"Killer Stuff and Tons of Money" is the story of one dealer's journey from the populist mayhem of flea markets to the rarefied realm of auctions, a...
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Oct 11, 2011
Rob
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As a fledgling antiques dealer myself, I found this a fascinating, informative, and inspirational read. 'Killer Stuff and Tons of Money" is a first-hand look behind the scenes of the antiques trade, framed around the story of "Curt Avery" (a real dealer protected by a pseudonym), a good friend of the author's. His story is typical of many dealers; beginning small with the antique bottles he digs up and collects, he becomes thoroughly knowledgeable in that niche and starts to trade
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Oct 10, 2011
Ann
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This book is a Great Adventure! And it’s a great read!
Escorted into the mysterious behind-the-scenes world of antiquing by two very entertaining, engaging and trustworthy guides, you will never look at your own possessions, or your parents’ possessions or your grandparents’ possessions, the same ever again. Author Maureen Stanton invites her readers on her journey with antique dealer Curt Avery. We find ourselves camping in the rural hills of New England, waking up with the sunrise in More...
Escorted into the mysterious behind-the-scenes world of antiquing by two very entertaining, engaging and trustworthy guides, you will never look at your own possessions, or your parents’ possessions or your grandparents’ possessions, the same ever again. Author Maureen Stanton invites her readers on her journey with antique dealer Curt Avery. We find ourselves camping in the rural hills of New England, waking up with the sunrise in More...
Aug 25, 2011
Mary
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A look at the fascinating world of antique dealers through the eyes of a lower-level dealer who is rough-edged but endearing in his passion for antiques and the history they represent. The author followed this self-taught expert over the course of many years and it is interesting to see how the dealer grows and changes as he struggles to survive in this tough world. Also was interested in seeing how our new generations attitudes toward antiques (they’re more interested in a nice reproduction f
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Jun 19, 2011
Caitlin
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I'm very fond of shows like Antiques Roadshow or the British game show that gives contestants money, sends them off into a flea market to spend their money, and then whoever gets the most for the item at an auction wins. I like antique stores and junk stores and yard sales and flea markets. I love to look at the stuff and to learn about its history. What I don't want to do is collect it. I have a huge aversion to accumulating stuff just to accumulate it. I do have lots of books, but I could
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Nov 15, 2011
jeff
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The journey and experiance it takes to understand the market of collectables and antiques is a long one. It takes a large investment of time, time that cannot be learned from a book, but mostly life experiances. You win some and you loose some... and sometimes you win big.
The author invests severalyears of her life. She becomes knowledgable herself, due to the nature of the journey. She establishes the lifelong journey and connections of the Flea-Market vendor. She even shows us how t More...
The author invests severalyears of her life. She becomes knowledgable herself, due to the nature of the journey. She establishes the lifelong journey and connections of the Flea-Market vendor. She even shows us how t More...
Jul 07, 2011
Jo
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I won this book and I couldn't be more pleased. I am a weekend antique hunter. Luckily I don't need to make a living at it, but it was pretty exciting once, buying a vase for 99c and finding out it was worth $35.
Author Maureen Stanton shadows antiques dealer "Curt Avery" (made up name) while he goes on the hunt for money making deals. He's funny and generous with his time and expertise to Stanton and of course the reader. My only negative comment is--Avery has a foul mouth and I f More...
Author Maureen Stanton shadows antiques dealer "Curt Avery" (made up name) while he goes on the hunt for money making deals. He's funny and generous with his time and expertise to Stanton and of course the reader. My only negative comment is--Avery has a foul mouth and I f More...
