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"Why Dabbs Greer?"

8/26/2014

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So, you may be thinking to yourself, 


“If you have already raised the money to put Dabbs Greer’s death date on his head stone, why do you want to keep raising money to have a bench or memorial too?”

I will answer that question in a minute, but first, some exciting news!

On Friday July 25, 2014 at 5:10 p.m. at Peace Valley Cemetery in Anderson, Missouri the death date was placed on the headstone of Actor Dabbs Greer parents.  This took place seven years after his passing.  The date was placed on the headstone by Kodi Keene, son in law, to the owners of Premier Memorial.  His wife, Crystal, their daughter, Kaydance and myself were present for the event.

The Keene’s were there when I arrived with their equipment ready to place the date.   Glue was placed over the sight where the date was to be placed, then a stencil was placed over the glue.  Everything was measured for correct placement, stencil material was glued below the date then hammered so there were no air bubbles,or sand to get below the stencil.  Then the sand blasting began. The comma needed a little tweeking, so a little more blasting took place, then the death date was neatly and nicely in place.  It was a 25 minute process.  Thank you, Premier Memorial, for a job well done!

Now, back to your question, the reason the memorial matters to me, is because the headstone that has William Robert Dabbs Greer’s birth and death date on it, is actually the back of the headstone which he purchased for his parents in the 1980’s.

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The fact that he does not have his own headstone is what has motivated me to put up a memorial. 

Recently, a couple here in Grandma’s Attic, was wondering why the cast who worked with him on “Gunsmoke” had not come to the aid on this concern?  They recounted memorials raised in honor of the characters of Gunsmoke.  They started considering each person; James Arness, passed on June 3, 2011,  Amanda Blake on August 16, 1989,  Milburn Stone on June 12, 1980,   and Ken Curtis, April 28, 1991.  It seems the people from “Gunsmoke” are not around at this time.

James Arness, “Matt”, has his own toy, Amanda Blake “Miss Kitty” has a memorial wildlife refuge named after her, Milburn Stone, “Doc” has a Gary Hawk Painting from 1975, and Ken Curtis, “Festus Haggen” has a statue at the Fresno Educational credit union, and Dabbs Greer has The Town Hole park in Anderson, Missouri.  The only real difference is that Dabbs Greer does NOT have a headstone of his own. 

 Another customer suggested contacting the Actor’s Guild.  We have been contacted them, but they are not answering e-mails until September, so now we wait.

 Any help you can give toward a memorial for Dabbs Greer would be greatly appreciated!

What do you think? 

Leave us a comment below, we’d love to hear from you!

-The GA Gang

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Bonnie & Clyde in Our Area

8/20/2014

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  There was a season in my life when I lived in Michigan.  One summer, while I was there, I worked at Ford’s Greenfield Village and museum.  I loved exploring that place!  One of the things I found interesting was a letter from Clyde Barrow, of the infamous Bonnie & Clyde, telling Mr. Henry Ford how much he liked Mr. Ford’s V8 cars.  The following is a copy of that letter from April 10, 1934;
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       You may have noticed that the letter from Clyde to Mr. Ford has the middle name Champion instead of Chestnut.  And there is some question as to whether it was Bonnie who wrote the letter.  It is known, however, that Clyde used the middle name “Champion” when he entered Texas State Prison.

    I noticed that the letter was from Tulsa, Oklahoma.  I had attended college in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Part of my family lived in Joplin, Missouri and they had mentioned that there was something attributed to Bonnie and Clyde located here.  Years passed and I thought that Bonnie & Clyde would make an interesting blog post, so I decided now would be a good time to check out those leads.  Sure enough, there is an apartment located at 3347 ½ Oakridge Drive in Joplin, MO, that Bonnie, Clyde, Clyde’s brother and his wife stayed in at one time.  There was a police raid on that apartment.  Here’s a picture of that apartment in 2014;

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  The following is an article about that incident from the South Homepage;

”On April 13, 1933, two police cars arrived at the rented apartment to confront the “bootleggers.” Immediately, the gang started firing, killing one officer and fatally wounding another. Leaving most of their possessions behind, they jumped into the car and sped away, stopping only to pick up Blanche, who had been trying to catch her fleeing puppy! In the encounter, W.D. Jones had been shot in the side, Buck had been hit by a ricochet and a bullet that struck Clyde had miraculously been deflected by a suit button!

