Survey proves collectors mean business

If you are the kind of person who likes numbers, who likes knowing the facts and figures about whatever interests you, you might be interested in the August issue of Country Home magazine. Working with the results of a Nielsen survey and online auction powerhouse eBay, Country Home put together an interesting array of statistics.

The issue gives a breakdown of statistics on who is collecting, what they’re collecting and why they collect.

For instance, did you know that 66 percent of collectors are women? That’s not such a big surprise, I see far more women than men out and about. But the fact that 27 percent of the people who responded to the survey consider collecting to be their favorite pastime was interesting. That means they put collecting before sports, going to the movies and you-know-what.

I was surprised by the fact that 88 percent of the survey-takers said they would never consider selling one item from their collection.

When I was growing up items were regularly culled from my family’s collections and sold. New pieces were constantly being added. We had too many interests, and not enough room to keep everything. I still do the same today.

One shocking number was the amount the average collector spends each year for his or her collection. According to the survey, $1,794 was the average amount antiquers spent on collections last year. That’s a lot.

The magazine published a list of the top five reasons for collecting (5. The thrill of the hunt) and the top 10 items selling on eBay these days (4. Lightning rods.)

Decorating diva Mary Emmerling contributed a list of emerging collecting trends, which included Hawaiian souvenirs and memorabilia, and tiny oil paintings.

One item in the list of “hot” collectibles particularly interested me: Clear glass tumblers.

I recently decided to put together a mix-and-match set of etched glasses. I haven’t been picky about the size, just choosing a design that appealed to me.

I pick them up at thrift stores and never pay more than $1.50, usually less than one dollar. That way I won’t cry if one gets broken. And it’s a good thing because I lost two this week. I broke one and a cat broke the other. (One of us closed the dishwasher too hard and the other was on the kitchen counter. I’ll let you figure out which was which.)

A couple of the tumblers I’ve found are quite old, made of delicate glass, but most aren’t very old at all. They all have an interesting design cut or etched into them, and I love the way they look on my table.

I thought I was being practical, and thrifty, but it looks like I was on the cutting edge of a new collecting trend. How about that.

Vintage sewing machine

I received a number of interesting letters about the vintage sewing machine I wrote about in June.

Sharon Wood e-mailed asking for help finding parts for her mother-in-law’s Minnesota Model A sewing machine that was sold by Sears in the early 1900s. “I am at a loss as to how to get parts, thread the thing, and the bobbin has me totally lost,” she wrote. “Do you have any ideas?” I posted a reply online with information on Relic Sewing Machine Manuals in Michigan. The address is 1457 N. Nottawa St., Sturgis, MI 49091. You can find them online at www.sewing-machine-manuals.com

Linda Lewis, of Coeur d’Alene wrote asking for a local source of needles for her 1900s Sears machine. I called Boyd-Walker Sewing Machine Co. in Spokane and talked to a helpful rep named Donna. She said they carry needles for most old machines and if they didn’t have the needle Lewis needed, they could probably order it.

John (who answers to “Red”) wrote to tell me about his mother’s well-traveled sewing machine. It moved with her from Missouri to North Dakota to Spokane to Montana and back to Spokane. He has fond memories of his mother using the machine to sew his shirts. John used the Internet, and the serial number, to help him date his mother’s machine. By the way, this is a more accurate way to date a vintage sewing machine. The patent date could be off by several years.

Bonnie Rae, of Spokane, wrote a lovely letter. She told me a story about a local antiques dealer whose policy is to discard old sewing machines and sell the cabinet only. Like John, she pointed out that the correct way to date a machine is by using the serial number. “By calling 1-800-4-SINGER and telling the nice lady who answers the serial number you can have the exact day that your Singer left the factory,” Rae wrote.

She also gave me a little advice. “Incidentally, sewing machines are very much like automobiles in that they need to be used in order for them to last,” she wrote. “Hem a few napkins every now and then. It’ll be good for the mechanical parts of your (new) Singer and your soul as well.”

I took your advice, Bonnie, and I hemmed the napkins. But, as usual, I must have done something wrong. The paper kept tearing.

Butter churns

Last week’s story about my Dazey butter churn brought some mail as well.

Nancy Parker wanted to know if it is possible to make butter with a food processor. “I would like some way to have my grandkids do this for summer fun,” Parker wrote, “But don’t want to have to buy an expensive antique.” I put a link to information on how to churn butter with a food processor online. You can find it at http://www.chowhound.com/writing /butter.html

D. Roccanova wrote to say she remembered helping her grandmother churn butter in an old Dazey, and said she now owns her grandmother’s “modern” electric churn. “I remember her receiving it in the 1950s,” Roccanova wrote.

Get the smoke out

Cindy Nelson read the story about the $6.99 oak table I found last month and e-mailed a request for information on the best way to remove smoke odor from furniture. My apologies. I put the tips I received from readers online but didn’t include them here, so here you go:

Linda Weinmann, of Coeur d’Alene e-mailed a suggestion. “We have used our ‘Oxyfresh’ products for every challenging task you can think of,” she wrote. You can find more information on Oxyfresh at http://www.oxyfreshww.com/ lindale/default.asp

Mark Holum e-mailed a cool tip for purifying “smoky” wood furniture. “The best way to remove the odor of cigarette smoke from belongings, especially wood, is with ozone,” he wrote. “Check with any reputable fire damage restoration specialist.” Holum said the furniture is placed in a special chamber that oxidizes the smoke molecules.

I haven’t found such a chamber in Spokane, and I suspect the cost would negate the bargain price of the table, but I still think it’s the coolest suggestion.