Log Cabin Chic in the City
Photos of Gary Briggs' Adirondack, Cabin and Camp furniture collection, clockwise from top left: "cabins" sign, side table with collectibles, wall of signs, antique luggage, toy log cabin, antique squirrels (photos provided by Briggs)
Gary Briggs is co-owner of Aunt Sadie’s, a line of amazingly scented, hand-poured candles and a colorful, Boston-based home furnishings store of the same name. He's also a bit of an eBay addict, a fact that's not surprising, considering his family has been in the antiques busines for multiple generations. A collector since age seven and a dealer since his teens, Briggs is no stranger to the art of the buy. His particular passion is Adirondack, Cabin and Camp furniture and finds, and his home is chock full of them. So full, in fact, that he’s made a rule for himself that for every new piece he brings in, two have got to go—not that he follows it.
There’s the Adirondack twig side table in his living room, his collection of souvenir tablecloths, luggage smothered in tourist stickers, a ‘50s football trophy from Nebraska, dice, fishing reels, photos, and more—and that's just what he's bought on eBay, nevermind the plethora of pieces he picks up at antique shows. Among Briggs' most recent eBay purchases is a Niagara Falls sterling silver spoon with a snowshoe and beaver on the handle. “It’s pretty awesome!” he says. “I bought it to resell, but think it’s a keeper.” And then there’s the lot of 19 postcards from Cape Cod and 27 postcards from the Adirondacks. At least those don’t take up too much space.
Check Out the Adirondack treasures Gary Briggs is tracking on eBay right now.
1920s Carved Wood Adirondack "Wishing Well Clock" (above left, buy it now price, $225)
“You don’t see these that often, and this is a bit more elaborate than others I’ve seen. The actual category is called Weird Wood (a lot of people, sellers included, don’t know that). Back in the day, most of the major tourist areas in the Adirondacks and “The Flume” area in New Hampshire sold Weird Wood souvenirs in every size and form. I have about 12 pieces of Weird Wood for sale right now in my booth at the Rhode Island Antiques Mall in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. As for this one, it is missing a minor piece that dropped from the clock into the well. The price is good for a collector, but not for resale.”
Aunt Sadie's "Lake" Candle (above center, $16)
Ok, so this item isn't from eBay, but we felt that it deserved a place in our roundup. A candle from Briggs' own Aunt Sadie's line, the "rain" fragrance is intended to remind you of summer days relaxing by the water.
Antique Duck Decoy (above right, buy it now price, $950)
“There’s an old adage in the antiques trade that says investing your money in duck decoys is about the safest thing you can do. The decoy market has skyrocketed over the last 10 years and rare decoys can sell for well over one million dollars! I like this one because the form is very majestic and the paint is original. It also has the original glass eyes; these are commonly replaced. I like to watch items with the “Make an Offer” feature on eBay because I have occasionally submitted low ball offers that have surprisingly been accepted. For an item like this, I would start with an offer of about half the asking price. They’ll likely say no, but you can always counter offer with a much better price.”
Antique Sterling Souvenir Spoon (above left, buy it now price, $34.99)
“I have a small collection of sterling spoons that have cabin- or camp-related scenes or come from Adirondack tourist spots like Niagara Falls. I like this one because the bowl of the spoon has a cabin image on it, and I don’t have any like that in my collection.”
Set of Seven Old Hickory Adirondack Rustic Cabin Chairs (above center, buy it now price, $4,500)
“These have everything going for them: They came directly from a camp recently, so they’re fresh, fresh, fresh to the market. It is very rare to find a set of Old Hickory chairs of that size, all from the same location. The price is high, but within reason. I’ve bought from this buyer before and he’s very reputable and well known in the Adirondack, Camp and Cabin categories. He also sells at the Brimfield Antique Show, so if I buy them, I could arrange to pick them up in Brimfield in May, instead of paying for them to be shipped.”
Antique Wooden Canoe Paddles (above right, buy it now price, $85)
“These paddles are in excellent shape. They would display well on a wall. I love the green color. They are located in Derby Line, Vermont, and since my parents live nearby there, they could pick them up. These pieces are really quite nice.”