Changes

|title=Killer Stuff and Tons of Money

|author=Maureen Stanton

|borrow=Yes

|isbn=9780143121053

|pages=326

|publisher=Penguin

|date=May 2012

|website=http://maureenstanton.net/

|video=APzEkLKyAKU

|summary=A journalist's account of shadowing an experienced antiques dealer as he buys, sells and tells her about the pros and cons of the market. Written from an American perspective.

}}

For some time the bookshelves in the high street have been awash with titles on identifying, valuing and trading in antiques. This is nothing like that. It is basically an account in which the author, a university lecturer in creative non-fiction, shadows dealer Curt Avery as he travels in pursuit of buying and selling antiques across America, setting up his stall or visiting auctions. As he does so he tells her about the pros and cons, the lucky finds and the pitfalls, and what motivates people like him as he seeks to make a living in a precarious but fascinating profession where every day might bring forth some wonderful new (or old) discovery. Before continuing any further, I should stress that this is written very much from an American perspective, so some mental adjustment is required for any reader who has been introduced to the subject by ‘Antiques Roadshow’ and similar other British TV series.

This is an entertaining book, but I would say its value is rather limited. At times it almost becomes little more than a description of sales – another day, another dollar, or a couple of thousand if you’re lucky. It will be of more use to an American readership, or a lover of Americana generally, less so for the British enthusiast. It will tell you a certain amount about the US market in a fun way, and if you want a lighthearted view of the trade, this will fill the gap. But anyone looking for a definitive handbook on dealing in antiques, or a guide as to what might be worth seeking out at the next major car boot sale, or even purchasing as an investment – always a notoriously fickle area, and even, more so these days – will do well to look elsewhere.

{{commenthead}}