A. road on my way to a time sensitive appointment when I approached a small town en route to my destination.

I had never been on that road before and was surprised to see this town that seemed to have just emerged out of an 1800's time capsule. You know, one of those towns that if you blink while passing through, you miss it. I would have gone right through it but the red light caught me.

As I waited for the green light I noticed an old historical society building with dusty windows and odds and ends displayed. Old tin-type photos, and other stuff from an era gone by.

Then just as the light changed, I spotted a sandwich board sign across the street from the historical society building that said my favorite words...SALE! Art and Antiques.
I quickly made a turn and parked on the side of this huge barn-like building that had at least two small additions built on to it. The inside was poorly lit and items were kind of thoughtlessly thrown together although there was somewhat of a sense of order.

But it was mainly what you would expect from the 1800's era. Not at all flashy or high tech. But oh what treasures! It was like discovering gold. I quickly browsed everything on the first floor and looked up to see a huge loft above. I ran up the wood stairs and saw rows and rows of oil paintings, some as tall as 6 feet high. There was everything from contemporary abstracts to old masters.

I was dressed for an appointment and the place was extremely dusty and I realized that I could not be late so I quickly found someone to give me some prices. Everything was priced from $10 to $25. That's it. So I got in my car and sped off to my appointment without buying a thing, intending to return later in my jeans.

Well as life would have it, the next few weeks I was tied up on an assignment that I could not get out of and did not make it back to that town for 3 weeks.

I drove up to the area and something didn't look right. The signs were gone, the name of the place had been taken off the old barn and it was empty. EMPTY!! I could not believe it. I drove around the area for a while to make sure I had my co-ordinates correct and finally decided to enter the old historical society building to see if they could solve this mystery.

I walked into the building and had that same sense of antiquity that I felt in the art and antique sale barn. Creaky old wood floors, a long hand made counter with glass display cases and shelves all around.

Two sweet old ladies behind the counter asked at the same time..."can I help you?"..."yes", I replied, "what happened to the art and antique place across the street?" One of the ladies answered.."they had a clearance sale a few weeks ago and then closed shop forever. They had been in that location for years and had a lot of stuff. They donated some of it to this historical society and to a few shops around town but we don't know anything of the owners whereabouts."

The items donated to them were not for sale and I asked where were the other shops located. All were within 3 blocks of the Sale barn.

I located 2 of the shops. They were spotless, and had mahogany this and crystal that and there on the wall I recognized two of the paintings I had seen in the barn. The shopkeeper asked if I was interested and I said "yes". "This one is $25,000 and the other a mere $13,000" he said. I politely declined his offer and asked if he knew where the owners of the barn and gone. He did not but admitted that he had gotten a lot of their incredible articles. The other shopkeeper had the same story.

Just like that I had found Atlantis and now I found that it was a sunken treasure totally out of my reach.

Has anything like that ever happened to you? I've had it happen enough times to shape my response to a good deal when I see it. If I can't purchase it right away, I definately get all of the information that I can so that I can safely assume the Atlantis treasure will be there when I return.

Sieze the moment!

Hello Everybody!

2009-01-04T23:21:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody! My name is Eddie Schmitt.

This is my very first blog. I will be telling you about my passion for art and antique treasure hunting. It has taken me to some very interesting places. In the coming weeks I will be telling you all about it.

Talk to you soon.