Bounty hunters

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This article was published 25/10/2014 (4235 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Everything old is new again, at least in the antiquing business. A stranger’s long-forgotten Tiffany lamp can find new life in your entryway, and a vintage Smith Corona typewriter can become the showpiece of your office.

In the new television show Backroad Bounty, currently airing Mondays on Cottage Life TV, antique dealer Marty Gebel and longtime friend Peter (Bam Bam) Bamford scour garage sales, private collections and old barns in Ontario’s cottage country in search of weird and wonderful finds.

“We have different tastes,” says Gebel, whose mother used to drag him to flea markets and yard sales when he was a kid. “I go after old science and medical items, funky ’50s and ’60s modern furniture, right back to primitive furniture out of an old farmhouse.”

Bamford, who inherited his share of hand-me-downs growing up, seeks out the masculine: “I look for what I call Bam-tiques, kind of Man-tiques. It’s hunting stuff, fishing stuff, anything with a motor, sharp things, smoking accessories. Anything that would look awesome hanging in a man-cave.”

The two offered their tips for uncovering your own undiscovered vintage treasures.

1. Think outside the big-box store. Antique-influenced retailers like Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware can take you only so far. Gebel, the owner of Modern Hipster Antiques, says: “We go to old homesteads with century homes and barns. Lots of old cottages. Anything that’s got some age.”

2. Expect the unexpected. The pair generally focus on things they specialize in, but they’re often caught off-guard by a gem. “We’ll always find something that we know nothing about that catches our eye,” says Bamford. “Sometimes that will lead you on a new path and (to) a new genre of items.”

3. Adopt a herd mentality. Buying in bulk can reduce your per-item cost, and hide a sought-after item among several so-so finds. “A lot of times, we’ll make piles and make an offer on the entire collection,” says Gebel, “but for bigger ticket items, we’ll often just make an offer individually.”

4. Barter with benevolence. “As a general rule of thumb, I’ve always said you want to treat everyone as if they’re your aunt or uncle. That way, you’re always going to respect them and be friendly, and be able to come back the next day,” says Bamford.

5. Accept the things you cannot change. Since you’re dealing with items that can be well-worn or broken, get a pro to tackle potentially dangerous jobs. “If you’re talking about whole lamps and stuff like that, you might have to send that out to an electrician,” says Gebel.

6. Have the courage to change the things you can. A Google or YouTube search can show you how to give items a quick facelift with paint or polish. “A lot of things we buy need at least a good cleaning or restoration of some kind,” says Gebel. “But that’s what you expect when you’re going places where the items haven’t been touched in years.”

7. Make like Frozen and let it go. If you’re selling, Gebel recommends starting small: “Start with one thing that you can specialize in, something that you know is going to be a solid seller, and then slowly branch out.” And don’t hold back your prized pieces. “Sell your best items, because that’s what people are after,” says Bamford. “If you want it really, really badly, chances are someone else does as well. Let it go, and find some more treasures.”

–Postmedia Network Inc. 2014