Lehigh Valley Marketplace

Antique shopping is one of America’s greatest pastimes. Whether it’s discovering a small shop along a country road, a large multi-vendor co-op facility or neighborhood garage sale, our desire and curiosity for that perfect remnant of our parents’ past is ever-present. We are lucky to have a plethora of interesting shops to explore and satisfy antique and collectible lovers—from novice to pro. Following is a sample of what is available in the Lehigh Valley. Let’s begin in Zionsville.

Antique: A collectible item that represents a previous era in time and is desired for its age, rarity, condition, utility or unique features.

Born out of love for antiques, owners Rudy and Maritza Lopez opened their sprawling co-op mall in 1995 and it has been growing ever since. Located south of Emmaus at 7567 Chestnut Street (Route 100), Zionsville Antique Mall offers over 30,000 square feet of browsing pleasure in a friendly, well-organized, bright location. Here you’ll find everything from vintage clothing, books and colorful old jelly jar glasses to furniture, folk art and primitives. I admired the early 19th century ironstone pitchers and spent time at an adjacent booth displaying antique kitchen utensils. A nearby display offers City of Bethlehem, Hess and other local memorabilia. Among the sea of collectible cars, M.I. Hummel figurines and trading cards, you will find lovely mahogany bookcases, breakfronts, and secretaries. There are beautiful prints, etchings and vintage photographs, some framed, some not. (I even spotted a copy of the famous Farrah Fawcett – poster with a price tag of $75.00!) There are collections of quilts, fine pottery and original artwork by Julie Longacre. My favorite items at the mall were a gorgeous cherry wardrobe and a funky flowered kitchen table with red leather chairs right out of the ‘50s. Thank goodness it was already sold! If you are in the market for anything from fabulous old salt and pepper shakers to collectible toys; from stoneware chamber pots to Snooty Foxes, you will find them all at Zionsville Antique Mall.

There are new products such as candles, stuffed bears, holiday décor and some newer jewelry included among the old but, for the most part, this location holds a great mix of antiques that makes Zionsville Antique Mall well worth the trip for any antique lover. The friendly owners and staff are informative and eager to answer all of your questions. Check out www.zionsvilleantiques.com for a listing of vendors and hours.

In Allentown you will find over 100 vendors at Weil Antique Center located at 2200 31st Street SW (just off Lehigh Street.) Rick and Cindy Weil have operated Weil Clocks at this location for 26 years and expanded seven years ago to include the antique mall. I must admit that I visited Weil to see the clocks. Antique Grandfather Clocks line the floors while Cuckoo Clocks and hundreds of wall and mantle clocks cover the walls of two or three rooms. You can spend hours admiring these beautiful timepieces, many of which date back to the 1850s. There are a number of new models among the collection as well and I took some time to admire the Relpo and Inarco vintage collectible Lady Head Vases on display near the cabinets (which contain lovely estate jewelry). There were several interesting prints tucked into corners, including a framed Matisse and a colorful hunt scene which were reasonably priced. Milk glass, crystal and other vintage glassware are on display in many booths but I particularly loved the large selection of genuine retro Fiesta stoneware pieces. I chuckled at the Pincherette ashtrays I found, when I was growing up, my mom had them all over the house to hold her burning cigarettes. There are many booths to discover containing interesting treasures of books, lamps and antique clothing so you are sure to have a fun visit. The Weil Antique Center is open Monday-Friday 10 AM to 6 PM; Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM; and Sunday 11 AM to 5 PM. There is also an outdoor seasonal flea market on Saturdays. Phone 610-791-7910 for more information.

Next, cross over on Lehigh Street, through Allentown to Whitehall where Mary and Dave Zavilla opened Old Dairy Antiques in 1983 (where it was moved from its original Northampton location to 105 Franklin Street, Whitehall, 20 years ago). The barn, which holds this interesting shop, dates back to the 1840s and once was home to the draw horses that pulled wagons of wood from the river to the former Fullerton Furniture Gallery located for years across the street.

This shop has an antique post office window and combination postal boxes surrounding the office area which overlooks rooms of beautiful pieces. I loved the two chandeliers, one crystal and one brass dating back to the early 1900s, hanging in the entrance. The brass lamp has been rewired but once burned both gas and electricity which was popular when electricity was just overtaking gas as a lighting source. Notice the beautiful breakfronts filled with sets of vintage glassware and china as well as the Victorian mahogany sideboard surrounded by beautiful old photos, prints, painting and etchings. Two glorious antique wardrobes rule an adjacent room. Some of the upholstered settees, fainting couches, sofas, sideboards, and drop-leaf tables also on display date back to the 1840s. Another section houses beautiful European armoires, including some painted Italian pieces. My favorite table in this room was a lovely late-1800s crotched elm sideboard.

