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Killer Stuff and Tons of Money
Maureen Stanton
Seeking History and Hidden Gems in Flea-Market America
Penguin Press
June 2011
On Sale: June 9, 2011
336 pages
ISBN: 1594202931
EAN: 9781594202933
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
One dealer's journey from the populist mayhem of flea
markets to the rarefied realm of auctions reveals the rich,
often outrageous subculture of antiques and collectibles. Millions of Americans are drawn to antiques and flea-market
culture, whether as participants or as viewers of the
perennially popular Antiques Roadshow or the recent hit
American Pickers. This world has the air of a lottery: a $20
purchase might net you four, five, or six figures. Master
dealer Curt Avery, the unlikely star of Killer Stuff and
Tons of Money, plays that lottery every day, and he wins it
more than most. Occasionally he gets lucky, but more often,
he draws on a deep knowledge of America's past and the odd,
fascinating, and beautiful objects that have survived it. Week in, week out, Avery trawls the flea and antiques
circuit-buying, selling, and advising other dealers in his
many areas of expertise, from furniture to glass to
stoneware, and more. On the surface, he's an improbable
candidate for an antiques dealer. He wrestled in high school
and still retains the pugilistic build; he is gruff, funny,
and profane; he favors shorts and sneakers, even in
November; and he is remarkably generous toward both
competitors and customers who want a break. But as he struggles for a spot in a high-end Boston show, he
must step up his game and, perhaps more challenging, fit in
with a white-shoe crowd. Through his ascent, we see the
flea-osphere for what it truly is-less a lottery than a
contact sport with few rules and many pitfalls. This rich
and sometimes hilarious subculture rewards peculiar
interests and outright obsessions-one dealer specializes in
shrunken heads; another wants all the postal memorabilia he
can get. So Avery must be a guerrilla historian and use his
hard-earned knowledge of America's past to live by and off
his wits. Only the smartest survive in one of America's most
ruthless meritocracies. Killer Stuff and Tons of Money is many things: an insider's
look at a subculture replete with arcane traditions and high
drama, an inspiring account of a self-made man making his
way in a cutthroat field, a treasure trove of tips for those
who seek out old things themselves, and a thoroughly fresh,
vibrant view of history as blood sport.
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