The "Cherish Is The Word That I Use To Describe ..... Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just picked up my gray stocking hat from a clerk at the Big Valley Antique Center in Reedsville, Pennsylvania.  Carol and I made a trip to the huge antique store the day before with friends Jere and Just Sue to look around at all the antiques and see how many of them we happen to have in our home in Lancaster.  Place was huge with two floors covered from floor to ceiling in the place that was a big as a football field.  While I was there I somehow dropped my new hat that I was wearing for the first time, since it was a Christmas gift from my dear wife.  After leaving the antique center and getting in my car in the parking lot, I noticed my hat missing.  Walked back through the store, but to try and find it in a store that large with antiques everywhere, I knew it would be impossible.  Made a call earlier today and found that someone had turned it in at the desk.  For once I was lucky!  While we were there yesterday we discovered some rather interesting and unique antiques.  Rather than buy them and take them home to sit on a table or shelf until I die, I decided to take photos of my favorites to share with you.  If you were born in the 1920s to the 1950s you may recognize much of what follows.  Enjoy the photos and if you care to purchase something from the store, give them a call at 717-667-2400.  The only thing you won't find there anymore is a gray stocking hat, since I am wearing it right now.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - tomorrow I will post a few more antiques that have some meaning to myself and my family.

Sign outside the Antique Center.  This area near State College is home to many Amish and Mennonites just as Lancaster County has been since it was established in the early 1700s.  Click on photos to enlarge.

The interior of the center is very easy to maneuver through.  Wide aisles and well-lit displays and cabinets.  In this photo you can see an Amish gentleman waiting for his wife to finish buying back all that they had discarded a few years ago.

A miniature violin for sale for $110.  It is about 12" in length.  A real steal!

An actual Ouija Board.  I had never seen one before.  The Catholic Church and other Christian denominations had warned against using ouija boards, being that they can lead to demonic possession.  It was introduced to the public on July 1, 1890 by American spiritualist Pearl Curran.  It uses a small heart-shaped piece of wood or plastic called a planchette.  Participants place their finger on the planchette and move it about the board to spell out words.  Exactly what will happen to the person using it I haven't determined.  I'm not sure of the price you had to pay for it.  Maybe your life!

These are miniature books.  You can see a small pencil and button in front of them to determine size.  They were selling for $15 and $25.  

Cardboard Mother's Oat container.  Asking $22 for it.  If only we hadn't thrown all of our containers away years ago.

A thermos bottle featuring The Fonz for $36.

A container of John Surrey's Syrian Dobrudja imported tobaccos for $18.  I assume you could use it in the pipe with a sterling silver band that sat next to it that sold for $26.

This is a Jim Shore Heartwood Creek nutcracker armed with holiday cheer.  Asking $75 for it.  I hurried my wife past this counter since she would have loved it for her collection of nutcrackers.

This is a frame filled with glass slides from Italy.  Glass or lantern slides were popular in the 17th century.  It is selling for $65.  Really not a bad price for something like this.

This is a record cleaner.  I never knew they made record cleaners.  Going for $12.

An $8 dashboard magnet used for good luck. 

This was selling for $125.  I guess if you had an Eddie in the family it would be a great buy.

Sloan's Liniment bottle with box for $25.  It was originally a veterinary product to treat sore and lame horses, but the inventor's son put it on the market as a remedy for human ills and developing it into a world-wide product that is still available today.  Some people will buy anything!

I couldn't read the price tag, but this just had to be a bargain.

This is an authentic German incense smoker.  Smokers were developed around 1850 in Heidelberg.  They first were made of dough, but later carved or turned from wood.  Not a bad buy for $10.

Inspector Gadget for $15.  This is fairly new since Inspector Gadget was an animated TV series in 1983.

A Royal Dalton balloon lady selling for $49.95.

Not sure what you might think these are, but they are tin cans that held tobacco and sold for $13.

These three items are upside-down shot glasses known as McKee Custard shot glasses.   They were selling for $125 each.

A children's music box.  I can remember having a music box as a child and as a parent.  This one is marked  $30 AS IS which probably means it doesn't work.

This unopened box of Wheaties will probably sell quickly in Penn State territory.  The price is $20.

My final photo for today is a spectacular antique c1800's plaster lamp.  It is a Black Americana Holland Man & Woman.  Considered very rare.  It needs some touch-up work done to it and some plaster Paris repairs.  AS IS for $325.00.  It says it is very heavy. You would need to supply your own shades.