Behind them were left a small arsenal, some of Buck and Blanche’s personal papers, such as their marriage license and his parole papers. There was a poem written by Bonnie and a camera with several rolls of exposed film. Many of the famous photos seen today of Bonnie and Clyde were taken from those rolls of film, which were developed by the Joplin Globe newspaper. Among them was the picture of Bonnie with a cigar in her mouth, enough that the press could use in helping paint a picture of a demented person when describing Bonnie. The facts are, Bonnie smoked Camel cigarettes, never cigars! Following the Joplin shootout, the Barrow Gang became big news.” 

This is a picture of Bonnie and Clyde in March 1933, found by police at the Joplin, Missouri, hideout, it came from a camera confiscated at that time, that belonged to Bonnie Parker.
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        I got out some maps and started marking the places that Bonnie and Clyde were spotted, confronted, and eventually killed.  They were said to have traveled by night.  It appears they traveled along Route 66 East and West (established in 1926) and Highway 71 North and South (also established in 1926).  That means that they were traveling all over this area.  Who knows? They could have even stopped in Anderson, Missouri where Grandma’s Attic is now located!  They were killed in Bienville, Louisiana.  The following is a letter authenticating the car that Bonnie & Clyde were killed in.
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                    For two years from 1931 to 1934 during the Great Depression (1929-1941) Clyde Chestnut Barrow (March 24, 1909 to May 23, 1934) and Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (Oct 1, 1910 and May 23, 1934) roamed this area, knowing they would die violent deaths.  Bonnie deeply in love with Clyde and Clyde bent on revenge toward the government, whom he believed had allowed him to be sexually abused in prison.

        If you are traveling the old Route 66 or old Highway 71 you could be traveling the road Bonnie and Clyde travelled! 

If come by MO Exit 10, off new Highway 71 and old Highway 71 in Anderson, Missouri, stop by and visit us! We’d love to meet you!

Enjoy your exploring!

-The GA Gang

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10 Must-Haves to Set up a Flea Market Booth

8/13/2014

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Thinking about getting a booth at a flea market/antique store? 


Well, it's a little like the children's book If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.  


So, let's get started, first thing's first...If you want to start a booth, you'll need:

1. Merchandise

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The first thing you need to have a booth at an antique store/flea market is stuff to put in it, right? This may seem obvious, but it can be a challenge to keep your booth full. For some people, it is the reason that they want to have a booth, maybe they want to clear out extra items. For others, they just enjoy hunting for the items to fill the booth, and for some people they love the hunt and that's *why* they need to clear out the extra. ;)  Spend some time checking out what your item should cost, take into account who will be your customers and the community you will be servicing, then you can better choose what items to take to your booth. Then when you give the booth some merchandise, you will need some...

2. Tags

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 ...tags to go with it! 

Tags/tickets let the buyer know how much you are asking for the item.  I suggest larger tags 2 1/2 x 5 inches for larger items such as table and chairs, dressers etc...  Small tags seem to get lost on these items.  

A tag size of 2 1/2 inches by 1 1/2 inches is a good size for everything else.  If you go smaller it becomes hard for the buyers and clerks to read, 

thus leaving an opening for  dispute.  

Write the description, your vendor number and the price very clearly.  If it is hard to read there can be confusion on the item or the price.  The shop/store needs to be able to read your vendor number so your item can be matched with you so that you get paid.  

Also, a short description on the tag is very helpful for two reasons; 1) if the tag should get separated from the item, it will make it easier to match them up and 2) if the tag has been placed on the wrong item.  For pricing books, {inexpensive paperbacks} placing a tag over the bar code works well.  If it is a table book or hard back, a bookmark with the price, vendor number, and description helps to keep from damaging the book with tape,  you could always place a string through the middle and tie it completely around the  book and attach the tag to it.  

