Mark Grove

My interests are reading, writing, and cooking, but I was an avid collector for decades. It was one of the worst habits to kick. For 25 years I fed the habit as an antiques dealer. Shopping was half of the job description. Except for auctioneering, I was involved in all other categories of the business: picker, shopkeeper, mall operator, eBayer, trader, restoration, schlepping, hauling, writer, TV presenter, etc. Money wasn't the motivation or I would have dropped out sooner. My stated and actual objective was independence; I hate having a boss. I also hate commuting. Well, for 25 years I had no boss and did not commute but I also had no money; it was all wrapped up in the business. My shop was my home. I sold my storefronts in 2004 and retrained as an appraiser (ASA, AAA, RICS) which is what I did for a long while before retiring to Florida with my wife, Chany. In my "Picker Series," which is semi-autobiographical, Chany is Emma and I am Charles Dawes. All of my books are written in the first person. Charles and Emma travel about Virginia, The States, Europe, and the rest of the world searching for undervalued treasures ("sleepers"). Most of the anecdotes are based on my real experiences. This title is in the process of being translating into Spanish. The sequel is, "Some Kind of Good."