Judge Judy Likes Antiquing And Bargain Shopping

Have You Seen Judge Judy At A Garage Sale?

Radio gossip  personality Mike Evans reports that "Judge Judy makes 45 million dollar a year and her hobby is going to Garage sales". You gotta be kidding. So I did some of my own homework and went onto to Judy Judy's website and confirmed that the Judge likes to spend time with her 11 grandchildren, go snorkeling, antiquing and bargain shopping.

Judge Judy has "the gene"......she likes hunting for STUFF like me and you.  I wonder if she has found my site I Antique Online.com or  this blog. Perhaps I need to send her an email, surely she would read an email with the subject line "TAG SALE". Well maybe I ought to put "GARAGE SA:E" since she lives in New York.

Mike Evans wondered what it must be like to try to sell what you have to Judge Judy. Can you picture her haggling over the price....ouch ?  

Readers, tell me if you have ever spotted her at the Brooklyn Flea?

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of I Antique Online an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café. To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com Dianne is a member of: The American Society of Journalists and Authors The Society of Professional Journalists

Visiting "Retro Genie" A Vintage Clothing And Collectibles Shop In Northampton, Massachusetts

Northampton Massachusetts , Dubbed NoHo Of Hamphire County, Massachusetts

I'm glad to know that there are still groovy gals out there who appreciate Retro clothing, clothing and accessories.

Introducing "Retro Genie"

One long established shop which caters to the vintage set is "Retro Genie" on Market Street in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Northampton Is A Funky Artsy Town

Northampton is a funky, artsy college town, home to Smith College, lots of lively musical and art programs, fabulous eateries, trendy clothing stores and often dubbed the NoHo of Hamphire County.

Smith College Part Of Five Colleges

Smith College is part of what is called The Five Colleges, including Hampshire College, Amherst, U Mass and Mount Holyoke all nearby to Northampton.

Northampton Has A Vibrant Downtown

Northampton has always been known as a vibrant downtown which is home to street musicians, festivals, cultural activities, Gay friendly, politically active young residents and a counter culture vibe.

Finding Vintage Shops On Market Street

On a recent visit to this very popular eclectic town, I made my way to Market Street, a quiet charming older setting which has a half a dozen retro/vintage shops and a Multi-dealer Antique Center. "Retro Genie" is a very hip shop packed with lots of 50s, 60s, 70s skirts, dresses, coats, aprons, shoes,hats, scares, jewelry, accessories and more.

Hello Atomic Era

While they carry clothing from other decades, you can't help but feel like you just went back in time the Atomic Era and Psychedelic 60's.

Mixed in with racks and racks of clothing covering every inch of this small , stuffed but organized shop are Retro home collectibles such as barware, beverage sets, serving ware, picnic ware, kitchen collectibles, books, etc.

Retro Genie
15 Market Street
Northampton, Mass
413-584-4364

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of I Antique Online an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.comVisit my website, CDianneZweig.comDianne is a member of:The American Society of Journalists and AuthorsThe Society of Professional Journalists

Project Mah Jongg: Exhibit At Museum Of Jewish Heritage

"Crack", Dot", "Bam", "Soap"

I am so excited to tell you about Project Mah Jongg opening at Museum of Jewish Heritage, Battery Park, New York City, May 4th, 2010. Oy, I can already hear the tiles clicking and the women shouting out "Mah Jongg! I knew the symbols on the Mah Jongg tiles before I could read. (My mother was a seasoned player).

"Mah Jongg Lady"

The photo shown of "Mah Jongg Lady" was a whimsical three dimensional figure ( styled like a Mah Jongg tile) that I created out of a painted brick for a local Cancer charity auction in Connecticut. (We had to create "art" out of a brick". ) By the way, never will I attempt epoxy glue again.

Mah Jongg Lady evolved in my mind quite easily as I grew up surrounded my Mah Jong ladies, including my mother and all of our neighbors in Brooklyn and than in Fresh Meadows, New York.

Mah Jongg In The Catskills

I remember my mother getting ready to play Mah Jongg in the 1950s. She played both evening games and daytime games during the summer (in The Catskills).

During the weekly evening games, mom would pull out the bridge table and chairs and cover the table with a plastic quilted cover and tablecloth. I can't believe I now sell similar items in my shop , "Kitsch n Stuff".

Mah Jongg Night: Candy And Refreshments

The best part of Mah Jongg night for me ( as a child) was the refreshments. What would Mah Jongg night be without filled candy dishes, cakes, soda etc. Mom would let me sample the goodies before I was tucked in for bed. But, of course I could still hear the gals calling out "bam", "dot", "crack", "soap,. the names of the tiles which form suits.

Project Mah Jongg At Museum of Jewish Heritage

The upcoming exhibit "Project Mah Jongg", takes place in a 1000 square foot hexagonal gallery and will chronicle the artifacts associated with the game as well as Mah Jongg's social and cultural history for Jewish women in America. According to The Museums website visitors to the exhibit will experience the ambient soundscape created by sound designer Timothy Nohe who has reproduced the sounds and voices of women playing the game.

The exhibit, designed by Abbott Miller of Pentagram, features artwork by Christoph Niemann, Isaac Mizrachi, Maira Kalman, and Bruce McCall and was curated by Melissa Martens. An accompanying publication called "Mah Jongg: Crak, Mam, Dot", edited by Abbott Miller and Patsy Tarr is available in The Pickman Museum Shop


About The Museum: From Their Website:
"The Museum of Jewish Heritage is A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. "Created as a living memorial to those who perished during the Holocaust, our Museum honors those who died by celebrating their lives - cherishing the traditions that they embraced, examining their achievements and faaith, and affirming the vibrant worldwide Jewish community that is their legacy today" .

