Bird is the Word

February 24, 2014 by ark_admin

If you ask Jerry Butler about the great outdoors, he might tell you nature is for the birds. You see Butler is an avid bird-watcher who enjoys spending his time looking out a window and exploring the grounds around his Scott home for beloved native birds as well as foreign flyers passing through the state. “March is a particularly good time to watch for new species because of the migration that takes place as the winter draws to a close,” he says of the spring season.

To properly identify each bird, Butler keeps a library of small field guides and bird-related books. He uses the more notable guides, such as Peterson’s, as reference tools while other books on birding he reads simply for pleasure or historical context. The library’s titles range from present-day works to ones produced in the early 1900s. These older versions offer colorful stories and tales of bird watching, whereas the newer guides are more objective and scientific. “It’s interesting to look back at the older ones to see what they knew then and what we know now about the various species,” says the avian enthusiast.
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Star Worthy

January 6, 2014 by ark_admin

A local legend garners an impressive collection of Arkansas-themed movie posters

“I have always been an aficionado of the movies,” says Ron Robinson. “Movies are memories.” Robinson, who is perhaps best known for his role as an advertising icon and the “Robinson” in local firm Cranford, Johnson, Robinson and Woods (CJRW), has been collecting a variety of items for more than 60 years. However, the Little Rock native, who currently serves as chairman emeritus of CJRW, shares it was his career in advertising that originally led to his love of movie posters. “Posters were the number one way to advertise the early movies,” he says.

The melding of these two passions has led to quite a collection. Robinson now owns some 18,000 one-sheet, 27- x 41-inch movie posters featuring everything from silent movies to current motion pictures. Of these, 200 have an Arkansas tie—either in the title of the movie, in the location or the storyline. Each of the posters shown here have their own tale to tell, as Robinson has added them to his collection through the years.

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Toy Soldiers

November 13, 2013 by ark_admin

A Russellville woman’s nutcracker collection serves as a reminder of special occasions, while providing holiday cheer

It is the time of year for twinkling lights, bright decorations, candy canes and, for Beverly Keener, nutcrackers. Keener has quite an amazing collection of the decorative doll-like figures. In fact, she has a nutcracker to represent almost every occasion or event in her life, and they include a motley group from traditional soldiers to kings, hunters, firemen and even reindeer and chimney sweeps—all with detailed characteristics and a story.

Upon entering the Keener’s home at the holidays, family and guests are greeted by these whimsical statues, which are lined up and down the entryway’s staircase harmoniously. “They stand guard on every step all the way up the stairs,” chuckles Keener. Originating in Germany, Nutcrackers carry a famous legend, which claims they provide protection with their power and strength while also projecting goodwill, thus leading Keener to display them prominently.

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Call of the Wild

October 23, 2013 by ark_admin

A Stuttgart native’s duck call collection contains pieces of history worth quacking about

Kids love collecting, especially when there is a good story behind each item. For John Stephens, growing up in Stuttgart, the Duck Capital of the World and home to the World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest, collecting duck calls seemed to be a natural fit.

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A Penchant for Pendants

September 17, 2013 by ark_admin

Vintage women’s brooches are shimmering reminders of the femininity and grace of past eras

Charm, elegance and sophistication all seem to come to mind when you think of a woman’s brooch. Whether it’s the pin your grandmother wore on her Sunday suit or a brooch you carried on your wedding day, the nostalgic meaningfulness the pieces hold is often greater than any monetary value.

For Little Rock collector Kathy Sweere, brooches are a natural extension of her lifelong love affair with clothes and accessories. As a self-proclaimed “clothes horse” and the daughter of a dime store manager, she was no stranger to the sparkling allure of costume jewelry and developed a particular penchant for pearls, rhinestones and one-of-a-kind pieces. Later in life, this passion led her to “rob” her mother’s jewelry box for pieces she could wear as an adult.

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Kitchen Classics

August 16, 2013 by ark_admin

Vintage cuisine collectibles are a Maumelle woman’s recipe for happiness

Nancy Sills is the curator of numerous collections, perhaps none more prized or enjoyed than her vintage and antique kitchen wares. From ceramic crocks and traditional wooden bread boards to rolling pins and baking tins, her own kitchen is home to a variety of cooking collectibles. “I keep my collections out on display so we can enjoy them,” says Sills, who resides in Maumelle with her husband Adrian who also likes antiques.

