Looking for Treasure
Antique dealers from three states are gearing up to converge next weekend at the Tanglewood Center in Lyndora, where the 60th annual GFWC Intermediate League of Butler Antiques Show and Sale is scheduled for March 19 through 21.
Proceeds will benefit local charities, including the Maridon Museum, Butler YWCA, American Red Cross, Butler Public Library, Butler County Historical Society and others.
The sale will feature 42 vendors with furniture, primitives, stoneware, redware, jewelry, post cards, sports memorabilia and more.
"We have some of the favorite vendors from the past returning for our special diamond anniversary," said event business manager Judy Neigh.
"We also have a new lovely jewelry vendor and, of course, G. Warren Smith, who will be featuring his collection of Aladdin lamps."
Smith is a retired chemistry professor and university administrator, having served as president of Southeastern Louisiana and Slippery Rock universities.
Although retired, Smith is busier than ever, with antique collecting among his hobbies.
"There is fun and there's satisfaction in restoring and using attractive and well-made items from a less complicated era," Smith said.
"Over the years, I've rebuilt clocks, scientific instruments, furniture — and even cars," Smith said.
For five decades, however, Smith's focus has included lamps.
One of Smith's specialties is the Aladdin lamp. The Aladdin lamp's uniqueness stemmed from its use of a round wick that provided a nonflickering light — unlike the flat wicks of the day.It also used a rare earth mantle that was able to produce light similar to that of 60 watt bulb, much brighter than its flat wick competition.Entrepreneur Victor Samuel Johnson, a Nebraska native, saw an example of this magnificent light source back in 1905. It was a German lamp. Realizing the sales potential, he started The Mantle Lamp Company of America in 1908 and sold the first Aladdin lamp in 1909. More than seven million were sold by the early 1930s.According to the Web site www.aladdincollector.com, the name Aladdin comes from the folk tale about Aladdin in "The Book of One Thousand and One Nights." As part of the story, a sorcerer tries to trick Aladdin's wife into giving him a magic lamp by offering her a new lamp in exchange.To implement that theme, The Mantle Lamp Company allowed a trade allowance for old lamps, and many Aladdins were given away as part of an initial sales promotion.Today, collectors need no such incentives."Collectors of Aladdin lamps usually are attracted by their graceful designs, relative rarity and actual use," Smith said."Some collectors specialize in the older brass or nickel-plated lamps produced between 1909 and 1935. Others seek the lovely glass fonts made through the 1930s before rural electrification, especially those using ruby red and cobalt blue glass or the popular tall Lincoln Drape design," he said.
The early student lamps and chandeliers, which are rarely seen, are valued at thousands of dollars.But for Smith, it truly is their practicality that makes them precious."I have nearly 100 new and restored Aladdin lamps about my home and keep many of them filled with kerosene, ready to burn. During some of our recent power outages, they gave us both light and heat," said Smith, whose neighbors called to find out why his seemed to be the only house in town to have lights.Several weeks ago Smith received a call from a woman in North Carolina who wanted to purchase three dozen Aladdin mantles as she was planning to move off the electric grid.J.W. "Bill" Courter of Calvert City, Ky., is an expert on the lamps, having published books and newsletters and founding a collectors association called Aladdin Knights of Mystic Light."Aladdin Knights of Mystic Light has held 37 gatherings," said Courter. This year's event will be in Columbia, Miss., in August. "We expect 500 to 600 to attend. Ladies of the Knights make quilts to support the gathering," he added.As with collecting anything, Smith said the more knowledge you have about the items the wiser your investments will be."The value of a lamp generally will reflect its rarity and condition," Smith said. "Whenever possible, the collector should look for complete lamps with matching parts. Large dents, cracks or chips will reduce the value and may make the lamp inoperable," he added."As is the case with many antiques, Aladdin lamps and shades have been reproduced by other companies. Sometimes they are made in glass colors not used by the Aladdin
Company or they may be a slightly different shape or size than the original," Smith said.Although functional, collectors say the reproductions are less valuable than the Aladdin lamps.In addition to the lamps, Smith will also have a variety of other household antiques available for purchase including a Clark's six-drawer spool cabinet, old scientific test equipment and meters, Schatz Anniversary Clock, desk pens and accessories, maps, a wooden chicken coop, clothes dryers and other household implements."I've attended the show for several years and believe that it provides a good opportunity to offer attractive and useful antiques and collectibles to folks in the area," Smith said.The GFWC Intermediate League is made up of about 75 members who donate between $8,000 and $10,000 to local charities after each show.For more information on Aladdin lamps, go to http://aladdincollectors.org/, http://www.aladdinknights.org/naalc.php, http://www.aladdincollector.com/ or www.aladdinlamps.com.
<b>WHAT: </b>60th annual GFWC Intermediate League of Butler Antiques Show and Sale<b>WHEN: </b>6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday<b>WHERE: </b>Tanglewood Center, 10 Austin Ave., Lyndora<b>TICKETS: </b>Available at the YWCA and from Intermediate League membersFriday Gala Preview tickets $9 at the door. Saturday and Sunday $6 at the door. Quilt drawing $1 per ticket.<b>INFO: </b>724-287-7959 or www.pittsburghantiques.net<BR></BR><BR></BR>
