2014 in review

Next Meeting: Monday, January 26

7:30 p.m. Delwood Community Hall, 7515 Delwood Rd. Program: Debra Belmonte on violins.

January 2015

DIG & PICK

Edmonton Alberta Canada Volume 40 Issue # 4 January 2014

This is the official publication of the Wild Rose Antique Collectors. All articles appearing in this publication express the individual opinions of the writers and are not necessarily those of the W.R.A.C. or the Editor. Articles contained in the bulletin may be reproduced by other clubs, except where prohibited by the author, provided proper credit is given. CLUB OFFICIALS FOR 2013/14

Phone Email address

President Bruce Gilbertson 780-914-7955 Vice President Clinton Beck 780-474-7447 clinton@beckantiques.com Secretary position vacant Treasurer Alan Thain 780-464-6622 abcthain@shaw.ca Membership John Horrigan 780-455-7432 newsfact@web.net DIRECTORS Editor Marjorie Berg 780-432-2244 marjberg@shaw.ca Social/Prog. Kim Stade 780-479-1234 msbourjois@telusplanet.net Show Director Bernie Haber 780-479-1234 tony_o@telus.net 2014 SPRING SHOW Show Chairman Bernie Haber 780-479-1234 tony_o@telus.net

If you know of a club member who is ill or who has had a death in the family, please contact Suzanne Balslov-Kulak, 780-987-2851 and she will send out a card on the Club's behalf. The Club Address is: Wild Rose Antique Collectors, PO Box 38150 RPO Capilano, Edmonton, AB, T6A 3Y6 Phone Number (780) 437-9722

www.wildroseantiquecollectors.ca The Club meets the 4th Monday of each month (except July and December) at 7:30 P.M. at the Delwood Community Hall, 7517 Delwood Rd NW, Edmonton, Alberta. VISITORS WELCOME! Membership per year: $30.00 - Entitles 2 family members in the same household to all privileges of the Society (September 1 - August 31). Each member is entitled to one free classified ad per month. Non-members may place a classified ad of up to 30 words for $3.00 per issue. Business advertisement: $40/month or $100/three months. Library books are due at the next meeting after they are checked out, after which the borrower's name may appear in the Dig & Pick. Fines will be assessed for overdue books. If you have any questions pertaining to our Library call: Gillian Budd 436-4436, Nancy Ross 479-7706, or Marvin Berger 436-4436. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions pertaining to advertising for the Spring Show, call our resident expert Bill Borgwardt at (780) 973-6655.

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Wild Rose Antique Collectors Society General Meeting, November 24, 2014

President, Bruce Gilbertson called the meeting to order at 7:35 pm. All members present had received the Dig & Pick. James Hogan moved the adoption of the minutes from the Oct 27, 2014 General Meeting. Seconded by Clinton Beck. Motion carried. Correspondence received: The Vernon Collectors Club, October 26 meeting minutes. Old Business: 2015 Show: Bernie Haber reported that 110 Show Applications have been received with 20 bonus spaces requested. 207 spaces are still available. Membership: John Horrigan reported that the 2014/2015 Membership Directory has been sent to NAIT for printing and will be available at the Christmas Party. Website: Clinton Beck announced that vendor spaces for the April Show are being advertised on Kijiji. Cost: $100 for 1 month. Treasurer: Alan Thain reported that the books for 2013/2014 will be reviewed by an accountant. Alan has decided to stand as Treasurer for this year. Election of Executive: Motion: Moved by Bernie Haber; seconded by Gene Sabo that Alan Thain be accepted as Treasurer. Carried Christmas Party: Marjorie Berg reported that 42 tickets have been sold. New Business: No new business. Attendance tonight: 49 Guests: 0 Door prizes: $25 gift certificate to the Old Strathcona Antique Mall won by Eve Vaughan. Xmas Coke truck won by Shereen Primrose. Raffle prize: Scotty Dog lamp won by Joyce Smith. Moved by Betty Burak; seconded by Joyce Smith, that the business portion of the meeting be adjourned at 7:50 pm. Carried. Program: Shawna Dennis related her experiences of selling on Etsy. Bruce Gilbertson Marjorie Berg President Acting Secretary