Oct 21, 2011
Laurie
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A most interesting story, the author spends time with dealer, Curt Avery. Over the course of a number of years, she attends shows from Brimfield to Philadelphia and from the high end auctions to the little locals. I've learned that it would be nearly impossible to know if something is fake or has been tampered with, without the personal recommendation of one of the Keno Brothers. The back stories of Antiques Roadshow,which has been called "soft-core porn for antique fetishists"; how
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Sep 08, 2011
Debbie
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Interesting book (with some fascinating examples, such as $1 bottles turning a 1000% profit)which clarifies just how much work goes into finding treasures at flea markets, estate sales, and auctions. Certainly, someone could happen upon a gem, but such finds are much rarer than the dealers who absolutely know their specialties and can spot antiques from reproductions with keen eyes. I don't think I will, when the time comes, have an estate sale for my mother's belongings - from reading this bo
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Sep 20, 2011
Weezie
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When I got the book, I thought it would be interesting to read about the flea market/antique buying & selling world. I would really have liked to read the entire book, but the bad language got in the way. I finally had to give up reading. There are only so many times you can skip over the f word without feeling dirty. I don't see why it was necessary to include the word so many times even if this is the way 'Avery' talks. If this is the way he talks, I sure wouldn't want to have a conversat
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Jan 12, 2012
Ryan
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Before this book, I never realized that flea marketing had it's very own subculture. I guess that should have been obvious, since everyone seems to have their own subculture, but it's not one I've ever thought of before. It's an oversite that I'm glad to have fixed. Maureen Stanton takes us into the lives of Curt Avery and his circle of friends and competitors. Before this book, I never realized that you could make a living off of buying and selling antiques, well outside of a store that is.
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Oct 17, 2011
Heidi
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I'm a small-time reseller of vintage goods so I thought this might be an interesting read. It was okay. The dealer "Curt Avery" that the author profiles deals mainly in what he calls "Pilgrim-century" goods and primitives--true antiques because they're more than 100 years old. He is contemptuous of people who buy and sell the 'vintage' goods that I'm a fan of--items from the 30s to the present. He bemoans the fact that nobody wants expensive OLD antiques anymore, especially w
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Aug 31, 2011
Angel
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I finally finished the book. I finished it about a week ago, but it took me a while to find the time to write the review. And I am glad I finally got to it because this is a book worth sharing with others.
Stanton spends time with and "shadows" Curt Avery (a pseudonym), a mid-range antiques dealer (you learn from reading this book that there is a hierarchy when it comes to antiques and those who deal in them). Curt may well be one of the few remaining passionate, knowledgeabl More...
Stanton spends time with and "shadows" Curt Avery (a pseudonym), a mid-range antiques dealer (you learn from reading this book that there is a hierarchy when it comes to antiques and those who deal in them). Curt may well be one of the few remaining passionate, knowledgeabl More...
Aug 11, 2011
Pam
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Just finished "Killer Stuff...". It was an fascinating look into the world of antiques and collecting. I loved how this world can teach you so much about history, and have a better appreciation of craftsmanship. This book is kind of fictionalized non-fiction. By that I mean that the author has changed the names of many characters etc. in the book to protect their identity. This is a world in which you have to be very knowledgeable to not get "taken" in purchases.
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Sep 24, 2011
Dolly
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I won this book on Goodreads giveaways and was particularly interested in the fact that it focuses a lot on New England antiques shows, like the one at Brimfield, Massachusetts. My grandparents lived just down the road from the Brimfield flea market and although I probably only visited the event once when I was a child, I've passed by the location many, many times and know it well.
This book is a fascinating account of the lure of buying, collecting and selling various items (prima More...
This book is a fascinating account of the lure of buying, collecting and selling various items (prima More...
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Jul 17, 2011
Anthony
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Like Avery, the antiques dealer that this book follows, I'm sell at flea markets, although my area is electronics, not antiques. But it's interesting to see how many similarities there are - the dealers who are there as much to buy as to sell, the haggling customers, the experiences at auctions - bidders who don't know what they are bidding on, who look at other buyers' to figure out what to bid on, buying lots of stuff to get one item, and trying to figure out where to put it and what to take
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Oct 27, 2011
Angela
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My initial thought: I have no idea WHY I like this book. While I can appreciate why so many people collect antiques, I myself am uneducated about them and unable to afford them. After some contemplation, I decided that the book is as much (if not more) about the CULTURE of antiques than the antiques themselves. Seeing as how I love "slice of life" books, this well-written one filled with interesting people was right up my alley.
