LAKESIDE CHAUTAUQUA, Ohio – Summertime antique shows are the best, especially when the location is gorgeous and the weather is perfect. The 59th Annual Lakeside Antique Show held Aug. 24, within the grounds of historic Lakeside Chautauqua on the shore of Lake Erie is just such an event. More than 85 dealers set-up for this affair with about a third of the booth spaces being outside under stately oaks and maples, while the other displays are housed inside several historic Lakeside structures, these being Wo-Ho-Mis Lodge, South Auditorium, and Wesley Lodge.

Show manager, John Wanat, has been at the helm of this annual event for several years and knows the perfect formula. Dealers range from those who specialize in historic lighting or stoneware, to those who bring mid-century modern and vintage clothing. Jewelry is on hand as is fine porcelain. Primitives are in abundance as well as any and everything related to lakeside living be that vintage water skis and camping gear to wicker and vintage fishing tackle.

Lakeside Chautauqua is a historic community on the Marblehead Peninsula in Ohio that offers an abundance of spiritual opportunities, educational lectures, cultural arts performances, and recreational activities to nurture mind, body, and spirit during its 11-week summer programming season. It is also a year-round destination for groups of all sizes. And in this context, it also hosts a great antique show.

Those who reside in Lakeside Chautauqua could enter the show fee-free. Those who do not live in the community paid $8 per person to come into Lakeside Chautauqua and shop the show. This price also included an Auto Pass, valid for four hours, so non-residents could visit the community’s gardens, eateries, and shops.

It’s always a exciting to walk around the Lakeside Antique Show to see what the dealers have on hand. Spunky Antiques of Plymouth, Ohio, offered an awesome 119-piece dinnerware set of Iroquois China for $495. Designed by Ben Seibel in 1958, the set was in the Lazy Daisy pattern. Also offered here were several watercolor paintings by Ohio artist Mary M. Hallier (1941-2015) who actually lived in Lakeside at one time in her life and was also a member of the Toledo Artist Club. Her works were priced between $80 and $90.

Ohio dealer Helen Berkheimer offered lots of interesting smalls in her dealer space. Perfect for those with limited space would be collecting vintage dexterity puzzles where one had to tilt the glass or plastic front circular toy to get the small balls in the indented part of the puzzle. These were priced between $25 and $110 each based on age and image of the puzzle. Berkheimer also had a small collection of Popeye related material with a carnival chalkware prize Popeye being $160, with a small chalk version priced $250. A wooden and jointed Popeye doll was $38 and a Popeye card game was tagged $55.

One-of-a-kind items always make a showing at this Lakeside Chautauqua event. Suzanne Homrighausen of Poland, Ohio, offered a vintage hand-painted backdrop done on a canvas drop cloth for $85. It was created to be used as a stage backdrop by the Kenley Players of Warren, Ohio.

A first-timer to the Lakeside Antique Show, Stephen H. Morse of Federal House Antiques of Hudson, Ohio, presented some wonderful material like an Ohio, two over three drawer, federal period cherry chest for $345; a fantastic New England sack-back Windsor chair which retained traces of old green paint for $375, and a large-size at 8 inches in diameter, Ohio “Peaseware” storage jar priced $485.

Love it when a dealer is so very passionate about what they collect like Elizabeth Vernon of Akron, Ohio. Her booth was every sewer’s/craft person’s dream come true. Cases and boxes of vintage ribbons, ric-rac, buttons, notions – you name it. And then there were the tin hampers filled with feed sacks, and we’re not talking burlap. Elizabeth gave me a wonderful education about the cotton feed sacks that companies created in pretty patterns to entice woman to choose their products. The women would then re-purpose those sacks into clothing, quilts, linens and the like. Truly never knew such gorgeous patterns were produced as feed sacks!

The mid-century modern Moss Lamp Company lamps offered for $795 – all Plexiglas and glitter and possibly coconut shell shades were in the booth of Debra Burt and Jay Bollinger of Clyde, Ohio, and they were stopping shoppers in their tracks.

Vintage Halloween and fantastic advertising on steroids could be found in the dealer space of Mike and Pam Kenney of Norwalk, Ohio. Then there was unbelievable folk art train hand-made by W.E. Hogan of Marion, Ohio, for his grandsons; Donald and Edwin Franklin. Offered by Once Upon a Time Antiques of Elmore, Ohio, the nine-car with engine train set was priced $985.

The crowd was large, the setting was welcoming, and the merchandise was spot on, once again for the 59th Annual Lakeside Antique Show. This end of August gathering is a must attend event for antiques and collectibles enthusiasts. Mark your calendars now so you can shop next year’s 60th celebration.

Contact: John Wanat, Show Manager, at (248) 425-2868