Carmel Magazine

Spring-Summer 2019

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hen spring arrives and the weather starts to warm, there is a restlessness that stirs deep inside a collector. We become anx- ious to rummage through piles and piles of stuff in search of a scrap of something that calls out our name. We collectors can be easily identified by our stopping and starting and U-turns in the middle of the street, in our quest for something we love. Our belief is in the worth of the worthless. I became a hopeless collector at a young age. It began with seven smooth, beautifully shaped arrowheads my dad gave me when I was only 8 years old. He had found them in Northern California, where they most probably originated with the Modoc Indian tribe, who were known for their prowess in hunting and fishing. I would keep them wrapped in a handkerchief, tucked in my underwear drawer, only to emerge on occasion to be marveled at over and over again. My dad collected keychains. When we travelled to the coast or to the mountains, my parents would stop at every souvenir shop along the way so a new keychain could be added to his keychain board on the wall of his office. These mementos of our travels made a lasting impression on my sisters and me, as we divided them up evenly among us after my dad passed away and we cherish them to this day. In 2013, I moved to Carmel-by-the-Sea. My dreams of rummaging through the antique fairs and flea markets had finally become realized. It began with a trip to Oakland to shop the Alameda Antique Faire. It's an amazing outdoor venue that starts with Row A. Just to visualize how vast a show this is, I usually only get to Row J before heading back to my vehi- cle. My favorite finds were some green French mason jars and galvanized fruit pickers buckets that are worn over the shoulder with a leather strap. Both are great repurposed to hold flowers. 110 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 9 COLLECTING T E X T A N D P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y M A R J O R I E S N O W The Junking Life A fun and eclectic mix of junk offered at an outdoor antique fair. A 1940s' chalk Popeye, 1913 'Chatterbox' children's book and a pair of old Western spurs. W

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