Yesterday was quite a surprise for my first day back. I received a call, from Christina Hoag of the Associated Press of L.A., wanting to know how I felt about the Antique and Art business during this crisis. Guess what I shared with her? Now is the time to buy - because people are selling their better Antiques and Art to make ends meet. Remember there are always buyers for the rare and unusual so this is an opportune time for you to make your money for the year.

When I had finished this interview, I spoke with Walt Kolenda and Mindy about the Auction Wally Show we would be doing that evening. It is always a pleasure to share my thoughts and ideas with the wonderful people that listen to the Auction Wally Show. Hopefully some of what I said has value for their listeners. This was the first time that I talked to Mindy and she sound very excited about this business. I look forward to talking to her more in the future about the contemporary art and collectibles that she seems to be so knowledgeable about.

Guess what else happened? I was checking Yahoo and there was an article that talked about how Craig’s List was being used by people to meet their financial needs. Great minds think alike - wouldn’t you say? They are a little late with this article because anyone who reads my blog would have already known this. I recently put four paintings on Craig’s list and I received four responses today. I will keep you informed as to my success, but this seems like a very good start.

Everything seemed to be going in the right direction yesterday - I even received an email from Christie’s with an estimate on a painting that I may send to have them auction off (the estimate valued the painting at twice what I expected.) How often does that happen and who says the market is soft?

The 31 Club held a board meeting last night and I can tell you that my feet aren’t touching the ground yet. I can’t share with you all the great things we discussed, but in coming days I hope to reveal some wonderful news to all my readers. There are some exciting things on the horizon if certain things can be accomplished by the 31 Club. Stay tuned for further reports.

For more information visit our website ” www.31corp.com “

I traveled to Baltimore yesterday so my wife, Vickie, could attend a business conference, and Joshua and I could visit with my other son, Lawson. In past years, I went out to look for treasures as she participated in the scheduled events and classes. This year started out different, however.

It was a task being ready for the early morning taxi. We allowed plenty of time to arrive early and get through security at O’Hare – that is, of course, if the taxi showed up. Six calls later to the taxi company, each time being told the driver is five minutes away was not the way to start the day. We finally called another company, but by this time it was 9:30. It was not likely we’d make our 10:30 flight. But, the second taxi company made good on their word, and as we were pulling out of the driveway, wouldn’t you know it — the other taxi appeared. We all smiled and waved goodbye to him as we burned rubber on the way out.

Rushing out of the taxi to check our bags, we were told the plane had already closed its doors, so we spent three hours hanging around the airport before we caught the next flight. Vickie missed the day’s sessions, but we did have a wonderful meal with my older son and his wife once we arrived. I do hope to treasure hunt tomorrow, but I am wondering what could happen next.

When you are visiting another part of the country on a trip, be sure to
look for items that are out of place there. For example, if you are on the East Coast, look for West Coast paintings. By doing this, your chances improve for finding a treasure. Remember, I found the painting by Kentucky artist Harvey Joiner on the East Coast. The market for this painting was in Kentucky. That’s when $240 turned into $3700. That isn’t so bad for a country boy.

On several past trips to Baltimore, I found items that fattened my
wallet quite well. I once purchased a painting from an antique store for $500 that was later sold for $2500. And the store shipped it to me in Chicago. I’ve also found pottery such as Rookwood and Roseville priced to my liking on these trips. I used to have a rule that no matter where I traveled, I could pay for the trip plus turn a fair profit for myself by selling the things I bought on the trip. As your knowledge increases, you should be able to do this, too.

PS : I hope to hear from a lot of you on Monday on the AuctionWally BlogTalkRadio Show at 8PM Eastern Time.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

Take a look at our Gallery of Fine Art Paintings by Listed Artists, here.