Check it out:

Old Native Jewelry and Beadwork To Be Focus of Events April 25-26 at Mitchell Museum
 
EVANSTON, Ill. —  Special events for seasoned and novice collectors of old Native American jewelry and beadwork — and anyone curious about these genres  — are scheduled for Saturday, April 25,  and Sunday, April 26, at the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, 3001 Central St., Evanston.

Tom and Deborah Begner, of Turkey Mountain Traders, Scottsdale, Ariz., will make presentations, conduct an informal appraisal session, and exhibit a diverse collection of items for sale. Ten percent of sales proceeds will benefit the nonprofit Mitchell Museum.

The Begners will give a presentation on “Antique Eastern Woodlands Beadwork” at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, focusing largely on beadwork made by members of the various Iroquois tribes from about 1800 to 1930.

At 2:15 p.m., they will offer informal identifications and appraisals of old Native American jewelry and Eastern beadwork brought in by the public.

They will speak on “The Top 10 Things to Look for in Old Indian Jewelry” at 3:15 p.m.

The Begners, who founded Turkey Mountain Traders 20 years ago, will stage an exhibition and sale of old jewelry and antique Eastern beadwork from 4-7 p.m. Items for sale include beadwork items priced from about $100 to $3,000, including beaded bags, souvenir “whimseys,” and hats from the late 1800s.  The jewelry is principally of Navajo and Zuni Pueblo origin, with items priced from $125. A noteworthy piece is a $12,000 Zuni fetish necklace made of shell and stone by the celebrated carver Leekya, who worked in the 1940s and 1950s.

Antique Indian beadwork and old jewelry also will be exhibited and sold from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, April 26.
 
Admission to the events is included with museum admission. Admission is $5 for adults, $2.50 for seniors, students, teachers (with valid school ID), and children. Maximum suggested admission per family is $10. For information, phone (847) 475-1030. On the Net: www.mitchellmuseum.org.

Looks like an interesting opportunity ...

Here's a sneak peek:

The other day, I blogged about "What's in a name?"

This morning I read an article that moved me to comment because it ties in with that "name" question. The article is about a Florida antique shop named "Wish You Were Here."

'Wish You Were Here' antique shop named for lost son

If you're a "sensitive type" and a parent like me, you may want to have a tissue ready before you read it.

It's a great way to commemorate a lost loved one ...

— Posted by Karen

Antique Blog | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs

I paid more attention to usernames while perusing Twitter this morning (by the way, you can follow Antique Trader on Twitter at http://twitter.com/AntiqueTrader), catching up on all kinds of news and happenings.

And it occurred to me that I don't put any effort into my usernames when I open a new online account somewhere, whether it's for a forum or a merchant site. People with businesses, however, have to put a bit of effort into naming their "brand."

I would imagine the first thing you need from your business name is you need it to be memorable.

But what else do you consider when you pick a name? Do you just pick something that sounds good?

What do you think? Can you help out and answer this question for me? How did you come up with your business name, or how do you come up with your user names?

By the way, some Twitter names that I really like because they seem to say it all and are memorable: gypsytrading, bookbrowzers, fleapirates, thepickerpages, oldpixels.

— Posted by Karen

This week's Question of the Week:

Does your collection have a family connection? Does it cross the generation gap or are you a “first generation” collector?

Post a reply here, send one to Sandra.Sparks@fwmedia.com, or post a reply on the Antique Trader message boards HERE.