Through his photos, award winning photographer Myron Beck (Los Angeles, CA) inspires us to dream and embrace the beauty that surrounds us in the people we see, the environments in which we thrive and the diverse cultures that enrich our lives.

www.myronbeck.com
 

See You On Facebook!
The New High Noon
Social Networking Site

First it was worldwide air travel that seemed to make the world smaller and allow us to connect in our business and our personal lives with people across the country and around the globe. This paled in comparison to how the Internet then took us by storm and allowed us to expand our businesses and personal relationships via e-mail and websites. And now, the definitive next phase in marketing and networking has taken the world by storm - social networking, the phrase we all hear over and over again.

In the beginning, these social networking sites such as Facebook seemed to be just fun sites to re-connect with long lost friends and keep in touch with new ones. Well, that's not the case anymore. Social networks sites have become a driving force in commerce. From the mega-corps like IBM to the small, locally owned neighborhood restaurant, the social networking sites have become the new and powerful window to the world. They have created virtual communities and connected people worldwide with like interests and goals. It was stunning to us how, shortly after our Smoke Signal's June article on "Antiques Are Green" a flood of requests to join the "Antiques are Green" movement on the social networking site Linked-In came in. Since then, we've connected with antiquers around the world who are part of this on-line organization. This is just a small sample of how powerful these sites can be in maintaining and growing your businesses.

Social networking sites are collections or communities of people sharing information and communicating online. Members of these networks actively support each other, share questions and concern and ultimately, create a wonderful synergy for the world we live in.

Those of us interested in Western Americana need to stick together. We come together each year at the annual High Noon Show & Auction and the Denver Show & Auction, but are left on our own the rest of the year.  Wouldn't it be great to have someone to go to when you have a question? To have other people to talk with about your interests? To have the opportunity to share your expertise with others in a forum discussion? To connect with collectors or customers through social networks? Maybe even make a deal?

It is the goal of High Noon to create a support community for collectors, buyers and sellers of Western Americana. We offer a variety of resources including our website, the Show & Auction, Smoke Signals, and now, Social Networking.

High Noon has created a Facebook page and we strongly encourage you to join (it's free) and become part of this burgeoning group of collectors and fans of Western Americana. In addition, you will find updates about the show and auction and links to pertinent articles and videos.  Send in and share your own photos of artifacts, activities and friends!

Become our Facebook friend today by visiting our page at:
www.facebook.com/highnoonwesternamericana
See you on Facebook!

Howard Knight
Rocking K Custom Leather,
Stevensville, Montana

Perfection with an eye to the classic Western floral style, that is what goes into the works of art created by Howard Knight. Works of art that we see as boots, purses and belts but what he sees as his passion and life-long dream.

Today, one of the country's best leather toolers, he began his journey as a young boy in 4-H learning leather craft. With an obvious natural ability and artistic talent, he then trained under master leather carver Ray Pohja, perfecting his skill. For several years, Howard did this only as a hobby as his "real job" as an electrician consumed most of his time. A work related injury took Howard out of the electrical game for a while. To fill his time off, he began designing and creating his leather works of art we know today. Soon, he had so much business that he said good-bye to "Howard the electrician" and hello to Howard Knight, Rocking K Custom Leather. Woo-Hoo! - and the world is a more beautiful place because he did!

It was about this time 8 or so years ago that Howard realized he needed to get out in the show world to market his amazing creations. He had heard of the High Noon Western Americana Show so he flew down to Mesa and checked it out. Taken by the quality and energy of the show, Howard knew this was a good fit for him and he's been part of the High Noon family ever since.

Howard's artistic creations in leather are inspired by his love for nature and fly-fishing. It's the natural rhythms and elegance of the water that are reflected in what he creates. "It's hard to explain" he says, "but it's almost like the designs just come out of my hands." A look at his work reveals those hands are pretty amazing.

