By Art Petrosemolo
The watches, clocks, jewelry and silver on the shelves at Blue Stove Antiques in Fair Haven all come with a story. Some of them are even as interesting as that of its octogenarian owner Isaak “Ike” Burstein.
For more than 40 years, Burstein and his wife Myra have sold unique antique treasurers acquired locally or from locations across the world out of the shop. “It’s a labor of love,” he says, “and many times it is very hard to part with things I have acquired.” It is understandable as Burstein lost everything during the Second World War and lived through the horror of the Holocaust.
A look in the store safe confirms Burstein’s sentiments for many of his treasures – trays of watches and jewelry – are locked up each night and brought out daily for display.
“I always have been a clock collector,” says Burstein, “and am known for that in the business. Many people will bring their timepieces to me to expedite repair, to sell or just to appraise.”
One of Burstein’s favorite and most treasured timepieces is a rare, 1746 Henton Brown Musical Bracket Clock made in London that plays six tunes. Burstein has owned it for more than a half century.
In a business where many equate age into high price, Burstein cautions buyers that quality trumps age most times. “Remember,” he smiles, “they made junk 100 years ago just as they do today!”
Born in Lithuania in Eastern Europe in 1929, Burstein, experienced the horror of World War II and Nazi atrocities firsthand. The family was unable to escape their homeland after the German invasion in 1941. Burstein survived for four years doing slave labor at Dachau, north of Munich in Southern Germany.
Dachau was the first concentration camp the Nazi’s opened in Germany in 1933. There were some 32,000 documented – and thousands of undocumented – deaths during its 12-year existence.
Burstein was freed by the allies in May 1945 after Dachau guards marched the remaining prisoners west away from the camp toward the German border in what he describes as a “death march.”
Although the memories will be with him forever, Burstein today focuses on what happened since 1945, not before it. “My parents made sure I could speak English as a child,” Burstein says,” and I still speak several languages.”
After being liberated, Burstein worked for one year as an interpreter for the United States Army in Munich before immigrating to the United States and starting a new life in New York City not yet having celebrated his 20th birthday.
Burstein met his wife on New Year’s Eve in 1947. They were married in 1950 and have lived in New Jersey for more than 40 years. “Myra was interested in, loved and understood antiques and collectibles,” Burstein says, “and we opened the shop here in Fair Haven.”
In the 1980s, the Bursteins renovated the building and he gave up his corporate job in New York City to focus on timepieces, jewelry and antiques, something both he and his wife loved.
Today Burstein, 86, still travels to estate sales and flea markets looking for hidden treasures but more often than not, collectors bring items to him. He also has a client list with names we’d all recognize and he understandably protects. “You’d be surprised how many people buy quality watches, jewelry and antiques as an investment,” Burstein says. “Many times I actually buy back items from clients for more than I sold it to them because of appreciation.”
The Burstein’s have two children. Their son Matt is a well-known antique restorer based in Boston and daughter Beth is a photographer in New Jersey.
Burstein is patient with browsers and dabblers who visit his shop looking – many times – for a present with no idea of what they want or the cost involved. We have antiques in all price ranges he smiles as not everyone can afford a Patek Philippe, Breitling or Bvlgari watch that – even used – is expensive.
Burstein recalls a woman who came in to have her dad’s Rolex watch looked at and repaired. She said her dad also was considering selling it and she wanted to know its value. “I looked at it,” Burstein says, “and told her that indeed it could be fixed and the watch was so valuable that I would be happy to give her dad a new Rolex to replace it as well as a sizable check.” Burstein says the woman was shocked and talked to her dad who decided he would keep the watch.
When describing what makes a timepiece so valuable, Burstein is in his element. He reminds visitors that if you just need to tell time, a battery powered Timex will give you hours, minutes, seconds and probably even the date just fine.
“But,” he goes on, “if you value a piece of engineering with hundreds of moving parts that tells time accurately plus accounts for the different length of months, leap year or even the phases of the moon – a watch which could take years to complete as well, running flawlessly for decades inside a precious metal case, and will appreciate in value every year – well that’s a work of art.”
Many of Burstein’s collectors look for the unusual and unique. He cites a limited edition Longines’ watch – only 80 were made – to celebrate the 80th anniversary in 2007 of the Charles Lindberg’s trans-Atlantic flight. Burstein had a chance to buy one from an owner and gladly paid more than the retail price. It sits patiently in his shop waiting for its next owner.
Burstein has good advice to new collectors of antiques, jewelry and watches. “Be sure you buy something of quality. Keep it serviced and care for it,” he says. “Buy one item of quality rather than waste your money on 10 items because they’re cheap.”
