Familiar Face in New Position to Bolster International Society of Appraisers Education Efforts

                                                                                                   

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 30, 2010

CONTACT: International Society of Appraisers

(312) 981-6778

The ISA has created the new position of Director of Education to consolidate and rework its appraiser courses.

(CHICAGO, IL) – Leon Castner, Ph. D., ISA, CAPP, has been appointed to the newly created post of Director of Education. But Castner is hardly a new face in the ISA. He has been a member of America’s largest appraiser association since its founding thirty years ago. He is now directing his attention to revising and expanding the Association’s professional education curriculum to accommodate the growing needs of the Association’s members.

His primary focus is on the expansion of the Core Course in Appraisal Studies. The Core Course is the “nuts and bolts” approach to personal property appraising in all disciplines and is the starting point for anyone interested in becoming a personal property appraiser. However, Castner emphasized that the Core Course “Is also a great opportunity for anyone in the personal property business such as auctioneers, estate sales management, estate lawyers and accountants to get a ground level look at how the appraisal process operates, whether or not they wish to actually become an appraiser.”

The Core Course started as a rotating three part course that sometimes required up to three years to complete in different locations around the country. The Course has now been condensed into an action packed seven day marathon held in Naperville, IL in conjunction with Northern Illinois University that includes hands on experience outside the classroom. The seven day course includes everything a prospective appraiser needs to begin a new career including practice appraisals and written appraisals. Class activities include inventorying property, using the computer for research on internet sites, finding comparable sales and will include examples of good and bad appraisals.

Becky Nix, ISA, AM, president of the Central Florida chapter of ISA and a veteran of the Core Course, said, “There is a lot of complex information to learn in a very short period. Leon Castner has that rare gift of being able to speak to you in such a way that it seems to absorb into the brain in an orderly fashion. He is a teacher’s teacher.”

The Core Course will be offered twice in 2010, May 24-30 and October 25-31 with Castner as the primary instructor. The Course is also available through the Distance Education program of the ISA administered by Lynn Livingston. Rates for ISA members for both 2010 Core Course presentations are $1,150 with early registration and discounts are available at the host hotel, the Country Inn & Suites of Naperville. Included in the registration fee is a 600 page manual of class material and reference sources.

Another class of interest is Advanced Report Writing, also taught by Castner. This class is for accredited appraisers who seek to take their report writing skills to a higher level and includes the use of technology in the writing effort. Photography, software utilization, charts, graphs and visual aids are emphasized in the presentation of reports. This class will be presented in Naperville on June 3-4 and September 30-October 1. Member rate is $650.

Castner’s newest expansion of the education program is the presentation of monthly one hour webinars. The subject rotates monthly between specialty topics and methodology subjects. Two recent editions included Clocks and Oriental Rugs presented by specialists in the areas. Registration is open to anyone and ISA membership is not required. Registration details are available on the ISA website.

For information about all of the professional education opportunities offered by the ISA visit the website at http://www.isa-appraisers.org, call (312) 981-6778, email isa@isa-appraisers.org or write to ISA, 737 North Michigan Ave., Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60611.

Leon Castner, Ph.D., ISA, CAPP

West Palm Beach Antiques Festival Expands Show Line-Up To Include Full Summer Schedule

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 26, 2010

CONTACT: Kay Puchstein

                     (941) 697-7475

Additional Shows have been scheduled for July, August, September and October.

(West Palm Beach, FL) “Everyone knows there is not a whole lot of antiquing going on during the summer in Florida. We are going to change that and make West Palm Beach a year round destination for antiques and collectibles” say Kay and Bill Puchstein, owners of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival. Responding to increased dealer and customer interest and bucking the current trend in the industry the Puchstein’s announced an agreement with the South Florida Fairgrounds to include the scheduling of summer shows for the mid 2010 season in addition to the regular November – June Shows . Bill Puchstein said “Many dealers who used to set up at the old West Palm Beach summer shows years ago have told us that the summer shows were always their best shows of the year.”

The new format for the summer shows will be a two day affair, Saturday and Sunday instead of the normal three day event during the regular season. Summer show dates will be July 3-4, August 7-8, September 4-5 and October 2-3 with a full day of setup for dealers on Friday 8:00AM to 7:00PM. In another striking move the Puchsteins have lowered dealers’ booth rent by 15% over the normal show fee. The popular “Early Buyers Admission” feature will be continued in the summer starting at 8:00AM on Saturday before the regular Show opening time of 10:00AM. The $25 Early Buyer ticket is good for the entire weekend.