Indeed the displays are enjoyable for all who enter. Sills’ kitchen has all the charm of a 1940s general store alongside typical modern day conveniences. Along with the aforementioned items, you’ll also find her collections of Yellowware bowls, baskets, sugar buckets, creamers and textiles among the mix.

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The Wheel Deal

July 17, 2013 by ark_admin

Toy planes, trains and automobiles delight children as well as the young at heart.

Like so many, collector Bo Edwards sold himself short at a yard sale. “I had a great Godzilla toy my brother had given me. I ended up selling it for a quarter at a garage sale, and then found out weeks later it was worth more than $100,” he laughs. That was in 1996 and the experience sparked an interest in him that could only be quelled with a toy collection of his own.

“I love the sense of nostalgia you get from these pieces,” says Edwards, who now has more than 300 tin trucks, buses, automobiles, trains and planes. “Sometimes I feel like I was born about 100 years too late, like maybe I should’ve lived in the 1940s,” he says of his fondness for the period. Many of the pieces in his collection are models of 1920s- to 1940s-era modes of transportation, which were recreated for the enjoyment of kids in the 1950s and 1960s. “Boys’ toys were often thrown around or set on fire,” laughs Edwards, “so it’s truly finite—there are only so many of them that survived.”

While the majority of the toys Edwards buys for his own school-age children are technology-based or more contemporary in form and function, he continues to grow the vintage collection. “It’s neat to see another generation truly enjoy and appreciate these toys,” he adds.

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Local Flavor

June 25, 2013 by ark_admin

A tasty soda known as grapette steals the heart of a collector in the town where it was first made.

You might refer to Karl Schanzlin’s collection of Grapette memorabilia as a homegrown effort. As a lifelong resident of Camden, where the popular soft drink was first produced and bottled, Schanzlin has long admired not only the refreshing taste of the drink, which became a household name in the 1940s, but also the colorful advertisements and promotional items that played a big part in the success of the brand.

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Gone Fishing

June 5, 2013 by ark_admin

Tommy Holmes has been fishing since his teenage years, so it’s no surprise he was drawn to pick up a vintage fishing lure—to be exact, a “380 Yellow Shore Tiny Punkinseed” made by Heddon Bait Co.—thirty years ago on an antique hunt with his wife. Now, as a member of the Arkansas Tackle Collectors, Holmes fishes regularly at Greer’s Ferry Lake and meets with the other club members once a month over breakfast at Ed & Kay’s Restaurant in Benton.

In fact, get-togethers with the other club members are one of the ways Holmes acquires new pieces. They trade amongst themselves and travel to shows across the United States, including the national event, which Holmes calls “a three-day fishing lure bonanza.” At these shows, he looks for three qualities in the lures: condition, rarity and age. The more rare, older collector items are known as “new in the box,” which means they have little wear-and-tear and often accompany their original packaging.

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Going Global

May 2, 2013 by ark_admin

Treasured collections often start as the result of travels or a particular fondness for vintage or antique pieces; for Jeff Perciful it was a combination of both. “I’ve always had a passion for travel and for antiques,” says the Little Rock native, who has traveled extensively in both Europe and the United States. “Globes seemed like a natural fit for me to collect because I love the diversity they show, and my interest in antiques led me to seek out vintage versions.”

Perciful also notes the color and vitality globes can add to a space. “I’ve always wanted to have a room that was related to travel—filled with globes, maps and pictures from my journeys,” he says. Aside from the obvious appeal of the bright colors and composition, Perciful notes vintage globes are particularly fascinating because they show how the political geography of the world has changed over the course of the past 100 years. “You can usually date a globe to a five year period just by looking at the countries and territories represented,” he says. “For example, you can tell a 1980s version by looking to see if Germany is united or divided, and globes made prior to 1935 will show Persia rather than Iran, and so on. There are numerous examples.”

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Bird is the Word

Star Worthy

Toy Soldiers

Call of the Wild

A Penchant for Pendants

Kitchen Classics

The Wheel Deal

Local Flavor

Gone Fishing

Going Global

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