Learn More About The Exhibit, Museum And Mah Jongg:

http://www.projectmahjongg.com/about.html

To Read More About Mah Jongg click on this link: http://cdiannezweig.blogspot.com/2009/10/mah-jongg-and-martinis-vintage-mah.html
Group photos shown are the courtesy of http://www.projectmahjongg.com/about.html

Books About Mah Jongg

Mah Jongg - Companion Volume to the Exhinbition " Project Mah Jongg" Published by the 2wice Arts Foundation http://www.pickmanmuseumshop.com/mahjocovotop.html

A Beginner's Guide To American Mah jongg by Elaine Sandberg http://www.pickmanmuseumshop.com/begutoammahj.html

A Mah Jongg handbook: How to Play, Score, and Win by Eleanor Noss Whitney http://www.pickmanmuseumshop.com/mahjohahowto.html

Mah Jongg Made Easy by National Mah Jongg League http://www.pickmanmuseumshop.com/mahjomaeainb.html

The Great Mahjong Book: History, Lore, and Play by Jelte Rep http://www.pickmanmuseumshop.com/grmabohiloan.html

References And Articles About Mah Jongg Collectibles

An Interview With Antique Mahjong Set Collector Carol Ann Harper http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/an-interview-with-antique-mahjong-set-collector-carol-ann-harper/

Mah Jongg Musuem: http://www.mahjongmuseum.com/

Mah Jongg Sets http://www.collectorsweekly.com/board-games/mah-jong

Mah Jongg Gifts http://www.funwithmahjongg.com/

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.comVisit my website, CDianneZweig.comDianne is a member of:The American Society of Journalists and AuthorsThe Authors Guild, Inc.

The Cottage: Well Loved Furnishings for Vintage Country Cottage Decor During the Holidays

Introducing The Cottage: Well Loved Furnishings

The Cottage, located in Leesburg, Virginia is owned by Linda Campbell and Ann Vaugh, two very creative and accomplished women who found each other at a Multi-dealer shop and decided to open their own place.

Linda, once a sports journalist has also been a florist and caterer. Her love now is The Cottage and she brings an artisitc flair to her shop along with her business partner Ann.

The Cottage Offers a Warm Country Cottage Style

What I like most about The Cottage is the warm, updated Country and Vintage look which both Linda and Ann achieve so well. These gals have really mastered the art of cotta ge decorating. Their attractive room settings highlight lots of textiles, mixing comfy linens with a variety of compatible patterns and color schemes.
Checks, polka dots, stripes, florals are used with each other creating a warm and whimsical relaxed look.

A New Twist to Traditional Looks

Ann and Linda love color and as you see in these photos, they enjoy combining bold colors together. Notice how striking the red and black look paired with each other. While red and green are typical colors used at the holiday time, you will find that The Cottage always adds a new twist to traditional styles.

During the holiday time, The Cottage is loaded with vintage Country Cottage ite ms. Vintage style furnishings, beddings, kitchen-wares etc. are showcased with original antiques and collectibles in many room settings throughout their quaint historic downtown 18th Century cottage store. Linda and Ann sum up how to describe their store: "We area all about, fun, funky, thinking outside the box vintage". You will agree....visit them on line at http://cottageatleesburg.com/


C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Discovering Peter Hunt Art & Collectibles at The Sandwich, Massachusetts Antiques Center

True "hunters" like myself are "wired' to locate hidden treasures everywhere and anywhere. Last week, my "radar" landed me at The Sandwich Antiques Center (Sandwich, Mass.) This Multi-dealer Antique Mall is located off Route 6A on Cape Cod, an upscale area of Sandwich packed with quaint art galleries, boutiques. antique shops and eateries.

Parked across the street from the Antique Center, I noticed that one of the windows of the Center had a cheerful display of colorful painted "objects" which immediately grabbed my attention but blended into a fuzzy whimsy collage from where I was standing. I couldn't wait to go inside the shop to find out what these "objects" were. Meandering through the fairly large group shop, I made my way to the exact booth which caught my attention in the first place.

What I had discovered was a collection of painted furniture and accessories by famed Cape Cod folk artist Peter Hunt. According to www. askart.com , Peter Hunt was "a folk artist and story teller with wide-ranging imagination, Peter Hunt, working from the 1930s through the 1960s, made his reputation with peasant decorations on furniture. A friend of the wealthy, the artistic and the odd-ball, Peter Hunt and his Peasant Village was a well-known fixture on Cape Cod. Customers included Helena Rubenstein and Frederick Waugh."According to many accounts, "Hunt’s work was originally “discovered” by the well-to-do summer people on Cape Cod, who found his colorful peasant decorations the perfect accents for their cottages and retreats. They also found Hunt to be charming, witty and a great addition to cocktail parties and dinners, and his mailbox was filled with invitations from the upper crust of Boston and New York.

Soon the buyers from upscale department stores, including Bloomingdale’s, Gimbel’s and Macy’s, got wind of society’s latest fascination in home decoration, and they clambered for Hunt to decorate more and more furnishings and knick-knacks for their stores, often featuring him in special promotions touted with full-page ads in the New York and Boston newspapers. " http://www.askart.com/AskART/H/peter_hunt/peter_hunt.aspx

Sandwich Antiques Center, Sandwich Massachusetts
1-508-833-3600

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com


Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.