GIFT GUIDEOGIFT GUIDE ❑ GIFT GUIDE ❑ GIFT GUIDE ❑ GIFT GUIDE ❑ GIFT GUIDE ❑ GIFT GUIDE ❑ GIFT GUIDE ❑ GIFT GUIDE ❑ GIFT GUIDE Antique Continued from preceding page Accessories by Ann Bookpeople Fwts aria user Cheesecake Cafe Coats Unlimited The Cover Up Efods Drugs , Esti-)er & Estelle 's Europa Fur & Leather Gemini Travel Warren Company Greg Shoes Guys N' Gals Gymboree Hdir in Vogue*, It's The Gifts Julie Marie's Art of Dance Karma Kreations KitChen Glamor Koochie Koo The Lingerie Place Lois Gross Cleaners ThO. Mop Shop:. Accents In Needlepoint The Next Step Papillon The Perfect Patkage R.I.K.'s The Restaurant Rikshaw Inn Rochelle's Knit Knit Knit Rosalie Shopping Center Market Silver Streak Soleil Contemporary Furniture Th0 Studio Sue's Hallmark Terry Thurn Photography Under It All Wdrren Opticdt Moststores open Sundoys for your Holiday shopping convenience. • HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 1991 RC WEST BLOOMFIELD • MICHIGAN Orchard Lake Road • North of Maple restoration can affect the piece's antique value. Thus, reweaving a wicker chair or replacing drawer pulls that have become rusted, corroded or just plain ugly is quite okay. But a restoration becomes a fake when at- tempts are made to age it so as to misrepresent. The most common form of forgery is to take what's left of a genuine- ly old chair and replace miss- ing slats and staves with new pieces. Attempts are then made to disguise the replacements by nicking and hitting the new wood. Other common forgeries are taking something that was designed as a separate piece, like an antique serving tray, and mating it with a table of modern construction; and replacing badly damaged feet on an authentically old chest of drawers. One of the first lessons to learn in buying antiques is to trust your judgment. There's nothing like a little common sense. When you see a piece of furniture, just ask yourself how you think a piece that is supposed to be 100 or 200 years old would look after a lifetime or more of continuous use in a family. If it looks old and well-worn, that's a good sign. Antiques can be bought at garage sales, second-hand stores, pawn-shops, house and estate auctions and flea markets as well as from anti- que dealers and stores that have special sections for anti- que silver, old paintings and furniture. Currently, there is a strong market in Americana, par- ticularly homey things which were hand-crafted — duck decoys, ship models, furniture, oils painted by itinerant painters. In furniture, there is particular interest in painted furniture as well as in American walnut Hep- plewhite chests which were made in Pennsylvania, Chip- pendale mahogany bird tea tables, and Queen Anne highboys. Other current favorites are weather vanes, and iron or bronze cast statues of horses, eagles and other animals. Forgers will cast iron weather vanes and drop acid on them to duplicate the effects of time and weathering, sometimes even drenching them for days at a time with a hose or sprinkler. The most prized of the cop- per weather vanes are those which have achieved a rich dark green patina. Some weather vanes were gilded; if some gilding is still present, under the wings, for instance, or around the feet, the piece will be particularly valuable. If you want to increase your knowledge of antiques, there are plenty of books on the subject. Sometimes called the beginner's bible of antiquing, Good, Better, Best is published by Sack. More comprehensive is Nutting's Furniture Treas- ure, which deals strictly with Americana. If you are going to spend big money for an antique, a dealer often has in his posses- sion what is called a "pro- venance." This is a written history or pedigree which tells a great deal about the origin of a piece of furniture or a painting. It often shows the approximate decade of manufacture, name of maker or artist and families who have owned the piece. A reputable antique dealer will give you an invoice which will spell out exactly what you bought, its age, condition, any restorations or altera- tions which have been made, and the painter or maker if known. So good hunting! Whether you end up with a future heirloom or just something old and interesting which speaks quietly of the past, en- joy the search — and try not to be fooled. ❑ Parent Gifts Use this list of a dozen ideas to give your holiday gifts for your parents some original spark. And then keep the list around for great gift-giving ideas all year long. • Photo of the family or frames for favorite pictures. • Mixed assortment of greeting cards. • Roll of stamps. • Gift subscription to a publication they would enjoy. • Hobby gear like golf balls for the golfer, yarn for the knitter or pedometer for the walker. • Gift certificate for long- distance telephone calls. • An IOU for a personal ser- vice you can perform, like cleaning their house or run- ning a day's worth of errands. • Favorite video-tapes or cassettes for the car stereo. • A traveler's care package of sample-size cosmetic items such as shampoo and toothpaste. • Gift certificate for pesky household tasks like window- washing or carpet cleaning. • Portable radio or tape player for the traveler or walker. • Books that add enjoyment or information to a favorite activity. ❑