Herald - Lantern • Dispatch 16 April '86

1 ilinlmP M SUMMER STUFF % Come and get Both stores open 7 days a week Cape May - 510 Washington Mali 884^0442® Stone Harbor -9412 2nd Avenue 368-6248

Car Wash For Family NORTH CAPE MAY car wash to benefit the Luz ny family, which lost its Cold Spring home, and two children in a recent fire, will be held 11 a.m. -3 p.m Saturday at Mq^gnald's. Bayshore and Ferry Roads here The event is sponsored by the Town Bank Volunteer Fire Co. For further information, call 886-5511 Cape May Blood Visit CAPE MAY - A blood collection session will be held 2-7 p.m. Monday. April 28. at the Victorian Towers, 608 Washington St.. by the county chapter of the American Red Cross. Donors are asked to schedule appointments by calling the Red Cross at 646-7000 or to give blood at their own convenience

[?]

Cape May CountyTMost Complete Garden cWer i ' ! . uonneu» J i rr ~i i *j la-Sfib-l liflFw*! I — _a»™j j "IK.! • SAVE ^^■ ;UVE j ! *|'21 I -=■»«: Si.:**®* h\

Antiques Antiques shops can be chic, homey, rustic or sophisticated, some are nononsense. others are all nonsense. There are junk shops, boutiques, permanent garage sales, showrooms and galleries. The fun of shopping for antiques is that it's such a varied experience. Each shop is different, each collection reflecting the individuality of its owner. But these same qualities which make shopping for antiques so exciting for so many of us also manage to put some other people off. TRUE. ANTIQUES shops are nothing like the more homogenized department stores and shopping malls. But there are some fairly consistent unwritten courtesies, which when observed, can help minimize the possibility of unpleasant surprises. There may, for instance, be some dealers who enjoy haggling over prices with customers; I have yet to meet one. Most dealers put a great deal of thought and research into pricing They feel, and you should expect, that every object in a shop should have a clearly marked price which reflects its fair market value. ONE DEALER told me that a customer once picked up an object with a $1 price tag and asked him if he could do any better. "Sure," he responded, "I could charge you $3." For products under $10, it's best not to haggle. If you're running up a big bill, however, it is not inappropriate to ask for a discount on your overall bill. But don't expect a big break (more than 10 percent). Sp-me dealers will volunteer a lower price on objects they are trying to move. If this happens to you. take it as a blessing, and don't ruin it by asking for even more off the bill. YOU HAVE the right to expect a receipt for your records, so don't be afraid to ask for one if you need it. Remember too. though, that we all have to pay the six percent New Jerseysales tax, so let's avoid any einbarassing conspiracies. It is certainly proper to ask questions about the age, history and condition (Has it been repaired?) of an object we are interested in. And we should expect an honest reply. Go ahead and pick the dealer's brain Dealers often love to talk about their collections If you eventually buy an object, it is also okay to ask that certain specifics about it be written on to your receipt. IRREGULAR hours are a fact of life in the antiques business. It's frustrating, I know, to ride down your favorite stripe of shops only to find that most of them are closed. The reason for this is simple: most shop owners do both the buying and the selling for their business. There are sales, shows and auctions to attend. Some auctions can keep you up into the wee hours All this is so there will be an even greater variety the next time you come around. "YOU BREAK IT. you pay for it!" is a rule all dealers operate by. It's a 5

fair rule, and I know it keeps me from handling too many objects when I'm out shopping. One lady visited my shop with her grandson, who was about 9 years old. The boy walked around the shop with his hands behind his back, and asked his grandmother questions about some objects. I thought this was quite remarkable. The lady explained that she really wanted her grandson to learn about the past and to appreciate beautiful things. She made him agree to keep his hands behind his back because she just couldn't leave him outside. There was another woman who I wish had left her little boy outside. He immediately plopped on a 150-year-old American Empire sofa. FIRST I brought it to his mother's attention, but \ when the boy returned to the sofa I had to tell him myself. A few minutes later when I found him on the sofa again, I had to ask the woman to tell her son to wait outside. Children should not be in an antiques- shop unless they are there to learn. In that case, the first lesson is respect for valuable objects. As far as eating, drinking and smoking in shops is

By Arthur H. Schwerdt

concerned, first look to see if there are any signs. If not. ask the owner's permission first. As Felix Unger of Odd Couple fame once wrote on a blackboard: "To assume is to make an 'ass' of 'u' and 'me'." IT'S A SHAME that some people miss out on the adventure, the education and the bargains which are available in antiques shops just because of a little apprehension. This year encourage your friends and summer visitors not to miss a(fl~~— The antiques circuit in Cape May is not such a bizarre bazaar. In fact, its a special resource that can give our homes, our gifts giving, and consequently our lives, a unique flair rarely available anywhere else. If you're a dealer or a customer, and you have some suggestions on how the antiques business could run more smoothly, drop me a line and I'll pass it on in some future column. NEXT WEEK: Another of our surveys on available collectibles. (Arthur Schwedt. coowners of The August Farmhouse. on Route 9 in Swainton, invites questions c/o this newspaper.) Pancakes Plus GREEN CREEK - The Green Creek Fire Co. will sponsor an "all you can eat' pancake breakfast which will include eggs and sausage at the Fire Hall 8 a.m.-l p.m Saturday.

| COMING SOON! ! Gittles' | <SlVU.t ' Bayshore & Virginia Aves. ( Villas (Baa Mar Shopping Cantar) Dress Your Kids "The Best For Less"! Infants and Toddlers Summer P.J.'s... *4* Boys and Girls Jogging Suits... •7M and '10** pu-m.»vMo.» open Monday thru Saturday 10 in b - Friday Ntfhi nil 9 Brand Nam**' 14 South Main Street - C.M.C.H. - 465-2833 ^MMUNJTY MARKET e I SDA Choice Roast Beef Sale ■u.l. I, ■,||)1.:.H a, •.'■■an-w .i».w Bottom Round Rump Roast Roast