If you are pricing material items such as pillow, quilts, curtains, etc., try using a safety pin to attach the tag to the material.  

Attaching prices to paper magazines or newspaper is also best over the label with scotch tape.  

Be sure to attach the tags securely to each item.
The next thing you will want in your basket of tricks is...

3. Tape

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You will probably want to have different types of tape on hand for different items.  Scotch tape is the most widely used and works well on most items.  It works best on glass, plastic, and pottery items. 

Masking tape works best on wood items. 
Also, if the item is being placed outside masking tape tends to stand up to the weather better than Scotch tape.   

The best way to attach a tag is no tape, if possible.  

***Bonus***

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Easy way to attach a price tag: Pull the tag through the center of it's string.

4. Pens & Markers

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Here at GA, we like the looks of a Sharpie pens writing for the 1 1/2" X 2 1/2" inch tags/tickets.  We like to use a black marker for the larger card stock type tags.  A good black ink pen works great as well, we just find that the thick gel ink shows up nicely and makes for a more professional looking tag. 

5. Measuring Tape

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A measuring tape is of great value in the upkeep of a booth, trust us, you'll be shocked at how much you find use for it!  


It is used to check spaces in the booth and for loading vehicles.   It is used to measure the sizes of items to place that information on the tags/tickets.  We get phone calls asking us to measure items all the time; the height and/or length of a dresser or table.  The height of the shelves or if they are adjustable.  What is the size of the quilt, will that over-sized couch fit in my car, etc... You get the picture.  

It is also helpful to know the measurements of common household items, such as beds:  Twin size 39" x 75", Full size  is 54" x 75", Queen size 60" x 80", King 76" x 80." 



Seriously, a good measuring tape is worth it's weight in gold! (Or at least the room it'll take up in your basket/box/purse!)

6. Duster & Paper Towels

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We all know that Flea Markets are known for being dusty and dirty, there just seems to be something about all of this "old stuff" that oozes dust.  This doesn't have to be true, however!  We dust and clean items and areas, all. the. time.  We sweep and vacuum, especially when we are changing around a booth.  And since rust seems to sell right now, and it leaves a trail wherever it goes, there's some more dirt that needs swept up on a regular basis! 

It can definitely be worth the effort though! I have dusted pieces that have set for quite some time and soon after,  that new shine or luster caught the attention of a buyer.  

Also! Polishing that silver can make all the difference. If it's not selling tarnished, try polishing it! That may be just the push someone needs to buy that piece they've been eyeballing! 

Sure, that mirror may be peeling but, that doesn't mean that  the rest of it shouldn't sparkle like a Windex commercial!  I would be hard pressed to count the number of people who have expressed to us how much they appreciate the cleaner environment that we strive to keep! 

In saying this though, don't stress too much about it! Cobwebs show character, right? Oh, maybe not. 

7. Hangers

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The picture above shows a few ideas of how to hang items in your booth.  It all depends on the type of wall that you're working with.  Peg board is a nice way to present smaller items.  The drapery hanger works so well on chicken wire type walls.  We also used floral wire for hanging items.  These are just a few to get you started, let your creativity shine through! Hanging things up on the walls gives you a way to create height and draw people's eye up to the things on the top of your booth.

***Bonus***

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Impromptu "hanger" for flea market booth when you don't have wire, etc. on hand!

8. Goo-Gone & Razorblade

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This is to try to save you from some embarrassing situations; please always remove the ticket that shows how much *you* payed for an item, from the item!   You may have gotten a bargain on that vintage bowl and believe that you can sell it for $15.00, but if your $2.00 sticker is still on the bottom of the item, we have to honor that price.  Goo Gone works wonderful in getting old price tags and writing off of dishes and other plastic/glass items.  The razor blade is also great for removing stickers. If the dirt is really stubborn, goo gone and  the razor blade together should do the trick! 

