FINDING FACEBOOK...

I have spent most of my life as a painter – interested in not only fine but decorative arts. As painting is very solitary, too many years in the studio led to exploring a passion for decorative arts as my recreation – and to be with people.  What emerged was an incredible passion for the objects – their beauty, legend, history, construction, and the dedication, greed, obsession and wars that often produced them – and…people as spectacular as the items they loved and talked about. Slowly the people won over the solitary, and I actually hocked my home to hang up my shingle.  Now people took a different position – listening to me…not just teaching me.  First it was just as a “local” shop.  Then came the Internet.  My assistant Nicole learned how to mount a web site from a book. Now the website we have painstakingly built ourselves (through many a learning curve and digital this-and-that) enables us to talk to people all over the world – finding what they want to see / know through years of comments and requests – in person and through multitudes of phone calls and emails.  Today the Internet has provided us with many long-term relationships worldwide.  Some even fly in to visit and eat the great Memphis food.  It has been a mind-boggling trip of learning, beauty, acquiring, marketing, and yes – even selling – to those people I have met.

Our website is now 11 years old. For 6 years, we have mounted and emailed various informative links and photographic catalogs.  We now find ourselves on Google’s first two pages on most objects we have.  Our images are everywhere – from Russian blogs to British technical information reference sites.  Top magazines call us.  Universities and museums use the site for reference.  It is very gratifying, as you have no idea what goes into the production of even a single online listing – countless hours of research and preparation, and as much as 4 hours for photography and mounting just for one object online. 

Now the scene morphs again with the introduction of “social networking” – enter facebook.  This format will enable us to share those same passions personally with more people than I ever dreamed possible.  The focus will be as much on entertaining the eye and mind as the beauty itself.  We will continue to mount informative links and photographic catalogs (as Summer Scenes, and You Can't Want More Until You Know More…….already up and growing). 

However this time my wish is that people (you) will talk back.  The comment sections invite just that. Comment.  Ask.  Correct.  Enjoy.  Get curious.  Go buy a book.  Just please join us. 

(PS – we are still trying to figure out the technical parts – so please bear with the glitches.  We have ordered Facebook for Dummies.) 

Notes about our website :

Home Page :

At the top is a Featured Item, with a bit of information about it.

Below that are Special Catalogs of interest

Below that are the Main Categories - with links to the full inventory

Articles - some published / some for just our customers

(most suitable for printing in Microsoft Word)

Toward the bottom are links to:

About Us

Search Engine / Site Map (look for specifics within our site)

Terms - we offer extended pay and will work with you to the best of our ability

Shipping Options

Related Links - including recommended restorers, regional museums, media and shippers

THE ONLINE CATALOG & CATEGORY IMAGES ARE LINKED TO EXTENSIVE DETAIL PAGES

The category listings are repeated at the bottom of each page on the site, as is our contact information.

Pricing :

Incoming merchandise :  We do not price an item until it is actually in stock - lest something be amiss.

Online pricing : Some have complained about the lack of online prices.  Online prices for most merchandise are  omitted necessarily for security reasons .  Please bear with us and press the PLEASE INQUIRE link.

"Best Price":  We take the lowest markup we can the first time.  It has always perplexed me why antique merchants offer different people different prices.  I decided - much to my accountant's relief - that it is cleaner and better for all to mark a piece once with the lowest price that I could.  Therefore all prices quoted are "best prices".

Gallery Hours : Wed - Sat 11-6 Central, or by appointment

All other times by email or cell