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In Memoriam

On behalf of the Club Membership, we wish to express our most sincere sympathy to: The family and friends of Don WADE. On the 9th of November we lost another builder of our club, WRAC. Don and Gladys joined the Wild Rose Antique Club in 1981 and served it very well over the years. Don is survived by his wife, Gladys and his two daughters and their families as well as many relatives and friends. Don was vice-president of WRAC in 1984 – 85 and moved to president in 1985 – 86. He and Gene Sabo looked after many display setups over the years at Londonderry mall, the Provincial museum and the city public library. Don and Gladys had a table at our club shows for many years. He led the committee that was formed to write the rules into the club bylaws if and when the club dissolved regarding the club assets. He was the person that got me involved as treasurer as well. Don was married for fifty-three years to Gladys and worked at Celanese for thirty-two years, taking early retirement in 1990. He was very proud of his family, especially his oldest two grandsons. Dakota plays hockey with the Drumheller Dragons and Jesse for the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League. He also served many years for his county with the Army Reserve. John Wm. Duke Donald Wade January 21, 1934 - November 9, 2014. In keeping with Don's wishes, no service was held. from the obituary

and to:

The family and friends of Elsie Elizabeth SPINKS. Elsie passed away November 18 at age 73. A Divine Liturgy was held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 24, 2014 at St. Josaphat Cathedral, 10825-97 Street in Edmonton. Elsie's many friends from the Edmonton Public Library, Edmonton Doll Club, and Wild Rose Antique Club, will miss her greatly. from the obituary Elsie and her late husband, Bill joined the Wild Rose Antique Club in 1990. In the 2005 Membership Directory, she is listed as collecting: dolls, jewelry, china, linens, sewing memorabilia, etc. etc.

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My new favorite TV show: Extreme Collectors. Andrew Zegers appraises the most wonderful collections in Canada and the US. It's on Global, Thursday morning and Saturday afternoon.

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Bruce Gilbertson's Art Glass Animals

at the October 27 Meeting

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Selling on Etsy

excerpts from Shawna Dennis' talk at the November 24 meeting

My collecting started when I was very young with items left to me by my grandmother. I like a little bit of everything - it's the thrill of the hunt! When my daughter said "Mom, you've got a hoarder room going on" I decided to try selling online. I tried Kijiji; didn't like it much. You get a lot of people coming to your home who are tire-kickers. I looked at eBay; felt the competition was really high and that vendors were listing items way below value, but charging triple the real cost of shipping in order to make up their money. I also checked out TIAS, the internet antique shop. They have a set price. I did try Rubylane - they're quite upscale. You're not allowed to price an item below what another seller has sold a similar item for. They vet their vendors. They check your references, want to know how long you've been in business, and contact your buyers for feedback. If you're not up to par; you're done. They don't care; just take your money and say "you're done". You also have Junkables (you can post an item and ask what people think it is worth) - really different, and another site is called I Antique Online.

