Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose

by Barbara Miller Beem

If you could see me right now, you’d find me hunched over a laptop. I’m in my dining room, and I’m seated on a chair that was made about a hundred years ago by the Berkey and Gay Furniture Company. To my right is an Empire-style console table, which supports two houseplants currently thriving in jardinieres made in my hometown during the turn of the last century. To my left is a large china cabinet with some years on it; it’s filled with three generations of fine china dinnerware. There’s an Orioles game playing in the next room, but I’m not paying much attention to that right now. I’m too busy thinking about the first installment of “Second Time’s the Charm,” my brand-new column for this October issue of Journal of Antiques and Collectibles.

Although I’ve always lived in a home that had family hand-me-downs, my first purchase of an antique was one made out of necessity. Having just bought our first house, my husband Ken and I didn’t have a lot of money. But we needed a chair for our new kitchen. A trip to a nearby town lined with antique shops proved providential when we spied a yellow wooden chair sitting in a corner of one of the shops. It looked old. It was charming. Best of all, at $20, it was priced within our budget. As I pulled out my checkbook, I asked the shop owner if he could tell us anything about it. “For that price, you’re just lucky to get something,” he snapped at me. Looking back, it’s a wonder that Mr. Congeniality didn’t scare me off antiquing for the rest of my days.

But I persevered. And I’m glad I did.

I’ve learned a lot since the purchase of that little chair, which, incidentally, was somehow lost in my last move. I’ve talked with members of collectors’ clubs that have weathered the storm of recessions and the pandemic. Their enduring friendships and continued scholarship are vital to the world of collecting. Kudos to them as they continue to find ways to attract new members. In the meantime, I’ve come to the realization that collecting for collecting’s sake is not always an enticement for the next generation; displaying a collection is not always enough. But if it can be put to use … .

Finding new ways to use old things may well be the key to inspiring both new and seasoned collectors
alike. Hence, “The Charm” column has begun.

But before we dig in, let me share a bit about myself with you. As memory serves me, my first byline was on a poem entitled “Fun in Snow,” composed while I was in the first grade. I gave up creative writing early on, but I found my voice when I began talking to people and hearing their stories. It’s safe to say that, over the years, I have had more than a thousand bylines. I’ve written (and had published) stories about Mid-Atlantic travel and vintage cars, local news and museum exhibitions, not to mention collectors and the things they collect. Many of the publications where my words have appeared are no more. I can assure you that not one single demise was my fault.

And then there was the time I almost wrote a book for someone who thought he wanted to share his life story, but his second wife changed his mind. But that’s a story for another day.

From the start, my personal mantra has always been never to write something I wouldn’t want my Mom to read. Even though she’s no longer looking over my shoulder, that standard remains. My other credo is “to make a short story long.” I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that “they don’t make them like they used to.” And when I’m not writing, I’m probably overworking my hands: I’m a member of a charity knitting group. I still read books, the kind where you have to turn the pages.

That said, the timing for this column could not be better. I’m not a betting woman, but I’m willing to wager that there’s a faux-vintage sign out there somewhere that encourages us to “Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose.” Thrift shopping is in vogue, not a mark of shame. It’s not just about saving money, although that’s not a bad thing either. Keeping things out of the landfill is a good thing. All of this comes after an era of overproduction. How often does it happen that great demand and enormous supply coincide?

Even though I think we would all agree that it’s fun to go on the hunt for more treasures, sometimes we need look no further than what we already have. As a friend often chides me, “Shop your home first.”
With that in mind, this month I’m sharing with you images of some of my favorite old things, personal treasures that are not sitting in a box but are being used and enjoyed on a daily basis. I guess you are what you keep.

Looking ahead, come November, we’re going to explore … well, you’re going to have to check back next month to find out. See you then. In the meantime, you can connect with me at thecharmjoac@gmail.com.