Howard is also inspired and thrives on collaborating with other artists on projects such as Lisa Sorrell, Susan Adams and Doug Magnus. Everything Howard does is original and meticulously done by hand. Is work is featured in shops in Vail, Santa Fe and Jackson Hole where our own Mary Schmitt features him at Cayuse (we just love these connections and our High Noon family!) It was his exposure at the shop in Vail however, that put Howard over the top. A rather wealthy gentleman noticed his work there and Howard received the commission to create a special pair of boots for him. 780 hours later the masterpiece was done and Howard hit the six-figure mark for a single pair of boots! Well done!!

We don't have to worry about that going to his head though. Howard is one of the most genuine and genuinely original Western men.

Howard Knight
Rocking K Custom Leather
3443 Baldwin Road
Stevensville, MT 59870
(406) 777-3542
howard.knight@montana.com
www.rockingkcustomleather.com

PHOTOS:
Briefcase: This fabulous briefcase is destined for its new owner in Dallas for a cool $18,000
Pure Luxury: These boots are the result of the collaborative effort between Howard Knight and Lisa Sorrell. Good team effort indeed!

Each month, Smoke Signals will give a little insight into who makes High Noon happen. This month we introduce you to Peter Erickson, Magistrate of the Preview Room.

Pete Erickson
Magistrate of the High Noon
Auction Preview Room

In very short order, just a few days before the auction and show begins, Pete's eyes glaze over as boxes and boxes and then more boxes containing all of the lots for the upcoming High Noon auction are delivered, waiting to be unpacked and become presentation worthy. For more years then Pete can remember, he's been the one standing in this sea of boxes and paper, commandeering the unpacking of the over 400 lots - from artwork to the tiniest artifact - nothing's been lost but there have been a few close calls. Routinely, Pete recalls, each year, there's the frantic search for the one piece that's still hiding deep in that dark abyss of containers. With Joseph and Danny watching, the pressure is on to make sure every lot is accounted for and that the end presentation is western elegance extraordinaire. That's Pete's job and he does it better than anyone could ever imagine.

Whatever happens behind the scenes, Pete's not talking. But he does say that, over the years, they've developed a system that works like clockwork and now, "six old men can set up the preview room in half the time it used to take."

"It's really not that hard," Pete comments, "to make a room full of million dollar stuff look good." When asked have there been any close calls or stories you want to share? Funny incidents in the preview room? "Yes," he chuckles, "but I can't tell you any of them..."  You can't tell?  Please, Pete.  We love your stories!  Dry, droll, sometimes self-deprecating, Pete's stories of his family and life in Fargo, ND are hilarious! His jokes have been described as the Dust Bowl of Comedy. Moby, his big van, is the brunt of most of them. Like a petulant child, Moby stories should be serialized with tales of misbegotten trips and problematic electrical mysteries. Pete aided by his wife Kathy make a great comedy team when doing "Sven" jokes. And beloved Fargo gets romanticized with its lack of innate entertainment. Pete and Kathy make their own!

Once the show opens, you'll find Pete bouncing from his booth where his real business, Frontier Americana, is in full action, to the preview room, to acting as in-house expert for anyone needing information on antique firearms. Wife Kathy and daughter Andretta "man" the booth while Pete flits about.

Pete's life revolves around the history and world of firearms, logging thousands of miles each year in search of and selling the finest there is. His shop in Fargo, also known as Frontier Americana, which he has had for 13 years, is a virtual museum of pre-1899 western firearms. The shop also features the finest in Western and Native American art and furnishings.

When asked if there is anything in his personal collection he would never part with Pete responds: "My 18th century Scottish flintlock pistol. I would never sell that." When asked what advice he would give to new dealers coming into the business? "Make sure you have a wife with a good job." That's Pete and his insatiable sense of humor. He adds light and levity to the High Noon event and our High Noon family.

Pete Erickson
Frontier Americana
P.O Box 887
Fargo, ND 58107
(701) 241-4440
www.frontieramericanaoffargo.com

This month, Smoke Signals talks with Denice Langley - "She's no rhinestone cowgirl."