Summer Show hours will be 10:00AM – 5:00PM on Saturday and 10:00AM – 4:30PM on Sunday. Adult daily admission $7.00, seniors $6.00 with a 1$ discount coupon for adult admission available on the website. Anyone under 16 is admitted free. There is no charge for parking at the Fairgrounds.

The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is held at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fair located off Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach, FL, 1.5 miles west of the Florida Turnpike and 1 mile east of 441/SR7. For more information contact the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival at (941) 697-7475, email info@wpbaf.com or visit the website at www.wpbaf.com.

PHOTO CAPTION

Kay and Bill Puchstein are breaking new ground in the Florida antiques show market with a full summer schedule for the West Palm Beach Antiques festival and lower dealer costs.

written by:

Fred Taylor

www.furnituredetective.com

800-387-6377

International Society of Appraisers Taps New Executive Director and Additional Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 25, 2010

CONTACT: International Society of Appraisers

                     (312) 981-6778

ISA celebrates its 30th anniversary with a new Executive Director and an increased commitment to member education.

(Chicago, IL) The International Society of Appraisers based in Chicago has announced the appointment of Joe Jackson, CAE as the new Executive Director of the nation’s fastest growing personal property appraisal organization. Jackson comes to ISA with a strong background in association management having served for seven years as the Executive Director of the American Institute of Architects in Colorado and as a regulatory lobbyist in California. His mission is to be the facilitator in guiding the ISA to becoming the strongest appraisal organization in the marketplace and to keep ISA’s name at the forefront of the appraisal arena.

According to Jackson “The heart of the program is to solidify the existing base of what we are good at, expand the support services we offer to members and to be at the forefront of educational opportunities including distance learning and webinars. We have already started implementing this.” He went on to say “ISA is a growing and dynamic organization for personal property appraisers with an excellent and experienced staff, top rated educational programs and the best conference in the profession.” Part of his job will be to let the public know about the caliber of education available to ISA members and to reach everyone, including the interested public, who might have the need for an appraiser.

As part of its commitment to expand educational opportunities ISA also has a new Director of Education in Leon Castner, ISA CAPP. Castner plans to expand the line of educational programs including the development of new courses and the webinar program for delivery of short appraisal related education programs and product knowledge updates. Assisting Jackson is a growing and committed staff of professionals including Jennifer Hopkins, Director of Meetings, Rachel Walsh, Meetings Coordinator, Michelle Stearns, Education and Credentialing Coordinator and Sara Porter, Membership Coordinator.

President of the ISA Board of Directors, Judith Martin, ISA CAPP, said “We are starting to see some real movement. We recognized a little over two years ago that our members needed to be heard and acknowledged for what they do, helping middle America. Many of our members are generalists and they can assist families since they understand residential contents and antiques. They know how to identify items, not just from what they already know but from the ISA network of referrals through other ISA members they can depend on. Our members can fulfill their clients’ needs in times of divorce, casualty or theft loss, property division and other cases when identification and evaluation are needed.”

ISA is now thirty years old and still has some of the original members. With headquarters on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, ISA is now managed by Sentergroup, Inc, a full service association management firm. ISA proudly offers a full schedule of educational opportunities for new and veteran appraisers spread out over all of 2010 including the “Assets 2010” Conference in Toronto April 30-May 3. The complete seminar schedule and additional information is available on the website at http://www.isa-appraisers.org. For more information call (312) 981-6778, email isa@isa-appraisers.org or write to ISA, 737 North Michigan Ave., Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60611.

written by:

Fred Taylor

www.furnituredetective.com

800-387-6377

NO NEED TO LOOK FURTHER - IT'S ALL THERE AT THE ICA "SPRING CLASSIC" IN CHARLOTTE, NC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 17, 2010

CONTACT: ICA Offices

(704) 714-7909

Over 1,500 dealers will set up for the March 31-April 4 events at the Metrolina Tradeshow Expo for the International Collectibles & Antiques Shows’ five day Spring Classic.

(CHARLOTTE, NC) – “From Antique to Shabby Chic and Everything in Between” describes the variety of treasures, pleasures and surprises that await show goers this month at the ICA Shows “Spring Classic.” The International Collectibles & Antiques Shows, always held the first full weekend of every month, will present its semi-annual seasonal “Classic” event on March 31-April 4 at the Metrolina Tradeshow Expo in Charlotte, where the tradition continues.