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I found most of the sites were charging rather high fees. Etsy seemed the best fit for me, so with some trepidation I started my Etsy store, klinknklunk, last October. It's not been doing too badly; sort of hit & miss. Of course, everything's based on pictures. Etsy lets you put up 5 pictures and that costs $.20 (one of the cheapest sites). Selling on Etsy is quite easy. The format is simple: log in to etsy.com and just "click" to open a shop. It's also easy for buyers, too. If someone types in "Tonka truck", every Etsy store with a Tonka truck will be listed. How do fees work on Etsy? Joining and setting up a shop on Etsy is free. Each item listing costs $.20 USD when the listing is published. A listing lasts for 4 months or until the item is sold. Once a sale occurs, Etsy assesses a 3.5% transaction fee on the items sale price. You have an opportunity to review and accept the fees prior to publishing a listing. At the end of the month you receive a bill for the fees and have until the 15th of the next month to pay by PayPal or credit card. PayPal also charges a fee. What can you sell on Etsy? Etsy provides a marketplace for crafters, artists, and collectors to sell their handmade creations, vintage goods (at least 20 years old), and both handmade and non-handmade crafting supplies. How do I get paid? With Direct Checkout, buyers pay with their debit or credit card in their local currency and you receive the funds to your PayPal account in your local currency. You can accept PayPal, cheque or money order. Community Forums This is where you can join discussions, ask questions of other Etsy shop owners. The forums are a great place to seek answers and to ask questions. I found the community forums really helpful and found out what works and what doesn't work. For example, if you ship an item to Spain or certain parts of Italy, unless you have a tracking number (more expensive), the items "disappear" - the buyers don't receive them and you're forced to refund their payment. It's a different world on the internet! Also, for international shipping, you must put in your listing that the buyer is responsible for any Customs charges. I think, if it's under $200, you don't have to pay Duty between Canada and the US, but that could change. Shipping has been a problem. I accepted a money order from a man in the US, then had my bank reject it (wrong money order) so I'm out $100 and have to hope that that I can cash it the next time I'm in the States. I've also had buyers tell me that the goods haven't arrived; tracked the item and found that it's been sitting in the local post office for 3 months. They just can't be bothered to pick it up! I've also had buyers tell me that they haven't received an item, refunded their money and then spotted the item listed in another Etsy store! Postage is also a problem. Canada Post has become very expensive. I have a scale at home, which I use as well as carefully measuring the box in order to determine shipping cost. I use Ship-on-a-Click (do the weight and measurements myself, print the label); take it to the post office and slap the label on and that's it! If often ask for the buyer's zip code and get back to them once I've figured out the shipping cost. Even the US postal service has almost doubled their shipping charges for International Shipping, in the past year. Etsy sells globally. I recently sold a 1950s aluminum thermos to a lady in Norway and she was so excited to find the thermos because she had lost the one her grandfather had given her. Most of the items on my site, right now, are under $100. So, I've had some luck selling on the internet, though had some bad luck, too.

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Oldest Quilt in Alberta!

The Royal Alberta Museum has recently acquired what is possibly the oldest quilt in Alberta.

Doreen Rendell donated a family quilt dated 1858, a quilt that travelled along with William and Alice Rendell as they journeyed from England to Barr Colony (Lloydminster) in 1903.

(Doreen Rendell with Assistant Curator Lucie Heins)

The family lore states that a piece of Queen Victoria's wedding dress is among the pieces in the quilt. A family member was employed as part of the Palace's household staff.

http://www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/blog/index.cfm

This is the quilt that was in the story Treasures in the Attic - A True Story by Carol Snyder, November 2013 Dig & Pick.

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The Rendell Quilt: A Hidden Treasure

By Lucie Heins, Assistant Curator, Western Canadian History Prelude April 8, 1903 For a while all was chaos. Bewildered looking groups sitting on their baggage waiting like sheep to be allotted to their pens. However, after a somewhat severe test of our patience, we found ourselves safely housed in a very comfortable four berth cabin [aboard the Lake Simcoe]. April 9, 1903 …several of the passengers were already succumbing to the dreaded sea sickness. April 10, 1903 The decks greatly resemble a battlefield strewn with dead and dying. April 15, 1903 We landed in St John…and were just rushed off the Lake Simcoe like a pack of hounds in a most disgraceful way late in the day. May 15th, 1903 On reaching Mr. Barr’s camp my husband went to survey the section of land allotted to him, but he was not at all satisfied…so Mr. Barr went with him to look in a different section…As I am writing I look out my tent door and see him quite happy doing his first ploughing on his own soil. Alice (Willey) Rendell’s letters to her father and friends, depicting her family’s journey to the Barr Colony (Lloydminster), provides a firsthand account of the hardships encountered as they made their way west in this foreign land. Alice’s letters present a sharp contrast to the beautiful 1858 family quilt, a recent gift by the Rendell descendants, to the Royal Alberta Museum. A Hidden Treasure Doreen Rendell, Alice Rendell’s granddaughter, recently decided to insulate the attic of the family home where she has lived her whole life. Doreen’s parents purchased the house, newly built, in 1947. Imagine Doreen’s surprise when the insulation technician requested the trunks and boxes be removed from the attic so he could do his assessment. In all her years of living in the house, she never saw her parents put anything in the attic. Accessing the space would require a ladder be positioned in the hallway below the ceiling hatch. How could she not remember that? To Doreen’s wonder and amazement, the attic was filled with family heirlooms. According to Carol Snyder, a friend who helped in remove the contents from the attic, “Child and adult size trunks contained items of clothing, embroidered linens, old curtains and some very ancient turn of the century linen aprons” AND the silk patchwork quilt. The Rendell Quilt The Rendell quilt, although not quite the oldest quilt in Alberta, is indeed the oldest quilt at the Royal Alberta Museum. It is a large unfinished medallion quilt top. This means that a binding was never added to the edge of the quilt. It is made of beautiful silk brocade, taffeta and velvet fabrics. It is hand-pieced (pieces of fabric are sewn together by hand), hand-quilted (the top and backing pieces are stitched together) and measures approximately 100 square inches. Its medallion center contains an appliquéd star with “J M Willey 1858” embroidered in silk thread and has eight borders surrounding it. Each border is distinctively pieced with original patchwork blocks. It is evident that much thought went into the making of this quilt. Unfortunately, the quilt maker(s) remains unknown.

