My Weblog

New Inventory throughout the Royal Port this Spring!

We have had a great month of buying for the shop.  Many of our new May Inventory items are from the old Weber's Candy Store from Bridgeton, NJ.   The store was established in 1888 and closed recently.  The owners, prior to retiring, were always set up at our local Salem City Farmer's Market and were always there with a smile.  Many of the items we acquired are those that the Weber's used in their daily candy making as well as things from the earlier years of candy making.   Many of the pieces including the glass, tin and wood trays are shown here along with the work table and copper candy pot.  Take a peak at May's album for detailed photos of all of our great finds.   Feel free to email or call with any questions.  Suzanne

Customer Creations Spotlight Mark Bair's Carvings!

Carver and Artist Mark Bair creates one of a kind fish and whale carvings incorporated with found objects and copper work.   He has them beautifully displayed on early paneled doors that he purchased from the Royal Port.   The doors are a perfect backdrop for Mark's incredible carvings and copper work.  Thanks Mark for sharing your photos.  Suzanne

Customer Creations Spotlight Tom and Trisha Valcich's Shutters Headboard!

Tom & Trish Valcich have been in our Customer Creations spotlight before.  They love to use architectural elements in their home.  There are photos in our Customer Creations Album from their home.  Tom & Trish purchased these late 18th century paneled shutters from our shop and used them to create this beautiful headboard.  They retain some of their original finish and look perfect against the beautiful colors used for the walls and linens.  Thanks again for sharing your creative ideas.  Great job! Suzanne

Customer Creations Spotlight Kristina Zito's Corbels Table!

Kristina Zito is our Customer Creations spotlight of the day.  Kristina wanted to create a table using a round vent she had found a few years ago.  She was excited to find 3 matching decorative corbels from our shop.  She hinged the corbels together with rubbed oil hinges and then attached the round vent.  Then she added a round piece of glass over the vent.   All of the pieces fit together perfectly.  As Kristina put it, " Voila, a unique table for my porch or wherever I decide to use it!"   It's all about recycling, creating and reusing!!  Thanks Kristina!  Suzanne  

 

Customer Creations Spotlight! Ron and Lisa Bertonazzi get Creative with Architectural Pieces from the Royal Port!

 Customers Creations Week is here again!  My favorite week of postings!  Many of you may remember the very tall stained glass windows that were near the entrance to the shop. (they were there because they didn't fit past that point)  Many people questioned  "How are they going to fit in someones home?"   Ron and Lisa Bertonazzi  made it happen and placed them in a beautiful open area in their home.   They added lighting from behind to illuminate the beautiful images and colors in the windows.  A nice way to warm up any room.  What a perfect idea for a solid wall that extends 2 stories.   Thank you for sharing your photos.  Suzanne

New Inventory added to Finish out the April Album!

I love doing the monthly inventory albums.  It opens up a window for customers to allow them to view all of the new things that pop up here from day to day.  Each month I add to the albums throughout the month and notify customers through facebook when I update it.  For those of you that don't have facebook feel free to email us.   I will be working on a customer email database that will allow those that prefer email to also get notification when the website or albums are up to date.  This comes in handy if you don't want to miss out on that specific piece you have been looking for.  I look forward to hearing from you.  Enjoy the latest photos on the April Album.   Suzanne

Royal Port is Stocked for Your Indoor and Outdoor Spring Projects!

Springtime is always a nice push to get up and get started with those garden and household projects.  I know for us it is an exciting time to get some of those garden projects started behind the Royal Port.  We are beginning to spruce up Picker's Park.  (Don't worry I won't make it too organized)  We have acquired a large inventory of doors that include various styles of panel doors, board and batten doors, screen doors as well as panel and louver shutters.  It is a great time to stop with your measurements and find just the right doors or shutters for your restoration project at a very fair price.  It is also the perfect weather to look for fun and unusual containers and decor for your porch, garden or shed.  We are always adding gates, tables and chairs as well as unusual ornamental pieces for your garden.  April's New Inventory Album is ready for viewing.  Please feel free to call or email with any questions.  Have a great weekend.  Suzanne

Sometimes I Just Have to Pause to Ponder life at the Royal Port!