Decorators, designers, collectors and anyone seeking a bargain, including just

lookers, will want to make plans to attend the Spring Classic and sample the eclectic mix of antiques, collectibles, curiosities and “others” found in the indoor and outdoor dealer booths. Visitors can also stroll through Piccadilly Lane, Antique Village, and the Open-Air Market (or Marketplace) which are “shops” in the buildings owned by local, permanent dealers who set their items on display in a decorative manner so that shoppers can picture the treasures in their homes. While cruising the exhibitor spaces visitors will enjoy experiencing the smells and tastes of offerings from the food vendors ranging from pizza and funnel cakes to good old fashioned Southern BBQ and perhaps take a short break at the outdoor bar with a TV.

All of the buildings have been upgraded and now support free Wi-Fi connections with state of the art security. Pets are welcome as are strollers and carts and the atmosphere and wide selection of dealer inventory, ranging from rare antiques to $5.00 pleasers, is ideal for shopping in a tough economy with bargains at every turn. The Spring Classic is a great opportunity for an inexpensive family outing, perhaps even starting a child’s first collection with an inexpensive little find.

Antiques are the point of origin of the “green” movement, recycling our history and passing it on and the Classic offers the perfect opportunity to recycle an antique into your modern household at a very affordable price in pleasant surroundings. Pick out your recycling candidate from the vast array of furniture and accessories, jewelry, china, silver, pottery, art, arts and crafts, military/historical artifacts, coins, vintage toys, rugs, lighting, architectural salvage treasures, bolts of vintage hard to find fabrics and even plants offered by the dealers.

The Spring Classic offers a variety of special services for attendees including appraisals by Col Charles Senn, furniture repair by Walter Smith of Augusta, GA custom engraving by T. S. Buchanan of Charlotte and jewelry repair, restoration and repairs of crystal, porcelain, art deco, pottery, cloisonné, alabaster, lacquer boxes, stoneware and silver by Lauro Torres of Wilmington, NC. Purchased items can be packaged and shipped from the show, good for gifting or if you are on the way to other locations so you don’t have to carry your purchases everywhere with you. The Shows make it easy to get your item home without it being a burden.

And even if you are not in a buying mood at the moment, the Classic is a great opportunity to take advantage of the breadth of knowledge of the dealers who come from all walks of life and from all parts of the country. Most are anxious to talk about their particular field and they may be able to help you find that one elusive item you have been chasing for years. You can also take advantage of the opportunity to talk with other shoppers you find in the area of booths of interest to you.

The International Collectibles & Antiques Show Spring Classic will be held March 31-April 4 at the Metrolina Tradeshow Expo, 7100 Statesville, Rd, Charlotte, NC 28269 located at Exit 16a on I-77 just six minutes north of downtown Charlotte . Show times are 9:00 – 5:00 Wednesday-Saturday and 10:00 – 4:00 Sunday. A five day pass for this event is $10 with a $1 Senior discount and kids under 12 get in free. Parking is always free.

Regular four day monthly ICA Shows will be held April 29-May2, June 3-6, July 1-4, August 5-8, September 2-5, September 30-October 3 and December 2-6. A four day admission pass to regular Shows is $5.00 with the same discounts. The Fall Classic will be held November 3-7. The ICA Show is owned and managed by Pete Pistone.

For more information visit the website at www.ICASHOWS.com, email info@icashows.com or call (704) 714-7909.

written by:

Fred Taylor

www.furnituredetective.com

800-387-6377

PHOTO CAPTION

Some of the many treasures that can be found at the International Collectibles & Antique Shows BIG SPRING CLASSIC in Charlotte.

FEBRUARY SPECTACULAR A RECORD BREAKER FOR WEST PALM BEACH ANTIQUES FESTIVAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 9, 2010

CONTACT: Kay Puchstein

(941) 697-7475

Over 1,000 dealers set up for February Antiques Spectacular at the South Florida Fair February 5-7.

(West Palm Beach, FL) A record number of dealers set up for the February Antiques Spectacular, traditionally the largest Show of the season for the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival. Festival owners Kay and Bill Puchstein said attendance surpassed even that of the January Show which was the largest up to that time under their ownership.

The March 5-7 edition of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is also shaping to be a red letter event with a strong complement of regular dealers augmented by a growing number of new faces and the expectation of improving weather for the South Florida region.

One of the members of the regular dealer corps is Peter Mellon of Pompano Beach, FL. Mellon got into the general antiques business as the result of a storage problem. He and his wife had accumulated more antiques than they had room for. His brother–in–law was an antique watch dealer and suggested Mellon specialize too. He did, taking a series of horology classes to bolster his knowledge. He has been at it for over twenty years now and his personal knowledge of watches has far outstripped the level of the classes he took.

