Amish Country Antiques Overload

Dear Husbola and I are just back from an antiques overload extravaganza in central Illinois--we fondly call it our "Twilight Zone" weekend.

I have written before about the non stop shows in Arcola, Tuscola and Arthur that happen twice a year.  They are billed as country and americana antiques--which is not our particular interest or specialty--but we always manage to pick up some interesting things for sale--and occasionally find a treasure to add to our collection.

This is a curious combinations of shows.  What started as one show a dozen years ago has turned into two days and six shows within a 10 mile radius.  Rumor has it that disgruntled dealers who were not "permitted" or "invited back" to Show Number One decided to start their own shows.  What ensued was a several year battle on which show got what dealers and which show opened first and other sixth grade school girl sort of nonsense.  Since this is a busman's holiday for us--we don't get tangled in that--and just make sure we know where to be at what venue.

Jury is still out if the area can support all these shows in the same two days period twice a year.  Our vaunted opinion is that the general quality has suffered--and that dealers have gotten greedy and bumped their prices because they think big money is rolling into town.  That indeed may be the case--but with that money comes seasoned shoppers who know what they are looking at, know a repaint when they see it, and generally know the appropriate prices for what they are looking at.

Americana is a curious decorating scheme.  We like color  and to our eye--you really have to work at putting color into the American look.  I would love to see some country antiques mixed with some mid 20th century art--not just portrait paintings of dour men and woman.

The Twilight Zone means a quirky hotel, BBQ ribs at Pauly's and a trip to Amish owned Beachy's store for homemade pickled beets, horseradish, eggs and a few bottles of Birch Beer for Dear Husbola.  The lack of ginormous piles of snow was a welcome sight--and the brown fields even raised our spirits.  That, a a piece of secret recipe Amish spice cake......