Denise Langley
Denise Langley Design
Cortez, Colorado

If Coco Chanel had designed chaps, it's likely they may have resembled the ones created by Denice Langley, as this month's "inner Cowgirl" is about taking the Western style to high design. Growing up in Cortez, Colorado, passionate about horses and being crowned Rodeo Queen in high school, Denice was always a step apart from the traditional look of her rodeo-ing counterparts. Even as a young girl, her eye went to the styles of Ralph Lauren, Coco Chanel and Hermes - sophisticated, rich and perhaps a bit whimsical.

Denise remembers when she was in high school, she just hated the cowgirl shirts and outfits that were available to buy at the local tack stores. She wanted to look different. She would buy $50/yard gabardine fabric, design and sew her own shirts to wear at competition. Soon, she wasn't just making them for herself but many of the men wanted them too. At a very young age, Denice Langley, designer, was born.

But life got in the way for a period of years and Denice became part of the six figure corporate world working in Oklahoma City as a retail manager for Helzberg Diamonds.  Then one day, as she was nearing 40, she woke and realized she wasn't happy. "I would go to work when it was dark and come home when it was dark - seven days a week! This is no way to live!"

The opportunity to work with her mother's thriving business in New Mexico gave her the escape route she needed and put her back in the world of horses she dearly missed and loved. Selling her home and living in a horse trailer for a year and a half, Lisa got back into showing cutting horses.

But, in true Langley style, she wanted fancier chaps than the ones that were available. So, instead of saving up to have them custom-made, she saved up and bought her first leather sewing machine and designed her own. Incredible tooling, detailing and fit, they were an immediate hit and she found herself taking orders, designing and making chaps for many men on the circuit.

Not happy with the silver available to use as accents, she found her own silver supply and, with the help of a cassette video, became a self-taught engraver. That's Denice, self-taught all the way driven by a passion for transcending Western-style to high-design! Artist extraordinaire by nature, today her lines include purses to rival any Hermes bag; belts and accessories to adorn that little black dress, custom sandals, vests and coats. A stunning suede cape adorned with fur and sterling took the 2009 Western Design Conference Fashion Show by storm drawing oohs and ahhs from the savvy Jackson Hole crowd.

But wait -there's more! Denice creates the most fabulous line of boot accessories which she calls "UFF's." These boot adornments take any pair of cowboy boots or UGG's and transforms them to the mood your in that day. Want a little fringe, perhaps you're feeling a bit in the mood for mink? These interchangeable zip-on boot cuffs take the average and transform them into the exceptional.

Today, Denice is back in her hometown of Cortez, Colorado where she still works seven days a week but now it's in her studio with her horse right outside and her dogs at her feet. Everything Denice creates is original and completely hand-made. You'll find no rhinestones on anything she makes but what you will find is what she does create will turn heads on 5th Avenue in New York. It may be western-inspired but it's all high-style.


Denice Langley
Denice Langley Designs
10405 Hwy 491
Cortez, CO 81321
(970) 564-5184
denice@denicelangley.com
www.denicelangley.com

High Noon 2010 Dealer Update
from "T"

Dear High Noon Dealers,
 
The clock's ticking...tick tock! Contracts are due this Thursday (October 15th). They were sent via email September 8th. You should have received a 2-page contract & a "Dealer Info" e-packet. If you or someone you know has been with High Noon for many years, including Phoenix, and did not receive a contract, please give me a holler. It's our first time emailing them, and you never know "where in the cyberspace" they're going to land, or if they did!

Also, don't forget that you can download a copy of the 2010 floor plan from our beautiful new website!

Today I'm going to discuss a topic that is near & dear to all of us...
You guessed it! The Mesa Convention Center Fire Safety Regulations!

I'm going to share this info with you in a question & answer format.

Q: Why?
A: My goal is to inform you, not bore you! (I said that's the goal, I'm not making any promises)

Q: I read the entire "Dealer Info" packet that you sent with my 2010 contract. Are you giving me new information?
A: Okay, raise your hand if you actually read the whole packet. Yeah, that's what I thought! Liar, liar pants on fire...(No pun intended)

Yes, the fire marshal has given me some important info that absolutely needs to be shared with you. Some of this is covered in your packet, but a little reminder never hurt anyone, right?

