Thurston Nichols started at a very young age of 7, accompanying his father to country auctions. He comes from a long line in the antique business as his father and grandfather were dealers and collectors. Each possessing a passion for buying and selling antiques. Thurston was fortunate enough to witness many sales and was raised on a steady diet of paint-decorated pieces, folk art and fraktur (a Pennsylvania-German tradition of creating certificates and manuscripts with highly decorative watercolor painting and calligraphy), purchased and sold by his father. If the maxim holds true that the best education comes from experience, Thurston's education in the antique business has been rich. Working side by side, his father was able to train Thurston to recognize original paint surfaces and to instruct him daily on how to distinguish between the genuine and the contrived. He stressed to Thurston the importance of proportion and design and how regional characteristics are reflected in each. This intense education and practical experience has provided Thurston with a strong foundation and enabled him to develop the business to new levels in the spirit of his family's tradition. Thurston has handled many objects that are now part of well-known, private collections and in museums around the country, including American furniture, fraktur, and folk art. Because of such valuable education and experience, Thurston possesses a breadth of knowledge beyond his age and a passion that has been nurtured for three generations.
Anyone considering making a folk art purchase or building a collection would benefit from Thurston's guidance. Thurston attributes his success to his business philosophy, which is to create lasting relationships by understanding his clients' interests and passions, and by providing valuable guidance regarding antiques purchases. In addition, he assists clients with a full range of services, including conservation, restoration, interior placement and deco...