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Antiquing the Valley:
Wild West Meets Shenandoah
Early Summer 2010
by James Putbrese
Collectors know that antiques go in cycles, and what is ‘hot’ today may not be tomorrow. However, some antiques always remain popular—among these are toys; dolls; art; and Civil War, Indian, and western memorabilia.
As the popularity of Native American and western memorabilia has increased, so have prices—and the problems of fakes and reproductions. Faced with these realities, the novice may assume that there is no place in the field for him or her. Such is not the case. Even with modest means, you can still accumulate a substantial horde of interesting objects related to the Old West.
Perhaps it may seem strange, here in the Shenandoah Valley, to talk about collecting items from the west. But tourists began visiting the west in substantial numbers soon after the Civil War, and the advent of the automobile opened up the west to thousands more. Those tourists brought back Indian pottery, baskets, rugs, clothing, weapons, and other artifacts, which are still coming out of houses and collections throughout the United States.
Basketry, one of the oldest Native American crafts, dates back 11,000 years. Of course, few early baskets have survived, and most of these are in museum collections. However, you can still find many fine 19th and early 20th century examples. Other collectibles you will see in Valley antique shops and malls include Indian pottery, Navajo rugs, Kachina dolls, and western items such as spurs, branding irons, and weapons. Indian turquoise jewelry, readily available, never goes out of style.
Old West is one of the areas I enjoy collecting, so I keep my eye out for shops and malls that carry these items. Rocky’s Antique Mall on US11 in Weyers Cave always has a great selection of items from the Old West. On a recent visit I noticed several guns, arrowheads, and a few western paintings. Rocky’s also carries a large selection of turquoise jewelry. The Factory Antique Mall in Verona has several booths specializing in weapons from the Civil War through the Indian War period. In the Charlottesville area, travel north on US29 to the in Ruckersville, which has the largest selection of western, Indian, and Civil War items in the region.
It’s a great time to begin your collection of Old West memorabilia—and the place to start your collection is surely right here in the Shenandoah Valley!
Article text ©2007-2010, Shenandoah Specialty Publishing, LLC.
May be printed for personal use only.
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