On the trail of the unexpected

Forgive me if, in this post, I am a little all over the map. We just wrapped up our annual sidewalk sale in downtown Chestertown and it's been a busy few days! And today, to fill in the holes where things were sold, we did a "shoppe re-do", as my friend Susan likes to say.

And I have to say - Thank heaven for girlfriends! My friend Edie is a real trooper - she has appointed herself the unloader, hauler & re-organizer. Her tirelessness in the face of my constant "Let's put that here. No, wait, let's move it there! That's it. Well, no, maybe it was better where it was before" - to date she has neither thrown anything at me nor snuck out the back door. What a pal!

And before I launch into my point - I just have to give our staff credit, because it is sure due. Kara, Pat, Debb, Alice - and Kurt by proxy - are just about the best crew anyone could ask for. They make the shop (and me) look good all the time - a rare group indeed!

But what I want to talk about today is two-fold. Today we brought in some of the things I got on my most recent buying trip - a Danish Modern draw-leaf table, a great Lane mid-century server, a sweet Heywood Wakefield dining table, a charming little Hollywood glam chartreuse chest of drawers. All sweet stuff - the kind of things our customers like to find in the shop.

And I also brought in a killer piece - a turn of the century mahogany rudder - over 3 feet tall - mounted on a stand. The patina is buttery rich, and the total effect is a "LOOK AT THAT!" moment.

It did not come cheap. It is always a challenge for me to "buy right". Mediocre things are in abudant supply; quality items are difficult to find; and unusual things command a price. It requires knowing when to walk away and when to take a risk. One of the greatest compliments I receive is when someone says "You've got a great eye". Learning to trust my eye and recognize the things it's worth paying for are the most important assets I take with me on the road.

So I've developed two criteria those really great items must meet before I'm willing to take the risk. The first is the "Find another one" criteria: Have I ever seen one before, or one of such caliber? How likely is it that I will find another one, and what would it take to do so. I've been antiquing since my early teen age years - it takes a lot to "wow" me.

The second question I ask myself is: "Will I regret it if I walk away from this?". I find this an invaluable tool when I am at a big antique market where there is a lot of merchandise available and I have to choose wisely where to spend my money. So far this strategy hasn't failed me. I've been able to walk away from things and not look back, and also recognize when something is worth taking a risk on.

I was mulling this over on my last buying trip and was reminded of one of Interior Designer Kelly Wearstler's philosophies: Create the art of the unexpected.

The unexpected distinguishes the ordinary from the extraordinary. It is the "LOOK AT THAT" you get when someone sees something so totally unexpected that it takes them completely by surprise. It sets a tone. It becomes a signature. It creates an excitement that keeps customers coming by. And THAT makes it worth my paying the price. I may have to hold onto it for a while until the right customer comes along, but while we're waiting, there's a lot of WOW going on.

One of the things I realized over the last few days of the sidewalk sale is that Antiques on Cannon has created that kind of buzz. There are a lot of people who keep us on their radar. Often I'll be wrapping something up for someone and they'll say "I've been looking at this for a while and I decided I just have to have it". And I didn't have a clue they'd ever given it a glance.

But I couldn't be happier. It means we're doing what we set out to do - give our customers a fun experience in a no-pressure, friendly environment filled with terrific, unforgettable things, and sometimes even make their day in the process. It's heady stuff. But we love it.

here's to making your day, unexpectedly
marilyn