Today instead of cleaning the house or shopping for the groceries I need for tomorrow’s cooking class (it’s at my house and hostess shops), I spent the day in the antiques district learning about old furniture. It was an outing organized by my favorite group for ex-pats.
We started in a shop where the owner talked about design. Honestly, he didn’t have much lying around that I thought was much of an example. But he said that when something good comes in his shop, it’s out the door right away. He also claimed that his Dyson vacuum is a good example of design. All that did was make a bunch of us long for our Dysons currently in storage in the U.S.
The next stop was a shop specializing in 18th century furniture. He explained Louis 14, 15 and 16th styles. We were supposed to be paying attention for a promised quiz in the afternoon. I did listen, but not that well. I did learn stuff. Like in the 18th century only very rich people could afford mirrors. So they are pretty rare and therefore wildly expensive. He had one in his shop for like 15,000 Euros. For a mirror. An old mirror! Outrageous.
Next door to that was a store I’d been in last year with my antique-buying guests. I swear not a thing had changed. Not a table or armoir or knick-knack. The owner may have been wearing the same clothes even. I don’t really remember much of what he talked about because he talked a long time and you can’t very well lean all over antiques and I was tired of standing up… so my mind drifted a bit. I know he did talk about Art Nouveau and Art Deco. None of which he seemed to have in his shop.
From there we went to a jewelery store/art gallery combo. It didn’t quite fit with the theme of the day, but the owner is the one who called all her antique dealing buddies and set up the rest of the day. So she was included in the tour. She spoke perfect English (I found out later she’s Canadian), so I’d happily go back if I need something. Which means, her little plan worked.
Lunch was next on the agenda. We went to a very nice restaurant downtown. I didn’t even know it existed, although you could say that about most restaurants just about everywhere, not just downtown. We had not only a room to ourselves, but a floor to ourselves. Very smart restaurant to put its private room so very far away from everyone else. Whenever the ISE’s go out, we are always so afraid of being loud. But our group today was quite loud. And it’s a mix of Americans, an Australian, a woman from Norway, and a bunch of French. The shop owners on our tour joined us for lunch. I sat next to a man whose store we hadn’t visited yet. He only spoke French and he spoke it rather fast. I couldn’t think of anything to talk to him about, so I turned to the people at my other side. The first shop owner was in that group, but he spoke English. My friend next to me hadn’t been to one of these events before, and was surprised when they poured wine in all our glasses. Oh, yes, go out with French people for lunch… drink wine.
There was just one more place to go from there: the shop whose owner I ignored all through lunch. (hey, to be fair, he didn’t try to talk to me, either) He was very entertaining (maybe it was the wine)… too bad I hadn’t managed to talk to him at lunch. He explained to us how a lot of the dealers don’t even really sell their antiques to the public; they sell to other dealers. The shop is little more than an office to establish credibility with those from whom they buy things. He also said a lot of people are afraid to go into those places, and not to be. And he said that you should never pay the marked price for something. And don’t buy an antique to make money… buy it because you love it. I guess the dealers want to make sure the making money part stays among the professionals.
I did learn just enough to feel more comfortable going into some of those places… and looking around for stuff. Look for what? That is still to be determined.
This all sounds like a fascinating way to spend the day, with friends and being exposed to some new stuff (well, old stuff) plus a meal. I’ll always go for the plus a meal part.