Antique Stores- Lost Treasures & Junk
Last week I took a trip downtown to visit a local antique mall. A large 3-story building located in a historic row of shopfronts, the interior dissected by a labyrinth of un-tended booths. Whether it be a flea market, farmer’s market, or antique market, I enjoy strolling along booths and viewing the array of wares being offered - each booth containing new possibilities. The introvert in me prefers un-tended booths in a secured building, but there is a missed opportunity to learn more from the sellers. Sure, a lot of market sellers are just that, sales people, but they also have the opportunity to teach the buyer and pass along an additional dimension of beauty that may otherwise go unnoticed. Most antique dealers are collectors themselves, and therefore relish any opportunities to engage with others that share an interest.
I went with my radar tuned for jars of marbles, but as always, open to any other possibilities that may present themselves. Antique stores are a humbling experience, for most of the items have some sort of history or significance attached - but few people can identify them in detail. As a kid I was amazed by the knowledge of the Antique Roadshow appraisers, they knew so much about these artifacts from well before our time. It wasn’t until I was older that I learned that each appraiser was typically only an expert on one specific artist, medium, or era - they didn’t know much more than me… or rather, there was more that they didn’t know than I didn’t know, consciously.
"The more you know, the more you realize you don't know."
- Aristotle
Aristotle was an incredible thinker, the above quote should resonate with any reader. My father would recount a similar teaching when I was young, “the more you know, the more you know you don’t know”, which I would parrot for years at both pertinent and inappropriate times. For most of my life, I have had an obsessive mind - commonly hopping from one interest to the next. Unfortunately for me, I’m also a quick learner with high-confidence which frequently produces the Dunning-Kruger effect; a cognitive bias whereby people with low ability, expertise, or experience regarding a certain type of task or area of knowledge tend to overestimate their ability or knowledge.
The Dunning-Kruger effect, we all succumb at some point, it’s as natural as breathing. However, it is less common that we become self-aware of our inadequacies with a positive understanding. It is always possible to humbly accept one’s ignorance and set a reference marker in the mindscape to measure future growth.
Most vintage marble collectors have searched online marketplaces such as eBay and Craigslist, hoping to uncover a listing of a jar filled with mibs covered in an undisturbed layer of dust - the thicker the dust, the better. However, the online market landscape is full of malicious sellers using a variety of tactics to take advantage of bright-eyed collectors. These tactics include but are not limited to:
- Taking unfocused photos to disguise conditions or traits.
- Placing mibs at angles that accentuate traits that give the impression that they’re something else.
- Coating the mibs in WD-40 or another oil to disguise blemishes.
- And much more...
It almost seems a right of passage for the vintage marble collector in the modern world, to order what looks like a juicy lot of mibs only to realize upon delivery that the seller took photos to represent the mibs differently. I too have been duped, on my first online marble purchase. I decided after that fumble, that I would never buy lots online that claimed to be “unsearched” or “from an estate”. That said, I have since then purchased small groupings from sellers who advertise appropriate photos with good descriptions, without any regret in those purchases. I keep my desire for sorting and identifying “unsearched” lots, to jars and boxes purchased in person.
Last week, I purchased two jars - satisfied with both purchases! The first jar, labeled by the seller correctly, is a group of two dozen Vacor “Michelangelo” mibs, distributed in America by Mega Marbles in the 1990s and early 2000s. Most of them seem to be from more modern runs, as the early Michelangelos exhibit much more turbulent swirls than their descendants. There were however a few within the jar that exhibit dazzling swirls which stand out from the rest. I picked up the jar for $15, which may have been a bit more than market value but I am happy with the addition to my collection.
The other jar I grabbed, I was more hesitant on, but for a $12 gamble I couldn’t pass it up. The jar was filled with predominantly game marbles, clearies, and cat’s eyes; but I could spot a few vitros and peltiers that held my interest. The Cleaveland shooter is neat too; although I'm not particularly interested in MLB,it is unique. Once home, I dumped the mibs into a box for sorting and quickly confirmed my suspicions; the jar held only about a dozen marbles with any hint of significance, but nothing to dance over. I am however happy to add the few identifiable mibs to my collection at roughly $1 a piece, knowing I also enjoyed the experience of sorting the jar. I will continue to buy similarly filled and priced jars in the future, as I also enjoy the aesthetic of large groups of clearies and game marbles.