Country Ramblings—More or Less?
Written by Guest Columnist: Lyn Andeen

Hello everyone. This is my first time as a guest columnist on the Dig antiques newsletter.  I'm a dealer with a Shop on Dig Antiques and have enjoyed the monthly newsletter so thought I would give it a try. Here it goes...

As first an avid collector and now a dealer for the past 28 years, I have spent endless hours researching and just plain thinking about antiques. I love the history aspect of each piece and I especially love the hunt.

Well it’s hunting season all over the country! We all know that means lots of great antique shows.

I thought it might be interesting to explore the subject of how different booths are set up. There are some that take the less is more approach and some that pack their booths. Whether it is in a room setting or not there are those who like to feature a few select pieces and those who use more of a shot gun approach and put as much as they can and as wide a variety as they can into a booth.

THERE IS NO WRONG APPROACH.  There are however some pros and cons and some psychological aspects of both.

For those who subscribe to the less is more approach, the overall view of the booth makes it easy to see what’s available. It can give a more exclusive appearance which appeals to some and scares off others. It certainly makes for an easier packing.

Sometimes if people see too many examples of a thing it may make them feel that the item is easily available. There are also those who do not want to sift through things they are not interested in. Beware! As an old dealer friend of mine once told me, you can't sell from an empty wagon!

For those who like to pack a booth, you can offer a wider variety of items. Your booth will appeal to those who like to root around, as long as it is all good merchandise. Beware! Your packing will certainly take a long time and you run the risk of overwhelming some.

There are, of course, those who take a happy medium approach.

So, let's put it to a vote.

Whether you are a dealer or a collector, do you prefer booths with less or more at an antique show?

A Dig Antiques Story with a "Happy Ending"

The Root House was built circa 1845 at the corner of Church and Lemon Streets in Marietta Georgia by early settlers Hannah and William Root. Mr. Root was one of Marietta’s earliest merchants and its first druggist. He was the first merchant to receive a shipment of goods on the Western and Atlantic Railroad. Today, the Greek Revival style house stands just two blocks from its original location. It is one of the oldest surviving frame houses in Marietta, and the museum offers a glimpse of the home life of a middle class merchant and his family.

Committee members in the parlor of the Root House Museum with the newly installed wall-pocket found on Dig Antiques.

For a number of years the Furnishings' Committee of the museum had been looking for a period appropriate (circa mid-19th century) wall pocket to go next to the desk in the parlor. M.A. Apple spotted a wonderful example in the Black Sheep Antiques Shop on Dig Antiques, and alerted the group. It was purchased by the committee in memory of Estelle Bogle, a beloved and influential supporter and fellow committee member who recently passed away.

Thanks to M.A. Apple for alerting us to this story. M.A. is the owner of another shop on Dig Antiques, Apples' Palette...Uncommon Objects.

Dig Antiques is Growing Again

We are excited with the growth we are seeing on Dig Antiques. We are now consistently over 20,000 searches each month and we just added another ten shops to the search engine index! People use the search engine for research and to find antiques they are looking to purchase. It works well from any browser - desktop, laptop, iPad and your mobile device (including iPhone and Android.)

We continue to see new Shops open on Dig Antiques. We'd like to welcome long-time dealer, Shirley D Quinn from New Hampshire who recently opened a Shop on Dig Antiques. Click here to learn more about opening your own Shop.

Lyn Andeen's column this month gave us the incentive to add polling to Dig Antiques. Please participate in our poll. If this is a success, expect to see other polls in the future.

We love hearing about Dig Antiques—how are you putting it to use? Did you find something you've been looking for through Dig Antiques? Do you have an idea for a future newsletter story? Let us know!

Sincerely,
Tom & Sheila Baker
diginfo@digantiques.com

We Dig It...do you? Dig Antiques - Real stuff without the fluff.

Search Showcase

Have you been digging for antiques recently?

September 2011 Top Searches

Below is a summary of the twenty most popular search phrases last month.

1. cupboard
2. lighting
3. portrait miniature
4. corner
5. stoneware crocks
6. blanket chest
7. shaker
8. spatterware
9. corner cupboard
10. crib
11. windsor chair
12. signs
13. treen
14. portrait
15. vermont
16. shaker box
17. christmas
18. painted cloth doll
19. sampler
20. linsey-woolsey

Sponsors

Thank you to the following current advertisers for their support of Dig Antiques:

Ames Gallery
Baker & Co. Antiques
California Country Antique Show
CSADA Fox Valley Antiques Show
Doodletown Farm
Halliday House Antiques
Home Farm Antiques
J. Compton Gallery
JD Wahl Antiques
Quail Country Antiques
West Branch Antiques

If you are interested in supporting Dig Antiques through advertising, please click here.

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