Old Show
LYNDORA — For 68 years the GFWC Intermediate League of Butler has been hosting one of the largest antique show and sale events in Butler County, using the proceeds to help local nonprofit organizations.
Recipients from the 2017 show included the Associated Artists of Butler County, Kids Backpack program, Butler Public Library, Butler County Historical Society, Community Health Clinic, Don't Stop Dreamin', Maridon Museum, Musical Theatre Guild, Summer Dramatics Project, Tanglewood, Visiting Nurses Association, VOICe and the YWCA.
“The community affairs and welfare committee considers requests from nonprofit organizations that benefit the community. Diana Crispen and Mary Beth McQuistion, chair and co-chair that committee,” said Grace Shields, publicity chairman of the antiques show and sale. Three new organizations will receive proceeds from this year's event: the Alzheimer's Association, Butler County Alliance for Children and the Penn Theater.
As is tradition, there will be a quilt raffle, this year in the Rippling Star design.
“It's an original design by Debbie Maddy who is well known in the quilt world. Colors are navy, various shades of green, muted gold and some cream,” said Shields. Raffle tickets are $1, and the drawing of the winner will be at the end of the show Sunday.
Last year's proceeds were very similar to 2016's show and sales, despite attendance rising in 2017.
“The show chairman and co-chairman for the show this year are Elaine Linamen and Mary Jane Weisenstein,” said Shields. “This year 42 vendors from the tri-state area are bringing their antiques and collectibles. Five new vendors are on the slate this year,” she added.
One of the new vendors is Tom Buckelew of Uniontown. The 74-year-old retired college biology professor holds specialties in physiology and parasitology. But now antiques consume his time.
“My wife-to-be took me to an antique auction in 1970 and I was hooked,” said Buckelew. Though he had been a collector of baseball cards, bottle caps, coins, stamps and comic books as a child, he lost the urge during college and graduate school but is more than making up for lost time.
“I spent all my spare time, between restoring a 25-room house and being a father to three children, at auctions and antique shops. My wife accompanied me in the early years, but child-rearing often kept her home until the kids were old enough to accompany us,” he said.
The first piece the Buckelews acquired was at that first auction in 1970. “It was a stoneware crock made by Reppert of Greensboro in the 1870s. My wife, Chris, paid the ungodly sum of $8 for it with the crowd buzzing that this young lady would so unwisely spend her money. Apparently, the auctioneer concurred for he put a smaller crock made by John Eberhart of New Geneva inside the Reppert and said, 'Ah ... give her that one too!'”said Buckelew.
But it's the big stuff that catches his eye these days. “I have a fondness for early furniture, having furnished our house with mostly Chippendale and Hepplewhite 'keepers,'” he explained.Buckelew noted antiques took a hit during the 2008 recession, but the market is recovering. While others slowed their collecting, the Buckelews pressed on, convinced furniture would make a comeback.“A recent trade magazine has said that furniture is starting to make a recovery and, frankly, when I travel further east in Pennsylvania, I can see the trend,” he said.Buckelew believes in buying practical and has made it a practice of purchasing antiques to suit the family's needs.“My wife and I never bought a new piece of furniture, and very few accessories in our house are new. If you need a cupboard, why spend thousands on something that will be worth next to nothing when you tire of it? Plus, the quality of early furniture can't be matched with today's factory-made pieces with plywood and particle board secondary wood,” he explained.His method is to buy something that appreciates and when it becomes tiresome or boring, sell it for a profit.Profiting is something Buckelew has done well regarding his business. The pieces he collects are not always perfect, but he is confident he can make them profitable.“Some of the furniture pieces, had minor damage which diminished their desirability as so few people are able to do acceptable restoration.“I taught myself to do the work, and it allowed me to buy pieces at more reasonable prices,” Buckelew said.His love for furniture construction led him to design and create pieces his budget might not otherwise allow. “I have now made over 100 pieces, most of which are in our house, though I have made pieces for patrons desiring something rather specific. All the pieces are hand-dovetailed, using the techniques of early cabinetmakers with native hardwoods,” he said.
WHAT: GFWC Intermediate League of Butler’s 68th Annual Antiques Show and SaleWHEN: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. March 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 17 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 18WHERE: Tanglewood Center, 10 Austin Avenue, LyndoraTICKETS: March 16 Opening Night Gala, $11. March 17 and 18, $6Tickets are available from any GFWC member, at Antiques on Main, 108 S. Main St., and at the YWCA, 120 W. Cunningham St.
