A huge rhinoceros skull he found at an antique store in Alaska is one of the most unusual items in Pfeffer’s Kingston house. He regularly canvasses Hudson Valley flea markets and peruses the area antiques shops. He tries to stop at every yard sale he drives past.
It’s been his experience that the best items for the least amount of money are found in the most unassuming places, he said, and that’s part of what he enjoys about collecting period Hudson Valley household artifacts. Natural-history relics are also typically found either wildly far afield of their place of origin, or they are found objects like insect and bird nests.
“I don’t like to beat someone down too much on the price, but yes, it’s an accepted part of the purchasing process.” he explained. “You make the seller a cash offer, and they either take it or leave it.”
After Pfeffer’s divorce a decade ago, he began renting out rooms in the historic home to people primarily employed by not-for-profit environmental agencies. This allowed him financially to justify keeping a large house of which he had always been fond while also supporting the community. His present goal is to find a way to make the house and grounds self-supporting. He’s looking ar the possibility of turning the downstairs into an antiques store. As much fun as he’s had collecting everything, for the right price, there isn’t much he would hesitate to sell.
But Pfeffer’s still buying stuff, too. “I quit buying clothes,” he said. “My attic looks like a flea market. My kids now borrow the flannel plaid shirts and other classic garments I bought in the 1970s. I’m proud to note that everything still fits. But I’m still in the market for certain types of undervalued antiques, stuff few other people seem to want, like old film cameras.”
Pfeffer looks at buying to collect as an investment. “Eventually I’ll sell everything,” he said. “There’s a part of me that would love to live in an ultra-modern house with nothing in it, but without all my treasures this place would feel like just another big, old, empty house.”
