The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-04
A SURE WAY TO INVEST MONEY.
Those Who Put in the Cash Never Get 1t
Back, but They Are Happy All the Same.


Back, but They Are Happy All the Same.
New York Mail and Express.
The thirst for the antique seems to increase
day by day. Old china, primitive wood cary
lngs. uncouth, lll-shapen articles of bric-a brac
grotesque combinations of color, dubbed historic
works of art, all sought after and priced by
the fortunate w possessors as priceless treas
ures A number of firms in this city collect an
tlQue furniture and bric-a-brae to meet this
craze. reporter visited the establishment of
one of the most noted firms and saw many odd
specimens of brio a-brac. large clock, carved
in walnut, and presenting a face which
expressed the time of day. month, year. rising
and setting of the sun and moon, signs of
the zodiac, tides and changes in weather was
admired. A clerk said it was worth S. 500 A
sideboard, made for the royal family in England,
but found to be too large, had a tag attached
calling for So, 500 The reporter was shown
some brozes The clerk said there was nothing
to compare with them in the city
LET me show you," he said, "thls group 1t
is worth only 81, 200 and dirt cheap. There is
nothing like it in America. Here is another
which must confess does not look like treas
ure. 1t is valued at $780," and he pointed to a
little figure about seven inches in height repre-
senting an individual of evident foreign birth in
whose hand there rested tablet and from
whose face. relentless time had obliter-
chasers for such things as that" he
continued why, only yesterday 1 sold over
$1,000 worth to a man from the West He was
hitting mp his house, and the two figures he
bought were only little larger than that l ex-
pect him in again to-day, and will probably sell
him twice that amount What sold him yes
terday was not worth $500 These things have
several different prices If you come in as a
buyer and we can almost always tell one, l
would show you what l thought you wanted
most. You can always tell what a man wants
oy the way he looks, and you can tell the price
to set by the way he carries himself and the
style in which he dresses. Now, had a Gus
toner this morning. He came in, and
the first thing he looked at was a mir
ror. PRICE, Oh, $3.50 to him. ANY one who
didn't especially want 1t could get it for $3.50 L
saw him look at the mirror and showed him
nothing but mirrors, large and small hanging
and standing and caught him for one worth
$500. Where do we get these things? Well
that's hard to say. Some of them we have made
for us; others we buy at auction, but as a mat
Ter OF TACT, the greater part comes from abroad
Our hrm employs several foreign buyers. and
they pick up the things here and there in Eu-
ropean cities. Now, we have just received
nearly $4,000 worth of articles from one buvsr
this week. They have not been marked vet. but
when they are you cannot buy them for 5000 600 y
The attendant led the reporter here and there
showing little china cups valued, OF rather
marked, anywhere from $40 to $50 Little tea
sets from 500 to $780, bronze figures of maxi
mum price and minimum proportions; old bed
steads armor swords, mirrors. tapestry Jewels
silver, and In fact, everything that could have
been wanted to furnish house several hundre
years ago. Some of the articles were broken. 9th
ers In the last stages of preservation. others too
cum oersome for any possible use, ana the major
lty too useless for any possible benefit and too
grotesque for any possible ornament The en-
tire assortment looked about as useless IS wa
terlng cart n rain-storm.