Things come and go so quickly in New York City and without notice. So when places that you take for granted disappear, it can be quite a shock. One such place for me was a New York hidden institution called Whiskey Dust, located in the West Village. Specializing in all things western, it was a great store to find special things that are next to impossible to find in the big city.

I was very happy to hear that beginning on October 24, Whitaker Auctions of Philadelphia -- a specialist auction house for antique and vintage clothing -- will hold their two-day semi-annual auction in the Fire House in New Hope, PA. This sale features western wear and cowboy artifacts from a four decade private collection of Merv and Hollie Bendewald and the inventory from their amazing store, Whiskey Dust. The first offerings from the collection and the store's inventory go on the block October 25, 2008.

Some of the lots to look for include vintage Nudie suits, over 200 pairs of cowboy boots, saddles, and native American items. You can see some of the lots for sale by visiting their web site (whitakerauction.com) which includes 13 photo galleries of hundreds of items and instructions for bidding.

It's a second chance to acquire some fantastic Americana -- and a remembrance of a great store -- before it finally rides off into the sunset. --STEPHEN WATSON

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