Q: What does it mean when you say the fire marshal has "approved" our floor plan?
A: It means all systems are go! From this moment on, nothing can be changed or moved out of its place without adjusting the floor plan & getting her approval, well in advance of the show.

Q: I'm a "table" dealer. How does that affect me?
A: Well, it means you may not adjust the whereabouts of your table in any way, and the space "in front" of & "behind" your table is an aisle, not a place to put all your extra stuff. The only thing allowed behind your table is you, the wife, and your chairs. That's it!

If you're a table dealer in the Gallery, your table will be against the wall, and your chair will be beside your table, not behind it.
*Everything you need to know about "Table Dealer Rules & Regs" is in your "Dealer Info" e-packet.

Q: I'm a "booth" dealer. What does that mean for me?
A: Your tables may not stick out in the aisle beyond your 8' walls, and your chairs need to be placed "inside" your booth, so please plan accordingly.
* Everything you need to know about "Booth Dealer Rules & Regs" is in your "Dealer Info" e-packet.

Q: Why does High Noon require that I have a "real" table cover on my table? Why can't I just plop a hide or some old sheets or blankets on my table & who's going to care?
A: The fire marshal may allow you to place your hide on your table, as long as there is a table cover underneath it & it is fire retardant (you can check in with her at the show). The reason High Noon would like you to cover your table properly, is so the public, as well as your High Noon neighbors, does not have to look at all the stuff you've got piled under your table...it's not pretty!

Q: When the show was in Phoenix, we were not allowed to keep cardboard or crates under our tables or in our booths. Will it be the same in Mesa?
A: Duh!

Q: Why does my table cover have to be fire retardant, and who the heck is going to be checking it anyway?
A: The Mesa Fire Department requires it, and you've got to trust me on this, the fire marshal will be coming around and asking to see the manufacturer's tag that is attached to your table cover. The tag should say something in regards to it being treated with fire retardant.

Q: So, what will the fire marshal do if my table cover does not have a fire retardant tag inside?
A: She'll probably throw you and your faulty table cover out onto the street. I don't want to be responsible for scraping you off the pavement, so please don't bring the darn thing!

Q: I'd like to purchase my own fire retardant table covers, but I don't know where to get them.
A: The info is in your "Dealer Info" e-packet. If you've lost it already or used it to line the bottom of your birdcage, you can download another copy from our website. Look for the dealer page.

Q: What size covers should I purchase?
A: "Table" dealers should order the 8' x 2.5' covers. If you're a "booth" dealer please wait until you've received your "Confirmation" packet before ordering your fire retardant table covers. Booth size determines how many & what size tables you'll receive.

Q: Can I rent fire retardant table covers at the show?
A: Of course you can! Dynamic Events will be renting them at the "go to" table at the show, on a first-come, first-served basis for $20 each.

Q: Can I just buy some bottles of fire retardant & do it myself? How hard could it be?
A: Sure, you can do it yourself if you like, but there's a catch. The fire marshal will require proof. Here's what she'll want from you:
Your receipt of purchase of the fire retardant;
Your empty bottles (yes, you'll have to bring them to Mesa with you. You can pack them between your bits & spurs);
FYI - When you apply the fire retardant to your table cover, yourself, it is only good for one year, so you would have to go through this all over again in 2011. Oh joy!

Q: Will the fire marshal test to see if my table cover is really fire retardant?
A: Yes! The fire marshal carries a really big blowtorch with her at all times. Stay out of her way!

Q: Okay, I get the picture. If I have any more questions or just want to whine to you about the rules, how can I reach you?
A: #310-202-9010 or Theresa@highnoon.com

The High Noon Team looks forward to seeing you in January. We're all glad to be going back to Mesa.

We'll see you down the trail,
Theresa