PART 3 

Page 5

Carlton's Road trip to the 

PORTLAND EXPO ANTIQUES SHOW

July 9th- 11th 2010

Once that deal was clinched I left the print to pick up later and continued on thru the show. But I could have gone home right then. I felt like I nailed it and where do you go from here....game over, what am I gonna find this great?...But of course I wouldn't leave....you never know what can happen. I walked around in a daze for the next twenty minutes. I saw stuff, but I was in a state of shock from the find, and it was hard to focus. I finished the outside and headed to the inside dealers. 

 22 3/4" tall X 16 1/4" wide

c1895 baseball broadside poster

Second purchase at Portland Expo

Never having attended the show before it was all new and somehow I started on the right hand side, of the room on the right as you enter the building. It was definitely the right room alright, as I shortly made a very nice find! As I combed the show, it must have been about the third row, I spotted the c1895, 22 3/4" by 16 1/4" wide broadside above. The poster  advertised a 4th of July celebration in Aberdeen Washington. Among all the festivities BASE BALL in the archaic double noun was given top billing in bold for a game between the Aberdeen Team vs. Tacoma Athletic Base Ball Club. Other athletic endeavor planned for the day were RACES - Bicycle, Foot, Tub, Boat, Canoe, Sack, Three Legged, and a number of others, including Log Rolling, Greased Pole Over the Water. Also mentioned was Music by the Aberdeen Band and Grand Ball in the evening at Armory Hall....They really knew how to party back then. You sure catch the pride and patriotism in it all! Even after a full day they had a "Grand Ball" that night! 

You won't believe what I had to give for this puppy....the guy had a whopping $45.00 price tag on it. I looked it over and the price literally shocked me into hesitation....like what's wrong with this picture....why only $45.00?. I thought it might  be a cutesy reprint, but no, I examined it carefully and it was real. Of course that didn't stop me from asking what any good collector asks...What's the best you can do?...The guy goes...umm...I'll take $40.00. Sold I said! So I pay the guy and we're chatting....it's still hanging on the wall....and up comes a lady and asks the price. He just bought it the guy said, and the gal walks off. For $45.00 that lady would have gotten it for sure. God thing I started on the right!

At the bottom of the poster, taped onto the inside of the Plexiglas (hopefully), is the name and city "Harold L. Schmidtke - Hoquiam", most likely the former owner. I looked up Hoquiam and it's there in Washington state just 4 miles from Aberdeen. Nice to know who had it and where it's been.

I continued on thru the show but that was the last purchase I made. I came back the next day Saturday and spent about two and a half hours. I was hoping to see more things that hadn't been out the day before, but it looked about the same and I didn't find anything else. Collectors know how it is when you've seen a show thoroughly....after while you've had enough and just want to get out of there. 

Having the rest of the day and determined to make the most of my trip, I wanted more. I had been told Centrilla Oregon had some good antiques malls, about an hour and a half drive north of Portland. But I'd had enough driving and decided to see what I could find right there in Portland. Using the internet I found an antiques  store called Stars on N. Milwaukee Ave that looked like it had potential. And it looked like there were a number of antiques stores a short distance from there on South East 13th Ave.

Driving to Westmoreland and Sellwood districts

Using my GPS I headed off to see what I could see. The GPS wound me around to the Westmoreland and Sellwood districts, just across the Willamette River from downtown Portland. I'm not so sure those GPS's are good for your thought process. When you're driving around using them you're never really sure where you are in relation to other areas, you're just obeying the commands. As opposed to straining your brain with a paper map where you can visualize the surrounding area. Nevertheless they're pretty efficient and certainly handy. 

Portland's Westmoreland District
Above, both Stars Antiques Locations,  across street from each other
Westmoreland dining and drinking establishments

First I hit Stars Antiques on N. Milwaukee Ave. The Westmoreland district had a homey feel that reminded me of some of the neighborhoods in Berkeley California. Stars is an interesting affair.....they have two large antiques malls across the street from each other. I hardly saw anything even interesting in either. But it was Expo week, so what do you expect. Figure there were about 1400 booths at the show....that would make potentially 1400 dealers and who knows how many Expo attendees that probably went thru all the antiques stores in Portland that week. Naturally I would expect the stores to be picked over by that Saturday. 

Next I followed the GPS about a half mile to the Sellwood district. Sellwood, like the Westmoreland district, was a pleasant neighborhood of older homes with mature shade tree. Along with about 10 antiques stores, there are a good number of restaurants, and coffee houses. 

At the corner of SE 13th Ave. and SE Lexington Street there were about a half dozen food vendor trailers. One was called Bruce Lee's Kitchen and served Pad Thai. Being a Pad Thai aficionado I ordered a plate and struck up a conversation with the owner Laiza Chao, about her trailer. Laiza said food vendor trailers like her's were a recent phenomena around Portland, and that many people like her who have lost their jobs have opened them. She said  she started her business after she lost her job in high tech. They're drive and creativity to open them is a win win for everyone. Later as I walked back past where all the food trailers are I tried the fruit flavored ice at the Oregon Ice Works. Another win for Portland residents. Proprietor Kevin Bell said he hailed from Philadelphia, but learned his artesian ice making skills there in Portland.

OREGON ICE WORKS

More of Portland's food cart phenomena Above left, Oregon Ice Works proprietor Kevin Bell serves up his hand made Italian ice at the  Corner of SE 13th Ave and SE Lexington St

As for antiquing in the Sellwood district....pretty much a dead zone that day. As already hashed, it was Expo week and it looked pretty picked over. I did happen into a very good art gallery, Mark Humpal Fine Art, that specialized in vintage Oregon paintings,19th and 20th century. Mark had a gallery full of museum quality works and it was a pleasure to see such quality...no sports paintings though!

Mark Humpal Fine Art Gallery Specializing in 19th-20th C. Oregon Paintings Portland's Sellwood District

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