Enjoying Antiquing and Remembering Dad

       I was taking it easy in the Lazy Boy chair watching American Pickers the other day when I started thinking about my love for old antiques. Unfortunately, I don’t have the funds like Mike and crew have to travel around the country looking for treasures. However, Debbie and I do enjoy visiting antique malls on our travels. Some of our favorite stops are the Brass Armadillo in Des Moines, Antique Iowa in Story City and Heartland Antique Mall in Lebanon, Mo. 
      Last summer we were lucky enough to return for a second time to Artichoke Annies, which is located west of Columbia, Mo. where I found a nice collection of old postcards and Debbie found a Wizard of Oz framed treasure. On the east side of Columbia is another great antique mall. It is called Midway Antiques and takes hours to go through as it is housed in an old horse show arena that became a factory before it was turned into an antique mall.
     We have also enjoyed great antique stores in Kirksville, Mo.; Jenks, Okla.; Ozark, Mo., Joplin, Mo.; East Peoria, Ill. and Hannibal, Mo. 
      I enjoy watching the Pickers and remember watching the first episode that aired in January 2010. At the time, I was iced in at the Quality Inn in Grinnell and couldn’t make it home. I had flipped on the TV, hoping to find something to keep me occupied when I stumbled across Mike and Frank. I thought it was cool that they were from Iowa and that they went around picking treasures.
       I watched the show faithfully after that.
      Debbie and I were able to meet Frank Fritz, who has since passed, at the 2013 Iowa State Fair, where we had our photo taken with him. We saw him again in June 2014 in Savanna, Ill. at his store. We were looking around the store when we were surprised to see him walk through the door. He had a photo taken with some fans, grabbed some signed T-shirts and was off again after acknowledging the rest of us who were in the store. I purchased a Frank Fritz signed Oilzum oil can before we left.
      We have also visited the home base of the Pickers in LeClaire, Iowa three times but have never met Mike or Danielle.
     Collecting antiques is in my blood as my dad loved finding Ma and Pop stores. Often times, these were roadside attractions where he would chew the fat and look for a bargain. He never cared much for the big box type antique stores.
      I first started collecting old cigar boxes. My first one was purchased in Hereford, Texas in June 1989 on a trip to the Grand Canyon with my dad. I paid a quarter for the cigar box. My interests have changed through the years. I now have a really nice collection of old postcards. Most of them are categorized by state or topic. Some of my favorites are WWII military postcards and outhouse postcards. I probably have a week’s worth of work to categorize the others that I have purchased in the last few years. I have several old postcards that were postmarked before my grandmother was born in October 1909.
       Other things that I collect include metal can openers, old tools, saws, seed corn books Pepsi collectables and old games. I also enjoy collecting Gaso pump items and Skelly Oil items because my parents worked there.
        I also have a nice collection of Midwest Old Threshers buttons.
      Our love of antiques is continuing with our nephews. Our oldest nephew has been collecting items for years and now runs an online auction business. I enjoy checking out the items he offers for sale on his auction website. Last fall, I picked up a nice box of antique barber razors from one of his auctions. I plan to enter them in the antique contest in Pioneer Hall at the Iowa State Fair. Our middle nephew and his fiancé often visit antique stores on their travels and call to let us know what they find that might fit into our collections. And even our youngest nephew has enjoyed collecting various items over the years. 
         It’s good to get out, do something you enjoy and spend time with loved ones.
        Have a good week and remember that Good Things are Happening, every day and always.