Freelance
Shopping
For my last two collectibles columns for the Tucson Citizen, I share the names and contact information for sources most often requested by our readers.
ACOUSTICAL INSTRUMENTS
Paul Blumentritt, the owner of The Folk Shop, 2525 N. Campbell Ave., is one of the region’s experts. He also buys, sells and appraises. His phone number is 881-7147.
ANTIQUE MALLS
The three I like most are American Antique Mall, 3130 E. Grant Road; Copper Country Antique Mall, 5055 E. Speedway Blvd.; and 22nd Street Antique Mall, 5302 E. 22nd St.
APPRAISERS
Diane Maier of Maier Appraisal Services received her certification from New York University and is a member of the Appraisers Association of America. She specializes in personal property, general antiques and collectibles and residential contents. Her contact information is 480-275-2104, dmaier308@aol.com.
AUTOGRAPHS
Brett Sadovnick, owner of Tucson Coin & Autographs, 6470 N. Oracle Road, is one of the few dealers in the Old Pueblo who specializes in autographs. He can be reached at 219-4427, tucsoncoin@theriver.com.
BOOKS
Tucson has several excellent books shops. A personal favorite is the Book Stop, 214 N. Fourth Ave., 326-6661. Owners Claire Fellows and Tina Bailey are friendly and experts of used and rare out-of-print books. A Web site I use frequently is www.abe.com.
CHINA-MATCHING SERVICE
Missing a piece of your Royal Doulton dinnerware? You can track down elusive pieces of retired china patterns at Replacements, P.O. Box 26029, Greenboro, NC 27428. The company’s toll free telephone number is 800-737-5223.
CLOCK REPAIR
Viki Watson is the go-to person for clock repair in the Old Pueblo. Her shop, Ye Olde Clock Shoppe, 6342 N. Oracle Road, 544-4014, is one of the best in town.
CLOTHES – VINTAGE
Got a closet of old clothes from the 1960s or ’70s? You can turn them into cash at How Sweet It Was, 419 N. Fourth Ave. The shop is consistently one of the better vintage clothing stores in our region.
COINS
Rob Weiss, the owner of Old Pueblo Coin Exchange, 4420 E. Speedway Blvd., has built a solid reputation for his competency and good business practices. His telephone number is 881-7200.
COWBOY MEMORABILIA
I continue to find treasures at Country Emporium, a wonderful shop that features vintage saddles, branding irons, wagon wheels and other assorted gems that are marketed by owners Paul and September Walker. The address and telephone number are 3431 N. Dodge Blvd. and 327-7765.
FURNITURE DEALER
I highly recommend two businesses: Tom’s Fine Furniture and Collectibles, 5454 E. Pima St., 795-5210; and Annabell’s Attic, 6178 E. Speedway Blvd., 571-8400.
GEMS AND ESTATE JEWELRY
Janet Lawwill has a regional reputation for her expertise in costume and fine estate jewelry. Her contact information is 907-2839 and jewel2@sparklz.com.
GLASS REPAIR
John Wakefield does expert repair of china and crystal pieces. He also does leaded, etched and beveled glass work at his shop, Artistry in Glass, 3423 E. Grant Road, 320-0104 and www.artistry-in-glass.com.
INDIAN ART
Two excellent shops: Michael D. Higgins & Son, 4429 N. Campbell Ave., 577-8330 and mdhiggins@ earthlink.com; and Morning Star Traders, 2020 E. Speedway Blvd., 881-2112 and Morningstar@the river.com.
INDIAN RUG REPAIR
Penelope Starr is an expert when it comes to the restoration and repair of Navajo rugs. Her contact information is 319-2464 and penelopestarr@msn.com.
MEXICAN PRIMITIVES
Spanish Cross Home Furnishings is authentic and interesting. This small shop is one of the more intriguing locally owned businesses specializing in Mexican primitives. Hard to find but worth the trouble, it is at 2929 E. Broadway, 322-5383.
MILITARY COLLECTIBLES
Jeff Albiniak owns Mystiques, which specializes in military collectibles of all kinds. He can be contacted at 514-2195, CWBUFFSTER@aol.com.
ORIENTALIA
A real treasure trove, Eastern Living has a sensational inventory that offers some of the most exceptional pieces of Asian furniture and collectibles in the Southwest. Located in the Lost Barrio at 242 S. Park Ave., the telephone number is 299-3889. Despite a little damage from a recent fire, the store is still in business.
PHOTOGRAPHY
People come from all over the world to see and purchase the incredible vintage images that are offered by the Terry Etherton Gallery, 135 S. Sixth Ave., 624-7370 and www.ethertongallery.com. This gallery has some of the most outstanding examples of early Southwest images in the region.
PIANO REPAIR & TUNING
AAA piano company is excellent, especially in the tuning and repair of older pianos. The work is professional and the cost, reasonable. Call 884-5222. For reproducing pianos, one of the more competent technicians in Arizona is Peter Knoblock in Tempe, 480-820-7093.
Next week: My final column for the Tucson Citizen will highlight more of the best of the best.
LARRY COX