Our Antiquing Adventure – Part III
After we left the Suite Lorain, Cleveland’s only vintage department store, we made a couple more quick stops. Nothing interesting to report, really.
We headed toward the Medina Antique Mall. It’s a huge place, and we never fail to find interesting things there. There is no quick trip to the Medina Antique Mall.
We purchased a nice McCoy bean pot (probably not vintage, but it’s in good shape and was reasonably priced), a great shaving stand – gold plated with a mirror, cup and an after shave/toilet water bottle, and a few other little things. We mostly just looked. They had the usual assortment of books, furniture, pottery, glassware, etc. They had plenty of the stuff you say “I’ve never seen anything like that before” about. What I noticed this trip was the number of pickle casters in display cases. What I really noticed was the exorbitant prices of the pickle casters in the display cases.
I don’t know anything about pickle casters. I couldn’t tell the difference between an antique caster and a good fake. I think they are beautiful, but I’m thinking that if I have to choose between spending hundreds of dollars for a pickle caster or filling the tank with fuel oil it’s a simple decision.
I must have seen 2 or 3 dozen pickle casters. Not one of them was priced in double digits. Some were $500, $700 or more (at that price would you put it on the table?). Those must have been some pickles. Those wacky Victorians! Pickle casters, butter pats, knife rests, bone dishes, egg cups, placecard holders, asparagus tongs, fish servers…they had a tool for everything.
I like to set a nice table on special occasions. I have my everyday dishes, glasses, placemats and the like. I also have my “company” table settings. I intend to start the hunt for the Christmas tableware this weekend — “Where the heck did I put that platter with the Christmas tree on it?” I have the cut glass relish dish with all the little compartments to keep the olive juice from accosting the spiced apple rings. As for the pickles? They’ll find a place on that tray or come to the table in the jar with the Vlasic stork on the label.
Medina is a good mall. In the summer, go to Rogers, Ohio flea market. I think it is on Fridays. If you want to make a weekend of it We have 3 big malls at exit 60 and 59 on Rt 70 this side of Columbus near the Clarke County fairgrounds. Two are bigger than Medina.
Gary:
Is that the Springfield antique malls? I LOVE those. I got 2 very nice quilts there a couple of summers ago. It was a weekend event. They are huge.
Do you ever get to Wooster? I grew up there and my mom has wonderful luck finding things .
Yeah, those are the ones! In fact, we bought our lights at one of the malls there last week. Then there’s the “Brass Armadillo” in Cincy, open til 9PM every day!