Killer Things and Tons of Money by Maureen Stanton is a wonderful book to read and a hard book to categorize. It is part biography, part memoir, part history, and part philosophy.
This spirited nonfiction follows Stanton as he reunites with a college friend, “Curt Avery,” who has become an independent antiques dealer. She identifies Avery and several other people in the book under pseudonyms to protect their privacy and his business interests.
Avery makes a living off of her ability to spot valuable objects as a result of her years of hands-on antiques education, gained by working in auction houses, listening to other dealers, visiting shows, and most of all, reading extensively and researching at all times. free that I can find. The book follows Avery on her quest to find and resell items and as the book progresses we see him specialize more as a dealer, focusing on higher performing items.
But more important than Avery’s financial life, we learn about the intrinsic value Avery places on history and the beauty of the many unique and often forgotten pieces from our past that dealers and collectors help bring to light.
In this sense, the book is a biography of Avery, and we learn about his family, how he got into antiquing by digging for bottles as a young man, and his personal investment in preserving early American items. But the book is also a memoir of Stanton’s own journeys to accompany Avery on long days and nights of working at antique shows and weekend shopping trips to big markets and small garage sales. We learn as she learns about the inside of the business.
Stanton also includes lengthy sections on the history of certain antiques and collectibles, and includes some context on the recent popularization of antiques through TV shows like traveling exhibition of antiques and celebrities like Leigh and Leslie Keno. His own reading and research are evident, and he quotes from a variety of interesting sources, providing the reader with a solid list of books for further study.
writing in Killer Things and Tons of Money it is clear, descriptive and vivid. I enjoyed following Stanton and Avery through the world of unique items and the people who collect and sell them. I would recommend this book not only to those interested in antiques, but also to anyone interested in the effort it takes to succeed as a solo entrepreneur, whether it be at high end antique shows or on eBay.