therapy, and I’d trade an hour in a spa to be
at a good flea market on a sunny day. There
are still enough real places around if you’re
looking.
Most of the ingredients in the pictures
here are vintage items I’ve sourced from
these places. My favorite piece went to Jimmy
Fallon’s dressing rooms at NBC. For one of
his rooms, we created the imaginary man
cave of an eccentric collector and called it
“Mysterioso.” The whole concept sprang
from a fantastic dark little painting of a wild-
haired John Lennon that I found in an
antique store on Wickenden done by a local
painter. In this room, we placed an antique
painted cubby I brought back from Morocco,
a wooden nutcracker carved to look like
women’s legs and my favorite pieces: the
vintage forms of a bear and deer that were
used by taxidermists (before they were made
of plastic, they were handmade paper mâché
forms that in and of themselves are sculptural
and reflect beautiful artistry).
Many of the other items in the room — the
theater chairs, worn rugs, collections of
antique science encyclopedias and well-used
artist brushes — came from my father’s store
in upstate New York, Wood Bull Antiques.
The Wood Bull is truly the most amazing col-
lection of antiques and objects I have ever
seen in one place, compiled in an old barn that
takes most people an afternoon to explore. It’s
also where I learned that each item has beauty
and history of its own, but layered together
there is a larger story that becomes joyful for
people to encounter — to discover elements
one by one, piece them together, and taste the
whole soup. kylacoburndesigns.com.
Vintage: The RI Antiques Mall
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 52
| |
On a slow week, Scott says RIAM’s store
(independent of online sales) sells more than
1,000 items, mostly from the store’s 200 dealer
booths. Around Christmas week, up to 3,000
items fly out the door. While vintage Hal-
loween and Christmas items sell well during
the holidays, Transformers, action figures
and movie posters are popular. One Jaws
poster sold for more than $1,000, says Rae.
“It’s the three Ds — death, divorce and
downsizing — that feed our business,” says
Scott. “It’s those times that people need us,
and we understand they are traumatic times.”
They ease people through the process to
make it tolerable, if not pleasant, which,
he says, is mostly lacking among antique
businesses.
Their most fun — and most challenging
— day at work is the annual Dealer Day (April
25–26), where dealers discount their entire
inventories, including new finds. Food trucks
and live music often add to the hubbub,
which the couple compare to Filene’s annual
wedding dress sales. 345 Fountain St., Paw-
tucket, 475-3400, riantiquesmall.com
Vintage: Annie Schisler’s
Favorite Vintage Finds
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 54
| |
vintage clothes actually hold. In a world
where cookie cutter and basic is the norm
just to blend in, there will always be amazing
people, like Michelle and my customers, who
want to break the mold and show they are
unique to the world without saying a word.
We paid a few hundred dollars in cash
and trade for the whole lot and these are one
of the last pairs I haven’t sold yet. They are
currently for sale on my website (topshelf
vintageco.com; $299.99) and in my brick and
mortar for viewing, but I hope they never sell
FUNERALS ARE NEVER SIMPLE
#401love
SHARE
YOUR
PHOTO
Tag @RIMonthly on Instagram
and you may see your photo
featured in one of our upcoming
newsletters.
The Seasons AssisteD Living
Experience the Non-Profit Difference
PLAN ON IT
You have the choice to pre-plan funeral arrangements, thus showing
your family you truly care. We invite you to learn more about protecting
the environment with our progressive green service options along with
discovering our tailored traditional and cremation services.
Traditional & Memory Care Neighborhoods Available
Program For Qualified Veterans Short-Term Stays
Five Saint Elizabeth
Way East Greenwich,
RI 401.884.9099
www.theseasons.org
401-944-6460
Thomas C. Olson
Louise Parent Olson
joint venture of Scandinavian Home and Steere House
Lic. Funeral A Director
Co-Founder
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY
l MARCH 2020 99