He sets up shop at the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival with an inventory of over 2,000 pieces consisting of watches, pocket knives and lighters. The most frequently asked question of Mellon during a Show is “Do all of these watches work?” The answer is “Most of them.” One of the few that don’t work also happens to be the oldest in the inventory. It is a 200 year old French watch made by Charles Odin who made this type watch only between 1809 and 1830. It needs about $400 worth of repair work to it but it has over $500 worth of 18 kt. solid gold in the case at current scrap prices. He will sell it for anything over the scrap value. The most expensive watch in the inventory at $1,500 is a three register chronograph with 40 jewels and a sapphire crystal made by Tag Heuer. Mellon gladly gives free market value appraisals of time pieces brought to his booth by Show visitors and makes an active market both buying and selling time pieces.

Mellon also has a large inventory of pocket knives in all sizes. He says vintage American made blades are the favorite of his regular customers. Another popular item with his customers is his large collection of lighters including vintage Zippos, logo lighters and character lighters with depictions of Wonder Woman, Babe Ruth, Howdy Doody, Superman, Mickey Mouse, Star Trek and many more but his personal favorites are the Zippos. He has learned how to read the date code on the bottom of a Zippo and will gladly tell you how old your vintage Zippo is.

The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is held at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fair located off Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach, FL, 1.5 miles west of the Florida Turnpike and 1 mile east of 441/SR7. Show hours are 12PM – 5PM Friday March 5, 9AM – 5PM Saturday March 6 and 10AM –4:30PM Sunday March 7. Early Buyers Admission from 9:00 – 12:00 Friday is $25 and is valid for the entire weekend. Adult daily admission $7.00, seniors $6.00 with a 1$ discount coupon for adult admission available on the website. Anyone under 16 is admitted free. There is no charge for parking at the Fairgrounds. For more information contact the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival at (941) 697-7475, email info@wpbaf.com or visit the website at www.wpbaf.com.

written by:

Fred Taylor

www.furnituredetective.com

800-387-6377

PHOTO CAPTION

Peter Mellon displays over 2,000 watches, watch chains, knives and lighters in his booth at the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF APPRAISERS CELEBRATES THIRTY YEARS WITH “ASSETS 2010” CONFERENCE IN TORONTO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 22, 2010

CONTACT: International Society of Appraisers

(312) 981-6778

ISA

ASSETS 2010” CONFERENCE

April 30-May 3, 2010

Toronto, Canada

ISA will host a Conference April 30-May 3 with Museum tours and seminars by noted authorities in the fields of Fine Art, Antiques and Residential Contents and Gems & Jewelry

(Toronto, Canada) The International Society of Appraisers will celebrate its thirtieth birthday with an in depth three pronged Conference in Toronto on April 30-May 3. The Conference, entitled “Assets 2010”, will consist of programs in Fine Arts, Antiques and Residential Contents and Gems & Jewelry. Conference coordinator Kathryn Minard, ISA, CAPP, and conference co-chairs Irene Szylinger and Catherine Williams and Jim Poag, Gems and Jewelry program coordinator have arranged a lineup of credentialed powerhouse presenters for each session, a pair of dynamic keynote speakers, Robert Ramsay and David Ben, and scheduled tours of such important venues as the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Gardiner Museum of Ceramics, the Bata Shoe Museum, the Textile Museum of Canada, Corona Jewelry Company, the Stephen Bulger Gallery and a tour of a private residence featuring Jamieson Tribal Art.

According to Minard one of the main points of emphasis for this Conference is affordability and flexibility. ISA has arranged very generous rates for participants at the host hotel, the Park Hyatt Toronto in downtown Ontario. It is close to convenient public transportation and is surrounded by a wide variety of eating establishments for all tastes and budgets.

While the Conference will have three distinct sections, participants will be encouraged to pick and choose among sessions to accommodate the cross-over interests of many attendees.

The Fine Art program will feature sessions on the art market, contemporary photography, Inuit art, authentication, insurance appraisals, cross border appraisals and report writing. Presenters will include Nicholas Metivier, owner Nicholas Metivier Gallery; Chris Varley private art dealer, Christopher Varley Fine Art; Patterson Sims, freelance curator, writer and lecturer; Robert Heffel, auctioneer, Heffel Fine Art; Doina Popescu, Curator, The Black Star Photography Collection, Ryerson University; Pat Feheley, Associate Professor, School of Image Arts, Ryerson University; Vivian Ebersman and Ann-Louise Seago of AXA Art Insurance headquartered in New York; Peter Paul Biro, Art Access & Research Limited; Marie-Claude Corbeil from the Canadian Conservation Institute; Cathy Peters, ISA, CAPP and Cross Border Appraisal presenters Leon Castner, ISA, CAPP, Kathryn Minard, ISA, CAPP, Norman Hurst, ISA, CAPP, and Sonia Lismer from the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board.