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What is most unique about the quilt is that each piece of fabric appears to have been quilted before being pieced together. This is most unusual because traditional quilting stitches are applied only once the top of the quilt has been pieced and joined together with the batting and backing. Neither quilt appraiser Dawn Hunt nor I (after conducting 5 years of quilt research) have ever seen a quilt top constructed in this manner. Upon closer inspection, it is evident that the quilting stitches carry on past the edge of each fabric piece. Dawn proposes that pre-quilted silk yardage may have been used. Research continues on this matter. The quilt is believed to have been a wedding gift for Josiah and Martha Willey. In reviewing the Rendell family genealogical records, only Josiah & Martha correspond with the inscription “J M Willey 1858”. Although they were married in 1850, it is possible that the quilt was intended as a wedding gift but was not completed until 1858. The family lore suggests that a piece of Queen Victoria’s wedding dress is in the quilt (Queen Victoria was married in 1840). Apparently Queen Victoria gave pieces of her wedding dress fabric to members of her staff. Doreen Rendell remembers her father telling her one of their ancestors was a servant at the Royal Palace. Could it be that the servant was the quilter? As truths can often be found in family lore I thought it necessary to pursue the quest. Besides, wouldn’t it be phenomenal to have a quilt with a piece of Queen Victoria’s wedding dress? I decided to contact the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle enquiring if there were any records of Queen Victoria gifting her wedding dress scraps. To my surprise Miss Pamela Clark, Senior Archivist responded. “With regard to your query about Queen Victoria's disposal of her dresses, I am afraid there is no documentation recording her giving any such items to her servants, but there is no reason to think she was very different in this from other ladies at that time, who, as I am sure you know, would often pass their cast-off clothing on to their close female staff.” Although Miss Clark did not address the wedding dress scraps in particular, she does refer to the practice of the upper class passing down cast-off clothing to servants. She also wrote that they have records for most of the staff who served at the castle during that time period. She said she would gladly check the records if I could provide her with a name. Unfortunately, Doreen does not have the name of her servant ancestor. Hence we cannot verify that an ancestor actually worked at the palace. So this bit of information will have to remain part of the family lore. What we do know is that Josiah and Martha Willey remained in Devonshire, England while their daughter, Alice (Willey) Rendell and her husband William left for the “wilds of Canada’s Northwest Territories”. Opportunities in England were diminishing while Canada offered Alice and William a chance to make a new life for themselves and their growing family. It is not known when the quilt was sent to Alice. It does not seem likely that it was amongst her original belongings bound for the Barr Colony as it would have been unpractical. However, the numerous letters Alice received from her father suggest that he was often sending her parcels: “We must try and get the wad more dear through Battleford before sending anymore of your things. What about the Box of Toys that I sent you by Parcel Post, have you got them all yet?” It does seem reasonable to assume Josiah sent Alice the quilt since she was his only daughter. The Royal Alberta Museum’s acquisition of the Rendell quilt not only provides a glimpse of an unusual quilt making technique from England but a rich history of the Rendell family as early pioneers to Alberta as part of the Barr Colony. Rendell, Budd. The Barr Colonists 1903: Based on the Journeys of the Rendell Family. Unpublished manuscript. Excerpts from Alice Rendell’s letters.

