Where we are today...

This weeks blog is about thinking about the people who got you where you are today

We've had a week of quiet reflection here at Graham Smith Antiques, after learning of the passing of an old friend and business associate, Owen Humble of Owen Humble Antiques.

When Graham Smith was a young chap of only 18 years old, he was offered a job driving for Mr Owen Humble, a prolific antiques dealer from Newcastle upon Tyne who already had an established and thriving antiques business in 1975 when Graham began working with him.

This fortunately chanced upon driving job was the beginning of a life long love of antiques and a career for which Graham will always attribute to having learnt from Owen. The job of driving Owen around the country on buying trips meant Graham started to learn how to buy, what to buy, the terminology and the ettiquette from a young age. The Owen Humble Antiques business was a global enterprise,established in 1959, with customers from Scotland to Chicago and everywhere inbetween. Graham worked his way up from 'humble' (excuse the pun) driver to business partner in his almost 30 years there.

His son Michael still has an antiques shop only 5 doors down from the original showroom, with his Dad's name above the door. We have reflected on the life of Owen Humble this week but in doing so, have realised the importance of not forgetting those who got you where you are today.

 As a wiseman once said, "Success is a journey, not a destination" 

Thank you for reading the Graham Smith Antiques blog, you can follow us on TWITTER for daily updates on everything from new arrivals to special offers and events.

Antique Wall Mirrors

Antique mirrors are the centre of attention in this week's blog and we even have a fine original example to show you too!
 An antique mirror can add drama  above a fireplace, reflect attractive decor in a dining room or serve a practical purpose in a bathroom. Their versatility is sublime and the finishing touch that adding a mirror to a room can make is remarkable. For these reasons, antique wall mirrors deserve some attention!

One of the first things people notice about antique mirrors is the condition of the mirror glass plate, whether it has turned a smokey grey with age or developed darker spots within the silvering. The mirror glass is one of the main ways an antique dealer can tell the age of a mirror, the lighter in weight, the thinner the mirror glass is and therefore the older the mirror. In the past, when mirrors were much more expensive to manufacture, makers used thinner pieces of mirror glass and so modern mirrors or reproduction mirrors made to look antique are heavier as they have thicker mirror glass or replaced mirror glass.

Antique mirrors with original mirror glass plates are few and far between following breakages, damage and modern tastes to replace them for practical use, although a mirror with the original glass is far more valuable. The mirror below is a lovely original example that has recently come into stock.

18th Century Chippendale Mahogany Wall Mirror (with original glass)

Mirrors that we sell often have the original mirror glass, although customers are welcome to request it to be replaced with modern glass for practical purposes and keep the original for any time they wish to sell the item on. This is a popular decision so that the value of the original glass is not lost, although there is a charge for this procedure!

In a completely different style, we also have a lovely 19th century console table and mirror in stock that would complete a hallway as well as being an imposing stylish first impression in your home. The mirror glass is also original but without any notable darkening to the silvering.

Thank you for reading the Graham Smith Antiques blog - for regular updates about what we are doing and the stock we have available, you can follow us on Twitter or 'Like' our page on Facebook

Graham Smith Antiques Ltd 2011

www.grahamsmithantiques.com

Packing Antiques - How to & How not to!

Something that we are asked on a weekly basis by internet customers is - "Will my item arrive safely and will you pack it well?"

This week's blog will not only answer that question but also give you some valuable hints and tips about how to package antiques for shipping, whether UK post or international sea freight!

 Here's Samantha, the latest addition to our team, having a lesson in packing

First of all - the most important thing when packing small and medium sized antiques, especially breakable such as glass or ceramics. Use a box at LEAST double the size of the item and if possible use two boxes, one fully packaged inside another to reduce vibrations reaching the item inside.

Secondly, do not scrimp on packing materials, plenty of newspaper, bubble wrap and polystyrene beads are the bread and butter of a well packed item. We should know - we have a 99% success rate at getting items to their destination in perfect condition!

Thirdly, be methodical and consistent. This is something that only applies if you are packing multiple goods but is a rule we teach our staff to use when packing on an everyday basis.

To start with, collect all of the things you will need to pack your item, below is a quick checklist.

• Two cardboard boxes of differing sizes
• Bubble wrap 
• Polystyrene sheeting / Newspaper
• Polystyrene beads or similar pieces of soft spongy material
• Strong wide brown Tape
• Fragile Tape or white tape that you can write 'Fragile' on
• Scissors

Start by wrapping your item in either newspaper or polystyrene sheeting, then pack the smaller cardboard box with some newspaper, bubble wrap or polystyrene beads to pad the bottom out. Place your item into the box, filling ALL remaining space with any soft packing material, as mentioned above. Seal the box with some strong wide brown tape, no need for fragile tape as this is the inner box.

