| (West Palm Beach, FL) A record number of dealers | | | | most frequently asked question of Mellon during a |
| set up for the February Antiques Spectacular, | | | | Show is “Do all of these watches work?” The |
| traditionally the largest Show of the season for the | | | | answer is “Most of them.” One of the few that |
| West Palm Beach Antiques Festival. Festival owners | | | | don’t work also happens to be the oldest in the |
| Kay and Bill Puchstein said attendance surpassed | | | | inventory. It is a 200 year old French watch made by |
| even that of the January Show which was the largest | | | | Charles Odin who made this type watch only between |
| up to that time under their ownership. | | | | 1809 and 1830. It needs about $400 worth of repair |
| The March 5-7 edition of the West Palm Beach | | | | work to it but it has over $500 worth of 18 kt. solid |
| Antiques Festival is also shaping to be a red letter | | | | gold in the case at current scrap prices. He will sell it |
| event with a strong complement of regular dealers | | | | for anything over the scrap value. The most |
| augmented by a growing number of new faces and | | | | expensive watch in the inventory at $1,500 is a three |
| the expectation of improving weather for the South | | | | register chronograph with 40 jewels and a sapphire |
| Florida region. All 900 of the inside dealer spaces have | | | | crystal made by Tag Heuer. Mellon gladly gives free |
| been sold out for weeks. | | | | market value appraisals of time pieces brought to his |
| One of the members of the regular dealer corps is | | | | booth by Show visitors and makes an active market |
| Peter Mellon of Pompano Beach, FL. Mellon got into | | | | both buying and selling time pieces. |
| the general antiques business as the result of a | | | | Mellon also has a large inventory of pocket knives in all |
| storage problem. He and his wife had accumulated | | | | sizes. He says vintage American made blades are the |
| more antiques than they had room for. His | | | | favorite of his regular customers. Another popular item |
| brother–in–law was an antique watch dealer and | | | | with his customers is his large collection of lighters |
| suggested Mellon specialize too. He did, taking a series | | | | including vintage Zippos, logo lighters and character |
| of horology classes to bolster his knowledge. He has | | | | lighters with depictions of Wonder Woman, Babe Ruth, |
| been at it for over twenty years now and his personal | | | | Howdy Doody, Superman, Mickey Mouse, Star Trek |
| knowledge of watches has far outstripped the level of | | | | and many more but his personal favorites are the |
| the classes he took. | | | | Zippos. He has learned how to read the date code on |
| He sets up shop at the West Palm Beach Antiques | | | | the bottom of a Zippo and will gladly tell you how old |
| Festival with an inventory of over 2,000 pieces | | | | your vintage Zippo is. |
| consisting of watches, pocket knives and lighters. The | | | | |