9. Tools

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You  never know when you will need that hammer, nails, or hanger to hang a picture.  The scissors come in handy for removing tags, especially if you are marking items down and want to replace their tags, it can really save you some time if you cut the tag instead of untying it.

10. Staging Props

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These are staging items.  They are not necessary, but they sure are helpful!
  
If everything's at the same height, that means the items in the back will most likely get overlooked-add some height!


  You can also use props to show an idea for how the item can be used, present its use in a new way, etc.! All of these things add up to help your items catch the attention of the customer.

That concludes our "Top 10" list for today, I'm sure it'll keep growing and changing as time goes on! Go get yourself a booth and sell those extra items laying around the house or enjoy the thrill of the hunt for a bargain!

Just remember, 

having a booth is a business and if you want to make money 
you have to work at it...
Change the items to new spots at least every two weeks and give the booth a complete overhaul as often as possible, when things look different, those frequent shoppers will be more inclined to give everything a once over again! 

More frequent shoppers+more frequent thorough searches of your booth
=more frequent sales for you! 

We definitely don't have all the answers and we would love to hear your advice and suggestions, but we do hope this can be a help to you!

So, what would you put on your "Top 10" list? 

Leave us a comment below!

-The GA Gang

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Carnival Clocks

8/6/2014

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We recently received a really interesting clock in the store, that is shaped like a horse and buggy. As the clock runs the whip in the coachman’s hand whips up and down.  The clock was made by United Metal Goods Mfg. Co. Brooklyn, NY, Model No. 701.
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Clocks like this are considered “schlock’s” in the clock industry.  Also called carnival clocks in the antique world because they were given away at fairs and /or carnivals.  Even though they have titles like “schlock’s” and “carnival” as I researched these clocks, it was repeatedly said that they “keep good time.”  The clock companies found a market to sell their merchandise and their quality keeps on ticking.

There is very little info on line about the United Metal Good Mfg. Co., of Brooklyn, NY.  It appears that Abraham Levy was the founder of The Sessions Company which was a division of United Metal Good Mfg.  The first "carnival clocks" accredited to the company are from 1905.  The height of their fame was in the 1930’s and 40’s.  They incorporated in 1931.  Mr. Abraham Levy died in 1961.   In August 1968 United Metal Good Mfg. Co. bought Sessions and then at the end of the year both companies closed completely.



That makes the age of carnival clocks between 1905 and 1968. 
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 The one that arrived here was titled “The Hansom Cabriolet” (cab).  There is quite a history that goes with the Hansom cab.  It was designed and patented in December 23, 1834 by Joseph Hansom, an architect.  It was originally called the Hansom “safety cab.”  It was designed for speed and safety with its low center of gravity.  It was the first horse and carriage fixed with taximeters.  It was in 1869 that it was set up in New York City and Brooklyn New York to provide transportation.  The cost was .30 cents for one mile or .40 cents for two people for one mile.  


For you Sherlockians, did you know that the Hansom cab was the taxi/cab of choice by the fictional character Sherlock Holmes.  It would speedily and safely get Sherlock to the crime scene.
 This taxi was the cause of the Great Horse Manure Crisis of 1894.   It seems that the horses produced 15 to 35 pounds of manure per day and 2 pints of urine.  It was becoming a major issue in England where this cab was originated.  The last horse-drawn cab license was issued in London in 1947.
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http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/society/hansom-cab.html
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Mr. Joseph Hansom went on to become a famed architect. This is a picture of St. Beuno’s College near St. Asuph in North Wales, of which he was the architect.  He was also architect to several churches in the Great Britain area.
Carnival glass is another item found in antique shops that was given away at fairs and/or carnivals. The first piece of carnival glass was a Fenton piece in 1908.  No wonder it was such a draw to go to the fairs with all the fancy dishes and accurate clocks being given away.  
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I wonder, if it was on the midway, at the pie contest, or in the livestock shows these items were given away. 

What do you think? :)

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