This has been a busy month for adding some great new things to our inventory.  Customers are always asking us where did you get all of this?   Today someone asked me where we acquired all of our early baskets?  From a collection?  I said no we gathered them over time.  I pondered our conversation afterwards.  I thought to myself, we are the gatherers of collections for our customers.  I know I hate to have just one of something.  I like to have collections to offer to our customers and to learn as much as I can about them.   I have the best job of all.  I get to gather collections of all kinds of early furniture, smalls and architectural while at the same time researching and learning about them at the same time.  And I get to work full time with my husband!  (Yikes! Mike may have some words to say about that!)  How lucky are we?                  Don't get me wrong, it is hard work but it is fun to share that same passion with our fellow customers and collectors.  On that deep note I have added more photos to March's Album.   Enjoy the new inventory photos and email or call with any questions.  More items are waiting to be researched and tagged.  I will post them soon.  Enjoy the beautiful weather.  Suzanne

Whew! Royal Port has been Mov'in and Shak'in to Get Ready for Spring!

It's always exciting to get new things for the Royal Port.  We were able to acquire a varied grouping of new items to add to the shop this month.  What's exciting is the addition of some bigger furniture pieces.   So the mov'in and shak'in comes into play when you have a truck or trailer full of things and you get to play musical furniture to welcome them to the already existing members of our inventory.   My mind is always racing as I run around the shop finding all the details to add to the new pieces and setups to make them feel at home in the mill. In the meantime I drive Mike crazy.  When the music stops, all is in its place and back in harmony waiting for you to stop by and enjoy!  While you are at home feel free to check out March's album.  It is full of photos and details of all our new finds.  Feel free to call or email with any questions.  Stop by to see our new look!  Suzanne

Royal Port Weighs in on Country Living Magazine's Predictions of the Next Big Collectibles!

When we received the latest edition of Country Living I noticed it was the issue that focused on the next big collectibles.  Make sure you check it out and see how we compare.  I always like seeing what is hot! I also like to see if we are keeping up with the times!  Mike, Sam & I try to stay hip and trendy!!  Some of their 7 categories seem to fit right in with our inventory at the Royal Port.  Category one is Wooden Sock Darners as well as Sewing Accessories.  That has always been a love of mine.  Our photo captures a few of our darning eggs along with a beautifully done quilt patch and some handmade spools.  A nice collection that is reasonably priced for any collector.  Our shop is full of many sewing and weaving items from various time periods.  Category two falls into an area that for those of you that know us is right up our alley, Iron Farm Tools.  I took a quirky photo of some of our small items but have you seen the latest iron hay lifter on our  porch.  I love it.   For Mike, the rustier the better!  So I think we rock in that category!  Category three is another favorite of ours, the Factory Cart.  Industrial salvage is very hot right now.  The factory carts are a perfect fit in our Feed Mill environment.  Our architectural inventory looks right at home on the carts throughout  the shop.  It helps create nice vignettes of various types of inventory.  The same is true in using them as a coffee table to display personal collections and create your own unique space.  Category four is Educational Ephemera such as diplomas and class photos.  My favorites are the early group class photos in front of the early schoolhouses.  I am always on the hunt for them.   I love them for the history of the architecture, as well as the clothing and styles of the time.   We love Category five, Graphic Signage.  This includes advertisements and road signs with great graphics to create unique wall art.   We have had so many terrific signs over the past 17 years come and go from the shop.  I had to add a photo of our huge directional arrow.  Can't miss that one!  Well we fell a bit short on Category six,  Natural Curiosities.  This would be in the Taxidermy department.  We actually did sell an early duck recently but it isn't really our department!  Finally, Category seven is mother of pearl flatware.  They are beautiful.  We look for early flatware including the mother of pearl.   We currently have a few settings of wood and metal but fall short on this category.  I will keep my eye out for mother of pearl.  Well I think we did well in 5 of the 7 categories.  Not too shabby!  Keep us on your list for places to go to keep up with the latest trends.  We have lots of other categories that fill our shop daily.  Stop by and take a look!   See you soon.  Suzanne