The MHV Blog
Big Boy Paintings
Since the pandemic, lots of the auctions that I typically bid at on a weekly basis have moved online. One of my favorites uses Zoom for live bidding, while most others use online platforms like HiBid, AuctionZip, or LiveAuctioneers. The folly - or in this case, exciting surprise - of bidding on items from a screen, otherwise sight unseen, is that sometimes you don't really understand the scale of what you're buying. That's how I keep ending up with these absurdly massive oil on canvas paintings that even my massive barn has trouble holding. But there is something exhilarating about...
Down the Memory Hole (1914-1924)
I feel like titling this post "Down the Memory Hole" is a bit of a risk, because I've used that phrase many times when dealing with items that I think are the quintessential representations of what I want Memory Hole Vintage to be about. But, I'm not sure if I'll ever find an item that quite encompasses what I mean when I say "Memory Hole" as this absolutely exceptional 1914-1924 Memory Book scrap book. This book is absolutely jam packed with the memories and mementos of the life of a still unidentified young girl whose coming of age crossed major...
100 Points from Gryffindor
I don't really deal in high end antique furniture because its typically too expensive to buy at a price I can have fun reselling it at, and I generally can't afford to keep it for myself. So when it comes to furniture, I stick to fun and funky utilitarian pieces - like hand made shelves, mission style desks, and Hoosier cabinets. Besides, the supremely high end stuff typically doesn't have the pizazz I'm looking for anyway, though I do love it. But every now and again, I find something I can buy at a price I like that hits all...
Post Mortem Negativity
I want to write about this photograph, but it feels wrong to write a blog post at this time and not acknowledge and offer public support to the people of color and their allies who are flooding the streets every day to shout the truth that black lives matter. Things are slowly creeping back to normal, and a sign of that is the return of some of my favorite auctions, first online, and next week, in person as well. One of my favorite auction houses, Trudel's Auction Gallery, in Bellingham, Mass., held an auction this past Saturday and there were...
Some thoughts during a surreal time
I don't know if anyone ever really checks this blog, but I think its a fair space for me to share some thoughts about Coronavirus. I didn't get much sleep last night because I was information overloading by refreshing reddit constantly while watching the latest episodes of Better Call Saul. A few weeks ago on reddit, I told a poster on r/boston that they were being "hysterical" in regards to their concerns about the virus. I feel really foolish for that comment now that the situation has become more serious, and regret my lack of foresight and compassion. I am...