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That could be because Arkansas has historically been a
poor
state, and as a result, early residents didn't have belongings that
would now be considered fine antiques. Arkansas' pioneer families often
made their own furniture and ventured to the general store for food
staples (such as sugar) or household necessities like kerosene lamps.
Bill Rau said New Orleans is a hot spot for fine
antiques
because the city has had a rich history and rich residents. The
mansions that line New Orleans' St. Charles Avenue are a testament to
its antebellum wealth.
"We're known for quality things," Rau said. "Some of the
great
furniture makers were on Royal Street, where we are, 160 years ago."
So, with the urbanization and affluence of Northwest
Arkansas,
antique dealers have resorted to importing antiques — from overseas and
across the United States — to sell here.
Everything in Renee Hunt's French Metro Antiques store
in
Fayetteville, for example, is from France. Hunt said customers from
Dallas and New Orleans shop in her store, via the Internet and in
person.
"No one really had high-end antiques until the last few
years,"
said Joan Barker, owner of Mrs. Barker's Fine Antiques in Van Buren.
Barker, who buys antiques from estates across the United
States, said she finds it humorous when she hears area residents say
they've traveled all over to find antiques. But often when they walk in
her store, their jaws drop.
One couple from Oklahoma City, Barker noted, had taken a
vacation to the East Coast to find antique furnishings. When they
didn't find what they wanted, they decided to stop by her store on
their way home. Barker said they were astonished at the antiques
available only a few hours away from their home. But she isn't
surprised that people will travel so far to find antiques.
"People will buy antiques when they won't buy anything
else," Barker said. "If people want antiques, they'll go anywhere."
Hunt does the dirty work for her clients. Every six
months, she
and her husband go to France to stock up on inventory. Fluent in
French, Hunt has made connections over the years that enable her to
find the best in French antiques.
Rau said 80 percent of his business is done out of
state. The
Internet has made it easier for dealers to conduct business around the
world. Better shipping methods also make it less of a hassle for people
to go to different places to find antiques. Rau, who sold $1 million
worth of inventory his first year with the company in 1981, said his
firm's sales make it the largest gallery in North America. This year he
projects $30 million in sales.
The Antique Market
Northwest Arkansas has several antique stores but only a
handful
have been able to obtain a good share of the fine antique furniture
market, having pieces for every room in a house.
Barker's store has a mixed collection of American,
English,
French, Renaissance, Rococo and Empire antiques. Barker, 78, has been
in the antique business for more than 40 years, and along that time has
made many connections. She likes to buy whole estates, not just part of
them.
When she started carrying fine antique furniture in
1999, she
bought an entire estate in Mississippi for $50,000. After that, she
started purchasing other estates as well. Now she has three stores and
one warehouse full of antique furniture, dating from the 18th, 19th and
20th centuries.
Her pieces include beds, settees, chairs, dining room
suites,
sideboards, armoires, buffets, Persian rugs, textiles, porcelain and
China. Even Rau has made a few visits to her store and purchased some
of her antiques, Barker said.
Hunt has clients who go to her looking for specific
pieces. She
said one client wanted a Bombay chest, and so while in France, Hunt
took pictures of different chests and e-mailed them to her. When she
found the one she wanted, Hunt bought it and had it shipped to the
client.
Many local antique dealers have antiques to outfit an
entire
house. Whether it's buffets, dining tables, chairs, settees, beds or
paintings, Northwest Arkansas antique dealers said if they don't have
it, they can get it.
The Bedroom
One piece Hunt found is truly a treasure to her gallery.
Earlier this year, Hunt carefully shipped over a walnut Louis XV period
armoire that was commissioned as a wedding gift in 1735 for Jean and
Marie Cussett, distant cousins of King Louis XV (see photo, p.1).
The 9-foot, 4-inch tall armoire, priced at $35,000, was
housed in two castles for 280 years, most recently at Chateau du
Tertre, near Falaise, France. Hunt stumbled upon it when she was
talking to a connection in France about an armoire a client wanted.
Although it wasn't what the client was looking for, Hunt bought it and
then began the painstaking task of disassembling it to ship to
Fayetteville.
Her husband Terry, who refinishes antiques, took
pictures along with her son as they knocked out the wooden pegs that
held the antique piece together.
"They were taking it apart while I had a drink," Hunt
joked.
The armoire made it safely to Fayetteville in April.
Hunt said the armoire is "truly for a real serious collector because
it's museum quality." Many armoires run from $3,500 to $7,500, she
said.
Barker has several antique beds to provide a comfortable
night's rest. The beds are large and require a lot of room, but the
elegant tester beds are part of the lush history, which is what
intrigues collectors in the first place.
Barker's American half-tester bed, circa 1840-1860,
comes with a dresser and is priced at $26,000. M.S. Rau boasts a
half-tester bed made in New Orleans circa 1860, that is priced at
$44,850.
Living Room
Barker also has an early bronze table with a Sevres
charger top, four Sevres plaques and an urn with a 1753 marking.
She also has a heavily carved, solid mahogany occasional
chair
with Griffin heads on arms and full Griffins on back, circa 1840-1860.
Hunt's French Metro has an oak Louis XIII style desk
with a
leather top, circa 1880. She also has a hand carved 19th century
confident, which has two chairs connected together facing the opposite
way. It was used for "two companions to engage in intimate
conversation," according to Hunt's Web site.
Dining Room
"Dining room suites, all my life, have been my best
item," Barker said.
Barker has four dining room suites with eight chairs,
which, she
said, is a rare find. Hunt agrees that large dining room suites are hot
commodities.
Hunt has an oak Renaissance style draw leaf, that when
fully extended is more thn 10 feet long.
She also has several buffets in her gallery, including a
Louis
XV style oak marriage buffet with a carved date of 1820. It was
commissioned as a wedding gift from the la Manche region in upper
Normandy.
One of Barker's dining room suites includes eight chairs
and a
sideboard. The Empire piece was built around 1860 and has eight leaves
in the table.
She also has many buffets and sideboards in her store,
including a buffet that has scenes from the Bible carved on the wood. A
loyal customer purchased the piece but because he had nowhere to put
it, he left it for her to display in her window.
Buy Smart on Antiques
Bill Rau, president of M.S. Rau in New Orleans, gave
tips on
what to look for when purchasing high-end antiques. Rau is a third
generation antique dealer with a business finance degree and a minor in
art from the University of Colorado.
Find somebody you trust. This is by far the biggest of
them all. Everything else will be secondary.
Shop around. Try to go to as many stores to get a feel
of what excites you.
Study your interests. Buy a couple of books on what you
like,
whether it's porcelain, Georgian or Rococo, and read through them
before shopping.
Trade-backs. Buy from someone who will give you a
trade-back in
case your tastes change. Most good dealers are willing to trade back.
Talk to friends. Ask your friends where they shop.
That's a good idea for finding out what dealer they like.
Listen to your tastes. When you buy something, buy
something
that "speaks to you." Don't buy somebody else's taste. Buy something
because it gives you shivers.
Get it in writing. Make sure you get in writing
everything that
was said about the piece you buy. Anyone who is ethical will write down
on the invoice what he or she told you about the piece. If they don't,
don't buy it.
Get an appraisal. Get an appraisal with each piece from
the dealer you're buying it from.
Get the best. This is a biggie. Buy the best that you
can
afford. It's so much better to buy one good piece than purchase three
average pieces.
Just do it. My grandfather had a saying, "Buy the best
and only cry once."
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