Black Market Antiques Blog

In the antique business, you are bound to find quite a few diaries while cleaning out drawer or attics or closets.  Most diaries are simple books with trivial notes from their former owners, some are detailed transcripts of the minutia of everyday life – like in the case of the Bain diaries.  And on the rare occasion you find one that is worth reading for more than just its content or historical value.  That is the case of the little diary pictured with the airplane flying through the clouds on the cover.

This diary was found some time ago and it was originally a Christmas gift to a 12 year old girl in 1944.  There are a number of things about this diary that are striking.  First, the author, a young rural Pennsylvanian girl is beyond blunt and direct with her posts, possibly due to lack of space – with entries like “Got a new dog today, Boo, cute.”  Also striking is the fact that there are entries spanning five decades, yet still much of the diary has been left blank, with large gaps between entries.  The final striking thing is the choice of material for the girl’s entries and how through the course of her life, the diary becomes almost a lockbox to keep sorrow as if a two line entry was her way of venting.  The diary gets progressively more sad as it goes on, as you will see as we add entries over the coming weeks.

I’ve decided to type out the diary as it appears in order of the pages, which with five years on each page, skipped pages and random years inserted on their appropriate days, it is a bit, well…you’ll see.   Spelling and grammar will not be edited. Updates will be added to the bottom.

Five Year Diary, By Edith T.

January 1, 1945: Today is New Years, we had sour crout for supper, tomorra school starts, nuts. [Author begins writing January 2nd's post in pen on the Jan. 1 page, has to cross out entry]

January 2, 1945: To day school starts we got a new boy in are room.  Ed came home for Christmas Grace came home to.

January 3, 1945: “Boy” was it cold out we ate up town to day.  It was very good.  I washed out my blouse.  I am going to ware my new dress tomorro, the blue one.

January 4, 1945: I have a bad head ache. Jimmy is very mean tonight.  I am makeing tea and going to eat crackers. Mother and dad is out at moms.  Carol Ann got her own bed.

January 5, 1945: To day is Friday.  I got my hair washed tonight and rolled up for tomorra.  We go down to Margarets for dinner.

January 6, 1945: Me and Ed went down to Margets for dinner we had a very nice dinner margets gave me a peral nectles.

January 7, 1945: We stayed out at moms house for supper.  Jimmy went to the show.  It is almost 11:30.  I don’t know how I am going to get up tomorra.  Shirley and the girls is going to eat in school tomorra, but I am not.

January 8, 1945: To day is Monday.  Tomorra is a baskettball game.

January 9, 1945: To day was a big day for me we went to the show.  Got a bath and rolled my hair up.  We got a milk shake.

January 13, 1945: I am going to Shirleys birthday party at 7:30.  She will be twealve years old.  I look very nice.  I started to — today…

January 14, 1945: I have and awful cold.  I can hardly talk.  Mom and dad went out and Jimmy went to the basketball game.  I am by myself.  I took the twins to the show today.

January 18, 1945: I am listening to the radio now mom is out at moms house.  I wrote a letter to Joan.  I don’t have much more to say.

January 24, 1945: I got the mumps today.

January 28, 1945: I have the mumps.

January 29, 1945: I have the mups.

January 30, 1945: I still have the mumps, Helen M. Brought down a cake.  I have not gone to school for 2 days.

January 31, 1945: Martha & Ed got married at 5:00. I still have the mumps. I Made candy. Ed + Martha are hear.

February 1, 1945: Grace is down here. I fell better tonight.

February 1, 1961: Found perfume bottle in his car tonight.  He likes that old slut.

February 2, 1945: I got a card from Jr. High.  I washed my sweater.  I hope I can wash my hair tomorra it is dirty.

…to be continued…

This post and its contents is copyright 2009 Black Market Antiques.

I had two projects for this weekend, right a blog article and do the recycling.  Got the recycling done Saturday and put off the blog article for lack of a topic.  But now it’s Monday morning and I need to get the blog thing done before the boss has a fit.

Black Market Antiques strives to do our small part to help the environment by being as “Green” as possible.  This weekend, I drew the short straw and, as mentioned, got the task of doing the recycling for the warehouse.  Part of BMA’s green commitment involves recycling as much of our waste as possible.  This includes everything from cardboard scraps and junk mail to tin and other metals.  In addition to recycling, Black Market Antiques also tries to reuse items that do not fit in our online inventory of antiques and collectibles.

I started the recycling by separating all the paper, cardboard and metal scrap.  This included about 400 pounds of pamphlets from doctors’ offices in several large tubs that were found in a recent estate where we had to clear out everything.  If I needed to know about the latest and greatest kidney medications from 1982 or procedures for repairing a prolapsed rectum, I’m sure I could have found that info in the thousands of brochures.  Once separated I loaded the truck and was off to the local recycling drop off center where I put the different types of materials into their appropriate roll-off containers.

After the recycling was accomplished it was back to the warehouse to load up a load of mostly household items for delivery to the local donation thrift store.  Some local coffee mug collector will probably come close to peeing themselves with delight when the store puts out the couple hundred contemporary mugs onto the shelves for sale.  Lots of newer glassware and dishes went to the thrift store…along with what seemed like literally tons of newer children’s books.

In addition to recycling and donating goods, Black Market Antiques is proud of our effort to try to reuse as much packaging materials as possible from other local businesses.  Doing not only keeps this filler out of the landfills, at least for a time, but also helps to keep shipping costs down.

