Antique sale coming back in new location
The Intermediate League of Butler is hosting its 74th annual Antiques Show and Sale from March 20 to 22. The show will bring dozens of dealers to the Ramada by Wyndham Butler/Tesla Biohealing Resort on Pittsburgh Road in Butler Township.
Anne Miller, chairwoman of the antique show, said the show moved from its longtime home at the Tanglewood Center because the building was sold last year.
“It has become rather a tradition in Butler. People look forward to the show,” Miller said. “We’re a highly regarded show and one of the only ones in the area.”
According to the club, the show will feature more than 35 dealers from around Pennsylvania and beyond, a selection that Miller said drives a lot of curious shoppers to the sale each year. Many of the dealers are returning from selling at the sale in previous years, but there will also be some who are new to the area.
Miller said the club chooses dealers based on past experience and feedback from people who attend the show. The curators of the show also research sellers.
“I think people let us know when they're particularly fond of a dealer,” Miller said. “We are usually met with really positive opinions.”
There is also a strategy to the three-day show which many shoppers utilize, according to Miller. She said Friday, the opening day, is a preview night, when some people pay extra to get in and get the first pick of items. People can purchase tickets for the whole weekend and some take advantage of that access to visit the sale each day of the weekend.
“We have people who will be there when they first open just to get the first glance at the items,” Miller said. “If you buy a ticket Friday it’s a little more expensive, but it’s good.”
Money raised through the sale is put toward the Intermediate League’s beneficiary agencies, which the group voted on prior to the sale. The beneficiaries this year are Butler Area Public Library, Butler County Symphony Orchestra, Butler Intermediate High School Best Buddies, Butler Little Theatre, Children’s Advocacy Center, Community Health Center, Community Meals Ministry, Gaiser Center, Isaiah 117 House, Kids Weekend Backpack Program, Lifesteps, Maridon Museum, Musical Theatre Guild and VOICE.
Miller said the combination of the fun event and the cause it is organized for make it one of the most rewarding projects to work on with the club.
“It’s a lot of work organizing this show, but we have a very strong core group of women who all chip in to make sure it runs really smoothly and professionally,” Miller said. “It’s just a wonderful project to be involved in.”
The event is open from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 20; from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 21; and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at Tesla's Ramada by Wyndham, 139 Pittsburgh Road in Butler Township. Advanced tickets for Friday are $12. Tickets $7 for the other two days, $15 at the door Friday and $10 for the other days. For more information, call 724-355-6493 or 724-290-4236.