Aug 03, 2011
David
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A terrific book! Stanton goes behind the scenes of the antiques world, covering the whole spectrum from lowly yard sales to high-end auctions in New York and Boston. It's brisk, informative and funny as she learns some of the tricks of the trade and rubs shoulders with some of the biggest "names" in that esoteric commerce.
Lesson learned? You'd better do your homework before buying antiques.
Lesson learned? You'd better do your homework before buying antiques.
Dec 02, 2011
Nette
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An excellent example of how a good writer can make any subject exciting. Even though I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a 1865 stoneware butter pot and a 2009 Big Lots ashtray, I really got caught up in the fun and drama of this book, where a dealer with a good eye can make a thousand-dollar profit in 10 minutes. I'm looking forward to more books by this author.
Jan 02, 2012
Amanda
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Except for all the swearing by the characters, I really enjoyed this book. Guess the author was keeping it real! Made me want to explore flea markets, but I am one of those countless people it described who don't have the knowledge to know if what I am buying is real or a fake. Maybe it's true, you just have to buy what you love, and not try to make it an investment.
Jan 30, 2012
Karl
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Usually i wouldn't read something if i had the impression i'd be giving it a low rating, but felt i should finish the book anyway due to being close to the subject matter. Stanton teaches creative nonfiction and follows a mid-level full-time New England antiques dealer to various shows and tries to learn the trade and market. She uses pseudonyms for the characters but obviousily real places such as Brimfield. She knows very little and admits that. I didn't find how she portrays the business very
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Dec 08, 2011
Karen
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As a fledgling vintage buyer and seller I thought this book might be fun to read. It was just ok. Some of the information was interesting, but actually hard to follow if you weren't knowledgeable about the items. I did not feel like Ms. Stanton had a good writing style. Jumped around too much. I also didn't like the extensive use of profanity.
Oct 18, 2011
Jonathan
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The Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote that "luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." For the habitually "lucky" antiques dealer at the heart of Maureen Stanton's "Killer Stuff and Tons of Money," preparation means cultivating a deep knowledge of objects—Shaker furniture, heirloom porcelain, 18th-century weathervanes—while opportunity results from meticulously examining tens of thousands of items every year at flea markets, auctions and antiques fairs.
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Jun 21, 2011
Barbie
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Fantastic book. So rich in history and such a pleasure to get to know Maureen Stanton and Curt Avery...two smart, witty, and honest people. This book taught me so much about the world of antiques and the history of our country. Read this book...you'll LOVE it!
Jan 21, 2012
Kristi
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I. Loved. This. Book. It was fascinating through and through, enough so that it was easy to overlook the few errors in writing scattered about. Great mix of narrative and background, with compelling characters.
Jun 23, 2011
Joanne
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A wonderfully written book with great insight into the life of an antique dealer. I felt like I was right there with the author in her adventures. I can't wait to go to a flea market to find my own treasures!
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Jan 01, 2012
Lynne
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The library didn't have this book on CD, so actually read this the old fashion way. It took me a long time, but it was a good read, so I kept renewing it till I finished it. I really enjoyed this book, but then I love antiques and buy and sell vintage myself on occasion. I could relate to many of the stories even though Curt's business is on a much higher level then mine. It was interesting to read about Curt's "behind the scenes" experiences and his opinions of the industry.
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Sep 20, 2011
Terry
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Caution - if you read this book, you just may consider quitting your job and becoming an antiques dealer! But read on... with the current state of the economy, the antiques market is suffering too.
Oct 21, 2011
Melody
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A fun and enlightening romp through the antiques trade. I enjoyed the main character and the author's inclusion of herself in the narrative was welcome rather than intrusive. I learned a lot and laughed some. Well worth reading.
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Aug 20, 2011
Jane
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Very well-written, easy-to-read, and fascinating. My only "complaint" is that photos in a book with so many descriptions of objecys would have been welcome.
Jun 15, 2011
Having become a recent fan of the History Channel's "American Pickers," I'm looking forward to reading about the escapades of a true-life flea-market maverick.
