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When I was livin in in S CA, I got to goin down to ABELS AUCTIONS every Wednesday for preview and on Thursday for the Auction if I wanted something. The whole scene had a social aspect as one got to know people after a time...basically with the non dealer it was what have you found or seen in the past week. After about a year the mainly W LA Antique Dealers and PICKERS got to know me and would talk to me...for one reason they saw that I had a good eye and didn't overpay...

I only got to know allot of the people only by their first names and by face..but I can tell you a good number of those people had cubic dinero...Some were in Hollywood, some were owners of High tech firms, some were in RE Development, Some were in RE as in owning the high rises on Wilshire Blvd. Some were into Stocks..some were professional people...One just never knew who one was talking to...yet everybody was lookin for that treasure for a bargain price.
When I started goin to Abels back in 97...the pickins for art was REAL GOOD..every week you could take home a bargain...thousands of $$$ were left on the table... and there were more than a few that got away...

One thing that I remember was an antique wooden ships model...about 24 inches long...it was a sailing ship that was powered by steam and had 3 or 4 smokestacks made out of Ivory or Bone...it went for $1500...probably was worth in the 5K to 7K range..

Or the Parker DHE 28 GA SXS that went for $7500...I wa the under bidder at $7000..6 months later it sold at Butterfields for $18000. today it is worth $40000 to $50000. I was surprised that I was bidding against a Whitter CA 2ND Hand Furniture Dealer..after the auction he told me a fiend wanted it and to go to $12000...

Or the American Impressionist painting that sold for $23000 to a W LA Antiques Dealer with Sam Sampras (Pete's Daddy) as the under bidder. the Dealer sold it the next day to a BH Gallery for $65,000 where they marked it to $150,000....

Today if I want art all I have to do is cruise Ebay or the various Web sites and I can find deals...I bought a 20 x 24 REX BRANDT Gauche of Balboa Yacht Clubs Dock for $200 delivered the signature was mushy and not as clear cut as his W/C's. That came out of a well known Houston Auction House...which surprised me that they didn't know who it was...NOt only do I know the style but the scene is the same as small part of the scene in another Brandt that I own...value 5K to 10K...

with regards to Spoons...I bought a contemporary Pennsylvania Long Rifle at an online auction for a G 2 weeks ago, another one by the same maker is listed on an online dealers website for $3200...does one think there is a profit there?