Now is the time to use your second, larger box. Tape up the bottom with the wide brown tape, so that when you pick it up with your item in everything doesn't disappear through the base! (Particularly relevant if re-using a cardboard box that has already had some use)

Fill the bottom of the larger box with soft packaging material, such as newspaper, bubble wrap or polystyrene beads. Next, place your smaller cardboard box housing your item into the larger box and fill ALL remaining space with soft packing materials. The key to this method is tightly packing the box, so the item does not rattle around and also, the smaller box does not rattle around in the larger box. This minimises vibrations, meaning only the most violent of incidents will break the item within.

Finally, tape the box up using plenty of wide brown tape and complete with several wraps of fragile tape to accentuate the importance of care to the couriers.

Ultimately, using a well established and reputable courier is half the battle. We use UPS and they work very efficiently delivering packages all over the world for us, with accurate tracking and plenty of experience at handling fragile items. Also, the local UPS driver is exceptionally friendly and goes out of his way to make our lives as easy as possible.

Larger items are best left to professionals, as they often require wooden crates to protect them. This is especially relevant when items are travelling by sea freight, as this chest below illustrates.

A chest that looked very similar to this one is in the crates above, separated into two - such a handy design!

We ship items all over the world and not only are we very experienced at packaging, we're pretty successful at getting items to their destination in the same condition they left in. We quote on an individual basis for international purchases, although we ship a container that leaves us every 6 - 10 weeks going to North Carolina in the USA. This means that anyone in the states can benefit from free shipping to North Carolina and then either collect or arrange a courier from there.

To see full details about our shipping costs and delivery times, visit our purchase information page

Thank you for reading our blog, if we've interested you on this occasion, then why not follow us on twitter for more regular updates and insights?

Graham Smith Antiques Ltd 2011

www.grahamsmithantiques.com

Bank Holidays & The Royal Wedding

This week we are giving you a combination of practical opening hours information and news of an exclusive Royal Wedding discount!

First of all, the simple details of when we will be opening over the next few bank holiday weekends;

Dates	Jesmond Shop	Benton Warehouse
Good Friday 22/04/11	Closed	Open 10am – 4pm
Saturday 23/04/11	Normal Hours (10am – 5pm)	Normal Hours (10am – 4pm)
Easter Sunday 24/04/11	Closed	Closed
Monday 25/04/11	Closed	Closed
Tuesday – Thursday 26/04/11 – 28/04/11	Normal Hours (10am – 5pm)	Normal Hours (10am -5pm)
Friday Royal Wedding 29/04/11	Closed	Closed
Saturday & Sunday 30/04/11 & 01/05/11	Normal Hours Saturday (10am – 5pm) Closed Sunday	Normal Hours Both Days (10am* – 4pm) *11am opening on Sunday

      Monday 02/05/11 - both the warehouse & shop will be closed

Next, for the exciting part; an exclusive preview of our Royal Wedding Weekend celebrations! Although we do not normally offer discounts or percentage savings, this most momentous occasion of a Royal Wedding calls for something extraordinary.

In celebration of the Royal Wedding on 29th April 2011, we are offering customers a 10%* discount either online or instore for the whole weekend (29th April - 2nd May).

The offer code is: 'royalwedding11' 

This code will be valid to use on our website on friday 29th April whilst we are closed (having our own raucous celebrations) and then all weekend in our shop and warehouse. All you have to do to take part, is either use the above discount code when progressing through the checkout of our website, or, alternatively, print this page and bring it with you to either our shop or warehouse.

CLICK TO VISIT WEBSITE NOW

*10% Discount valid on retail price for items up to the value of £2000 and only one use of the discount per customer. Please note that payment must be made at time of purchase to benefit from this discount.

Enjoy your royal wedding celebrations and don't miss out on this offer - we don't do these often, infact this is our first discount event in our 11 year history! Here's some inspiration incase you're so overwhelmed by our generosity that you don't know which room of your home to furnish with antiques first!...

 Mousey Thompson Oak Table

 George IV Mahogany Elbow Chair

Set of ten mid 19th century pan top wine glasses

This blog is brought to you by Graham Smith Antiques Ltd. For more information about our products and daily updates about antiques, follow us on twitter or visit our website www.grahamsmithantiques.com