Antiques: Go East Young Man.

Over the years we have searched for antiques & collectible from Maine to California, Florida to the Dakotas and on one memorable trip, to England. Always searching for the unusual item for our collections or to sell in our antique mall booth. Driving with an empty van and returning with a load of goodies. Flying with empty suitcases, then wheeling them back filled till they bulge. Exploring for antiques or collectibles also is a learning experience as you examine pieces, ask questions, check maker’s marks and determine rarity and value. Of course, looking for the one special item with a price low enough to excite the collector or dealer in us.

This trip was to an area we had never tried before, Indiana and Ohio, north of Interstate 40. In a short five days we managed to visit nine locations,eight antique stores and one furniture resale shop, where we saw a great old western theme rocker with wagon wheel sides and horse head depicted on the seat back. That nine was a small fraction of the locations I had highlighted in the Antique Week newspaper, from an on-line search, recommended locations from store personnel and pamphlets we picked up along the way.

Driving a good twelve hundred miles through snow, during the coldest weather of the year, we managed to nearly fill the van with items from all the shops (we bought one item at the reseller, but not the rocker. (Darn, we should-a could-a).

If you haven’t followed my travel postings in the past, I like to point out the better stores and malls where we have stopped as we travel about. I have developed a set of criteria to judge each store that I want to inform you about. I also suggest that if you have favorite places that meet these requirements, you tell us all about them in a ‘reply’ in the space below. This will also help our other readers as they travel. The following are essential rules:

1. The staff is helpful, informative, friendly, (Brave, Clean and Reverent).

2. The store, aisles, booths and cases are clean, dusted and uncluttered, with merchandise displayed in an orderly fashion for easy viewing.

3. A good assortment of antiques and collectibles with an age requirement set by the mall management, (i.e. not newer than the 1970′s.)

4. Reproductions, if allowed, must be clearly marked, on a readable price tag. The tag should note damage or missing pieces telling you they are “As Found”.

5. A good store layout, so the journey through can be efficient.

The types of items I purchase have no bearing on whether I rate a store high or low.

Our first visit was in Auburn, Indiana, south of I-90 driving across the northern part of the state. The store is called the Sixth Street Emporium Antiques Mall, with three floors in a quaint mid sized downtown location at 106 West 6^th St. Phone 260-925-3433. I was impressed with the quality of the items offered, wifey loved the jewelry.

Auburn is also where Home Again, the resale store was located.

After visiting several shops in and around Cleveland, including a very fine jewelry and art shop in the exclusive Shaker Heights area, we drove south on I-71 to Copley, OH to the Copley Antique Mall, 1451 S. Cleveland-Massillon Rd. Phone 330-665-5581, and were greeted by the owner Maggie Walker. One of the smaller multi-dealer locations we shopped this trip, I was pleased to find several great items amongst a splendid array of fine offerings, and added this shop to our “A” list. 

Our guidance system took us to the Medina Antique Mall, located at 2797 Medina Road, Phone 330-722-0017. A large mall, it has 500 dealer spaces or cases in a 52,000 square foot building. In line with my requirements to make the “A” list,we found staff very helpful in opening cases, unburdening our load as we continued through the easy to navigate aisles in an adventure that started in the late morning and lasted most of the day. Thankfully, the mall has its own cafe’ or we might have starved.

Our journey continued to Columbus, and then West into Indiana. I had aways heard that Ohio was a great place to shop, and it might take many more trips to explore all the places we missed on this one adventure. We had a great time.

R-L Medina Staff, Jean (General Manager),Mary, Melissa, Bonnie, Joy, David