The Antiques and Residential Contents program will feature sessions on hallmarks, quilts, Victorian, style and design, paperweights, insurance appraisals, appraising pop culture, cross border appraisals and report writing. Presenters include some of the same presenters in the Fine Art program plus Bill Whetstone and Danusia Nikelwicz of the Hallmark Research Institute; Brian Musselewhite, Assistant Curator of the Royal Ontario Museum; Judy Lyons, ISA, AM, CPPAG of the American Quilters Association, and Lee Dunbar, a collection management specialist with Leila Dunbar Appraisals and Consulting.

The Gems & Jewelry adds Carole Tanenbaum, a costume jewelry expert; Dave Sawatzky from Korite International, the maker of Ammolite jewelry from Calgary; Ravi Poddar, a representative from Ontario based Byrex Gems; John Borzak, author of the Rolex Report and Paul Cassarino, ISA, CASPP, presenter of the report writing workshop.

The Conference itself is very reasonably priced beginning at $575 for ISA members with Super Saver early registration which ends January 31. Rates are slightly higher after that. Special rates are available for single day events and for spouses/guests. The tours and events are also very reasonably priced. To register online go to http://www.assets2010.org/.

Site of the course is the Park Hyatt Toronto, 4 Avenue Road, Toronto, Ontario M5R 2E8 Canada, (416) 925-1234. A group discount rate is available through ISA for accommodations at the hotel. Hotel registration is available online at the above address. For more information contact the International Society of Appraisers, 737 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2100, Chicago IL 60611, phone (312) 981-6778, fax (312) 981-6787, email isa@isa-appraisers.org, website www.isa-appraisers.org

written by:

Fred Taylor

www.furnituredetective.com

800-387-6377

WEST PALM BEACH ANTIQUES FESTIVAL HAS BEST SHOW EVER IN JANUARY WITH RECORD BREAKING ATTENDANCE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 6, 2009

CONTACT: Kay Puchstein

(941) 697-7475

 

Over 1,000 dealers are expected for the February 5-7 Spectacular

(West Palm Beach, FL) The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival owners Kay and Bill Puchstein reported an outstanding event to open the New Year January 1-3. They said they had the largest crowd since they assumed ownership, more than twice the attendance of the December Festival and even larger than last year’s February Spectacular. The Modernism section of the festival was a hit and seemed to draw younger buyers with many dealers reporting strong sales.

This year’s February Antiques Spectacular, February 5-7, is shaping up to be even better. More than 1000 dealers are expected to set up shop for the three day extravaganza at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fair.

While it is always nice to see new dealer faces at the Festival, veteran Festival goers will be pleased to see some familiar faces too and one of those most often sought out is Dee De Corey and her husband Bob. The Corey’s have made a name for themselves in innovative lighting applications over the years and this year is no different. This year they are concentrating on drop shower chandeliers with elegant gold aurene pulled feather shades. Bob specializes in antique lighting repair and restoration and has expanded his stock to accommodate the increased business at the Festival.

Bob and Dee Dee have presented their art at the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival since 1985 and what they most enjoy about the Festival is the mix and match of antiques, decorator items and designer ideas. They are some of the dealers who will provide an “insight in a minute” to interested visitors to their booth and they are brimming with enthusiasm and ideas. Dee Dee also continues her private one-on-one three day instruction sessions in Victorian lamp shade construction for interested customers.

Dee Dee and Bob are not alone in their art and enthusiasm. The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is the focal point for hundreds of dealers and collectors of antique furniture, china, silver, glassware, jewelry linens, fine art, kitchenalia, toys and dolls, decorative accessories, fine collectibles and an almost endless variety of other areas of special interest. What is yours? It probably can be found here.

The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is held at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fair located off Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach, FL, 1.5 miles west of the Florida Turnpike and 1 mile east of 441/SR7. Show hours are 12PM – 5PM Friday February 5, 9AM – 5PM Saturday February 6 and 10AM–4:30PM Sunday February 7. Early Buyers Admission from 9:00 – 12:00 Friday is $25 and is valid for the entire weekend. Adult daily admission $7.00, seniors $6.00 with a 1$ discount coupon for adult admission available on the website. Anyone under 16 is admitted free. There is no charge for parking at the Fairgrounds. For more information contact the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival at (941) 697-7475, email info@wpbaf.com or visit the website at www.wpbaf.com.

written by:

Fred Taylor

www.furnituredetective.com

800-387-6377

PHOTO CAPTION

Dee Dee Corey is shown with some of her glass creations. See more in her booth at the February West Palm Beach Antiques Festival February 5-7.