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Displays at the 2014 Christmas Party

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ANTIQUE TRADER www.AntiqueTrader.com December 10, 2014

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The Classifieds For Sale CNR Railway silver dining room items including a set of CNR silver cutlery. John Klingle jaklingle@gmail.com Oak dining room table (42" X 64" + 2 leaves) and chairs (4 regular + 2 captain chairs - recovered in ivory fabric). Mint condition. Doesn't fit in our new condo. Asking $700. Call Fred or Betty at 780-464-5076

Very rare Blue Mountain Pottery Noah's Ark display ship stand/case only; no animals Size: bottom section 31.5 inches L x 15 in W x 6.5 in Acr: lid 32 in L x 15.5 in W x 7 in Acr; total height 14.5 inches Material: foam resin composite to simulate wood appearance Condition: very good to excellent

Contact: gotstuftosell@gmail.com for more information.

Collection of 50 wooden milk bottle crates, butter boxes, cheese boxes, antique egg shipping crates, small cheese boxes, South Edmonton Creamery butter box, High River Creamery milk cartons, 7 wire milk crates Contact Bob Snyder dairybob@telus.net Nazi Iron Cross 2nd class with ribbon, US Eisenhower dollars & Kennedy fifty cent pieces, 1967 Canadian fifty cent, 1973 Canadian uncirculated coin set. Call Roger Fuyarchuk, after 7:30pm 780-366-2445 Birdseye Maple Bedroom Suite, circa 1915; double bed with head and foot boards and side-rails; highboy, dresser, and dressing table with mirror. Contact Helena at hillsie@shaw.ca

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Wanted 1958 Massey Harris 444 Call Fred Burak 780-464-5076 Pottery by Ceramic Arts Calgary and Hansen-Ross (Saskatchewan) Bill Bouthillier 403-275-0089 or email bill.bouthillier@shaw.ca

Canadian Military Medals, Flying Log Books, Commission Scrolls, Discharge Papers, Pay Books, Contact Doug Styles 780-483-7985 dstyles@shaw.ca

Calendar of Events

Jan 31, Feb 1 Piapot Lions 16th annual Antique & Collectibles Show Armouries, Maple Creek, SK Sat 10am-5pm Sun 10am-3pm For info call 306-558-4802

Feb 22 Retro Design & Antiques Fair, Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Dr at 16th Ave, Vancouver BC 10am-3pm www.21cpromotions.com/antiques fair

Feb 28 First Canadian Collectors Club's Antique Show & Sale Thorncliffe-Greenview Community Hall, Calgary AB

Mar 1 Edmonton Collector Con, Italian Cultural Centre, 14230 - 133 Ave Edmonton 10am-4pm Shane Turgeon

Mar 7, 8 Edmonton Numismatic Society Coin Show & Sale, Radisson Hotel & Convention Centre, 4520 - 76 Ave, Edmonton AB Sat 10am-5pm Sun 10am-4pm

Mar 7, 8 43rd Annual HACS All Collectors Hobby Show & Sale, Heritage Park, Chilliwack BC

Mar 7, 8 America's Largest Antique & Collectibles Show, Portland Expo Centre, Portland, Oregon www.christinepalmer.net

Mar 13 - 15 Collectors Show Prairieland Park, Saskatoon SK

Mar 21, 22 Antique Expo at Tradex, Tradex Exhibition Centre 1190 Cornell St, Abbotsford BC Sat 9am-5pm Sun 10am-4pm For info: Dennis at 604-316-1933 tammy@antiquesbydesign.com www.antiquesbydesignshows.com

Mar 21, 22 Estate Sale of John MacGowan Cosmos Civic Centre, Saskatoon SK

Mar 28, 29 Edmonton Stamp Club's 2015 Spring Stamp Show, Central Lions' Centre, 113 St and 111th Ave Edmonton Sat 10am-5pm Sun 10am-4pm www.Edmontonstampclub.com

Apr 18, 19 40th Annual Wild Rose Antique Collectors Show & Sale Halls G & H, Expo Centre, Northlands Park, Edmonton AB Sat 9am-5pm Sun 10am-4pm Vendor inquiries: download application form at www.wildroseantiquecollectors.ca or call 780-437-9722

The Wild Rose Antique Collectors Society respects the privacy of its members. Information collected is for the sole

use of the WRAC Society and its operation. All information is kept confidential and is not sold or transmitted in any form to any outside party. Requests for information and its use should be directed in writing to the WRAC and its privacy office.

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