back from NH

The lovely personal trainer and I drove down to Portsmouth, NH on Sunday in anticipation of a flight to Las Vegas for her–to a personal trainer’s conference, and knowing that I had a bit of time before I had to head back home, I headed over to another collector’s house for a bit of trading/buying/selling.

The collector, who doesn’t do any of his hunting/buying online, was given my phone number by Don Bull. And, he called a couple of weeks ago asking if I wanted to come by. When he said his name, and gave his location, I asked him if we had met before at an antique show in New Hampshire. After a few moments of back and forth, we agreed that it was a Sunday show where I had beaten him to a couple of corkscrews.

On the phone he had mentioned that he had a few American patents, and several Murphys, one of which was very very cool, as it is the smallest Murphy I have ever seen.

I did make an offer to buy this particular corkscrew outright, but my host was not parting with it.

Still there were plenty others to look at, and I had bought a box of corkscrews for trading with me…

Corkscrews in the kitchen, corkscrews in the dining room, corkscrews in the living room, corkscrews in the hallway, corkscrews on the way down to the basement… The sheer mass of it was pretty impressive.

The first piece I actually picked up was a Walker Peg and worm with advertising for a Cadillac dealership in Detroit. He, of course, knew that it was a Walker patent, but apparently wasn’t attached to it. And, suggested I put it in “my pile.” As he was going through the box of stuff I had brought, and creating a pile of his own.

For the most part, however, my trading partner wasn’t so keen on trading, and each piece that I was truly interested in, wasn’t going to be leaving the collection; a Woodman’s, Sterling Converse, simple Clough that advertised Rockwell Clough, the aforementioned Murphy…

I decided to pick up a couple of items that were not in groups–as corkscrews were definitely grouped–here are the Walkers, here are the mechanicals, over there are the folding bows.

I would place a corkscrew on “my pile.” And, by the time I returned with another corkscrew, my pile had become smaller as he had moved it over to another location–apparently these too were not tradable.

Now, his pile wasn’t huge either, but he had selected a Korker in the original box, an H & B with brush, a nice German Spring, a Champagne Nippers with Brush on the handle, an interesting Italian mechanical, and a few other bits.

I did bring a bit more than that, but he was looking for corkscrews he didn’t yet have–

In the end I did come away with some interesting little corkscrews, and will call on him again when I am in the area.

Here is what came home to the island from my visit yesterday; a wooden T with blade marked J.H. Schintz, the Walker Peg and Worm, missing the peg–but I have an extra, a Williamson patent folding bow, a miniature folding bow with hanging ring, 5 flashes for Tommy (he had 9, but I picked one’s that looked interesting, and a fancy Reissmann patent that often turns up in people’s Frary collections.

The Reissmann was a funny exchange, as when I was going through the collection, the phone rang, and I overheard the collector say, “sure come on over.” Apparently someone in the area had found a “elaborate corkscrew, and wondered if he was interested. The caller arrived, and after a bit of conversation the Reissmann was purchased for a 20, and ultimately ended up coming home with me.

It was really fun to see someone else’s collection. And, his collection is definitely impressive given that it has been entirely acquired through diligent hunting at flea markets, antique shows, and shops and malls in the area. Tales of great finds were shared, a glass of Chianti consumed (it was a bit early, but how could I refuse the hospitality), and both of us felt good about the trade.

Thanks for the reference DB!!!

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