American Pickers?

I guess you could call us American Pickers.  We do go all over seeking out hidden treasures; however, it is rare that we would pick through someone's garage filled with old rusty stuff.  We look for the treasures that other Antique dealers have already found, but haven't a clue as to what they really have.  When I was a child my father would buy art this way.  He made a living by studying and knowing more than the other guy.  You pay the price that the person wants and sometimes you luck out.

The hold idea is that you must constantly study.  Studying the market as to what people are buying and studying antiques, art, and design. I have to say that I have a habit.  A buying habit, that is.  We work hard buying and selling so that in return we can buy some more.  We have local people that kid about following us on our buying trips.  We never really know where the good buys will turn up.  We sometimes just follow a whim.  Intuition is sometimes the best way to go.  There are times that we feel that a good spirit (perhaps my Father) is whispering in our ears.  If we follow that hunch we usually find a treasure or two.  My advise to those of you who aspire to be American Pickers is to know what you want and to have studied up and then just go out there and look around with an open mind.

WHERE'S WALDO, OSVALDO THAT IS.....

Osvaldo Borsani, noted Italian Furniture Designer of the mid 20th century.  We have been waiting with great expectation for Osvaldo Borsani's pieces that we purchased.  They have arrived in the Port of New York and are waiting for Lewis to pick them up.  There is a set of end tables with a shell motif holding up the table top. They rate a place in our front window before it gets too warm.

The most unusual piece that we are picking up is a huge armoire almost 10 feet across and 5.5 feet tall. It is designed with concave panels and in between are borders carved with leaves and vines. It would be a striking piece used in any room.  We will be posting this on 1stdibs and will add a Photos and link at that time.  We are so excited that we are finally finding Osvaldo.

Italian Designer Furniture

Lewis keeps getting better and better pieces of furniture.  He has a fondness for the really good Italian Designers of the Deco Period.  Paolo Buffa, Gio Ponti, and Oswaldo Borsani.  The Italians are taking over the shop.  What an elegant take over.  I am completely won over.  The designs are clean but imaginative.  The use of woods inventive.

We have a console by Gio Ponti that has an early laminate top in aqua that was made for the Hotel Parco dei Principi.  The console shown above is not as long as the one we acquired. It went through Wright Auction. 

Italian Deco Bar 1930's

We now have three Italian Deco Bars.  One by Paolo Buffa with framed Italian engravings that look to be from the 17th century, and an interior mirrored with stars. We already had an Italian Deco Bar from the 1940's that was a show stopper in design.  The third bar is plainer in design similar to some of  Jean Royere's designs.  All in all they are a pretty handsome trio.

Gio Ponti Console for Hotel Parco dei Principi

We are looking forward to the pieces that he is picking up by Osvaldo Borsani.  I'll blog more about them at a later date.