If you have an organization that is in need of second-hand items in the Brookville, Pennsylvania area, contact us to see if we have what you are looking for.  In the process of acquiring antique and collectible items, Black Market Antiques routinely ends up with a lot of household type goods and newer retail goods that just don’t fit our market.

We just got in a collection of hundreds of old photographs, including several dozen tintypes.  Tintypes were the first photographs that employed the use of props and backgrounds or backdrops on a consistent basis.  The photo at the left shows that photographers in the 1870′s, might not have been considered artists as they are today, or at least artists with spacial perception issues.  The kids in the photo all have looks of shock on their faces, perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the sky is also filled with a river and hills.

For the newest tintypes added to the Black Market Antiques inventory, check our Newly Listed Items page or you can browse all the tintypes in the tintypes category.

Normally Black Market Antiques does not give exact measurements of antique photographs, as most 100+ year old photos have pretty uniform sizes.  This page should help you determine the size of an old photograph if you are not familiar with the different size terminology.

Tintype Photographs: Tintype photograph sizes are refered to the size of the photo in relation to the size of a full plate of tin (roughly 6 1/2 X 8 1/2 inches).  So therefore the various plate sizes are as follows, but keep in mind, actual photo sizes may vary because of trimming.  Some antique cameras also allowed the photographer to take photos larger than full plate size.

Full Plate: 6.5 X 8.5 inches
1/2 Plate: 4.5 X 5.5 inches
1/4 Plate: 3 1/8  X  4 1/8 inches
1/6 Plate: 2.5 X 3 inches
1/9 Plate: 2 X 2 1/2 inches
1/16 Plate: 1 5/8  X  2 1/8 inches
Gem: 1/2 X 1 inch

Ambrotype Photographs: Roughly same sizes as mentioned above for tintypes.

Just a heads up to all the photography enthusiasts and camera collectors, we’ve just gotten in a decent sized collection of more than 100 vintage and antique cameras.  Haven’t gotten through all of them yet, but thus far most are mediocre, as expected.  But there are sure to be some nice ones and hopefully some great old collectibles in there somewhere.

We’ll be adding the cameras to our inventory gradually over the next week or so.  The best way to see the new stuff is to visit our Newly Listed Products page.  We get a lot of shoppers looking for cameras and accessories (there’s a pile of accessories too, and some film and flashbulbs, etc.), so be sure to check back daily for the next week.  Lots of camera stuff goes quick!

Black Market Antiques would like to congratulate our customer Charlene O. for winning Baltimore’s Best Hon 2009 contest (Honfest).  Charlene purchased our 1980′s Black & Red Dice Glam Dangle Earrings (the only pair we had, sorry ladies) to complete the her costume.  The theme of her costume was “Bird in Pair a Dice”.

Baltimore's Best Hon 2009 Winner Charlene O.

We love to hear how our products are used, displayed or given as gifts. If you have a fabulous story to tell about a product you found on BlackMarketAntiques.com please let us know!

We’ve added a new page to our blog, a camera buying guide.  This guide should help to answer many questions concerning cameras for sale on the site, how they are listed, described and what to expect when purchasing an antique or vintage camera.

This guide also covers how a camera is added to Black Market Antique’s online inventory and what we do and don’t do when listing cameras.  It also deals with the questions concerning camera functionality and whether or not a particular camera is guaranteed to work.

Black Market Antiques is having a Memorial Day sale.  Save 15% on the entire inventory of antiques and vintage collectibles at www.blackmarketantiques.com.  One day only, May 25th, 2009.

If you have a favorite flea market, post a comment to this blog article and we’ll add a link to the show.  If you just want to promote your own flea market or even markets or shows that you will attend as a dealer, this is the place to do it.  Black Market Antiques will not approve comments with links to markets and shows elsewhere in this blog unless they are deemed relevant to the specific article.

Please include as much info about the market/show which you are promoting including website address, location, contact info and dates.  Dealer rent or booth rental rates would also be helpful.  The markets that appear below are ones that have been submitted or have been written about by someone at Black Market Antiques on this blog.

Ohio

Rogers Open Air Flea Market: Rogers, OH – Open every Friday from 7:30 AM till ?

Pennsylvania

Flea Market: Beside Bowling Alley on Rt. 322 north of Clarion, PA.  Saturdays & Sundays, dealer spots $10.  814-797-5597 for details.

Flea-Tique at Bull Creek: Tarentum, PA – Third Sunday each month through October.   $25 per spot for dealers.

Hazen Flea Market: Brookville/Hazen, PA -First Sunday each month, and Saturday before (the day before the first Sunday), dawn till evening, May through October.  $15 per spot per dealer per day.

Peddler’s Ridge Flea Market: Strattanville, PA – Exit 70 of Interstate 80, Saturdays & Sundays each week through end of summer.

Trader Jack’s Flea Market: Bridgeville, PA – Saturdays & Sundays 6:00AM – 3:00 PM year round.

The Peddler’s Ridge Flea Market is now open for the summer on Saturdays and Sundays every week.  If you’re driving through Pennsylvania on Interstate 80, the flea market is located just a quarter mile off of exit 70 (Strattanville).  Peddler’s Ridge is not a big flea market, but they are open each weekend with a couple dozen vendors.

Perhaps the nicest thing about Peddler’s Ridge is the fact that all the vendors are antique dealers and the inventory is all antiques and vintage collectibles.  No new items or crafters.   Probably not worth a three hour drive for most antiquers, but if you’re in the area it’s worth a look.