Mystique of cowboy lures collectors

TWIN FALLS, Idaho - In the world of antiques, Western collectibles are at a premium. Everyone wants them, and acquiring them costs more than a pretty penny.

"A lot of people look for spurs, chaps, bits, stuff like that," said Leo Reese, who owns Second Time Around in Twin Falls with his wife, Claudia. "We used to sell Western antiques in Buhl, but it took off about 10 years ago and we couldn't get anything anymore."

Claudia Reese said the items are difficult to find "because more people started doing it. They turned up their nose at you before, then everybody wants to be a cowboy."

She explained that several dealers came from all over and combed out all the items people had stored in attics, basements, chests or trunks or in bookshelves.

And although you can find some collectibles in southern Idaho, "the good stuff is hard to come by. In Twin Falls, you might find a few things for around $200 or $300," Claudia Reese said.

And that's the inexpensive stuff. Reese said a silver inlaid bit with a fancy braided headstall, part of the bridle, can sell for $3,000.

But you won't be able to find one of those in antique stores locally.

Ron Gillett trades old cowboy gear in Stanley and has become an expert on bits and spurs. He thinks the appeal of cowboy memorabilia is that "there's just something about the mystique of the American West."

Gillett said the true cowboy era only lasted from 1880 until 1920 during the big cattle drives from Texas north to Canada, along the western edge of Kansas, through Wyoming and Montana.

"The cowboy might want a particular saddle out of Miles City (Mont.) because it would be a great piece of gear," Gillett said. That is how particular brand names in cowboy gear became known, respected and collected.

So what is collectible in Western antiques?

"Any aspect of a cowboy's life can be collectible," explained Reese. Not only is the cowboy's gear valuable, but so are pictures and items a cowboy might have come across in his travels.

"There's a great book, `Cowboy Culture,' that sold out so fast I don't know if it's in any bookstores," said Gillett. "It's a coffee table-style book by Michael Friedman and covers bar stuff, gambling stuff, brothel stuff."

Anything from old Western bars and brothels is collectible, including the tiny guns and daggers the prostitutes kept in their purses and garters. There are even bottles with embossed figures of women that are highly valuable.

And particular names have value, Reese said, like Hamley from Pendleton, Ore., Porters from Arizona and Visalia from San Francisco. G.S. Garcia is a top name in bits and spurs, he said, and the value of a piece goes higher if the original mark appears on it.

Gillett said con artists have been known to add a G.S. Garcia mark to a nicely made bit or spur so dealing with a trusted dealer is critical because they can spot fakes.

"People nowadays, they'll take things off one saddle and put them on another," said Reese. "You might not know what's original and what's not . . . but a reputable cowboy dealer will be able to tell if things have been moved around."

A good way to meet quality dealers is at shows, and one of the top ones, according to Gillett, is the High Noon Show and Auction in Mesa, Ariz., every January.

Joseph Sherwood, who owns High Noon Western Collectibles and backs the Arizona show, has a Web site dedicated to getting information out about Western antiques and welcomes questions through e-mail at www.hinoon.com.

Another resource is the National Bit, Spur and Saddle Collection Association. For an annual fee, collectors can receive a calendar of collectible events, shows and auctions, a membership list and four yearly newsletters. Their Web site is www.walkingstar.com/nbssca.

Gillett recommended people educate themselves about collectibles, suggesting "Bit And Spur Makers in the Vaquero Tradition" by Ned Martin as a starting point.

Gillett said the photos in the book "Cowboy Gear" by David Stoecklein also can help people figure out if the bit or the spur they are thinking about purchasing is really a G.S. Garcia.

Other references include reprints of old saddlery or other catalogs. These cost a bit, but they familiarize collectors with good names, styles and quality.

"You have to be quick" when assessing an item, Gillett said, "because there'll be 10 guys behind you ready to buy it right then."