Old Dairy Antiques is an interesting, beautiful shop with an array of antique furniture, both original and restored, as well as some newer American and European reproductions. They also have a custom woodworking business on site. Posted hours are 10 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday, weekends by appointment. Call 610-264-7626 for more information.

Next, let’s go to Northampton where Dave and Sue Irons built Irons Antiques at 223 Covered Bridge Road in 1972.This is an old-time antique shop, in a rustic setting on a beautiful country road. It sits on a circa 1765 foundation of a stone and brick mill that was razed in the 1960s.

The Irons’ specialty is antique pressing irons and there are hundreds on display here, most dated between 1850 and 1920. (Dave has written three books on the subject of irons.) I was particularly interested in the laundry iron stoves on which multiple irons were heated at one time to assure that laundresses always had a hot iron. Dave explained the specialty irons for different fabrics and for pressing ruffles; Chinese pan irons that were heated with charcoal, and the many slug irons with replacement slugs that were heated separately and inserted into the irons to keep constant heat. I also loved the rare “suitcase” iron: the suitcase’s handle comes out and is actually an iron. Travelers could simply plug in the handle and press their traveling clothes.

Another specialty is Tramp Art which is made from smaller pieces of wood that are multi-layered and hand-notched. Many pieces of antique tramp art were made from old, non-recyclable mahogany cigar boxes. (Tramp Art was considered a craft as well as folk art.) The Irons have a wonderful selection in this fantastic shop. They also have primitives, blue decorative stoneware, early baskets, lighting devices, caned chairs and other antique furniture. Be sure to notice the one-of-a-kind patent models for irons and specific iron parts stored behind glass. Everything here is authentic; there are no reproductions. For more information: www.ironsantiques.com. Call ahead to see if they are open: 610-262-9335.

Follow Route #22 to Bethlehem and stop in The New Street Book Shop, located at 515 N. New Street and owned by Ann Dorill for the past 11 years. This compact shop has a fine selection of antique and out of print books. While browsing, I was shown a copy of “The Arabian Nights,” published in 1912. The book is in beautiful condition and contains 20 colored plates by illustrator Rene Bull. I also pulled a copy of Francois Guizot’s “History of France” dating back to the 1860s. These are just two special books in this charming shop.
Sharing this building for the last five years is Michele Colbert Antiques. Here you will find a selection of antique jewelry, as well as vintage purses and hats. My favorite items were the selections of vintage prints, maps, local trade cards and engravings. I also noted a button bowl, filled with old buttons to jazz up a favorite jacket or blouse, as well as a display of chandelier crystals.

Both the book and antique shops have weekday hours from 1:00 to 5:00 PM and Saturday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Log onto: www.newstreetbookshop.com or phone 610-868-3411 for more information.
Our next stop is downtown Easton. When you enter the door of Eagle’s Nest Antiques and Fine Arts at 60 Centre Square all you can say is “wow!” Owner Jeanne Eagle has devoted the last 15 months to moving her antiques to this new address after 35 years in business on Butler Street in Wilson Borough.

Silver, pewter and glassware collectibles are on display in their own vintage cupboard. Antique bow window breakfronts and lighted curios hold full sets of china and beautiful estate jewelry including cameos and pearls. Gorgeous old photos, prints, paintings and etchings adorn the walls lighted by pretty vintage lamps. Many of the frames holding the artwork are worth the price of the piece alone.

This is an organized shop and great thought was put into the many display areas to enhance the treasures found here. There are antique pianos on which are set crystal lamps next to mahogany secretaries or oak sideboards—all holding beautiful milk glass pieces or vintage cake plates. My favorite piece in the shop was a scalloped inlaid cherry and yew tulip table along with a beaded Tiffany-style slag glass lamp. Jeanne said it was made somewhere between 1905 and1935 and is rare to find with the original beading. The upstairs loft is being converted into a studio showing original paintings dating back to the 1950s by local artist Ann Urban. Call 610-252-6766 for more information.
Last but not least, I visited The Tin Toy Works in Allentown. Although they do have a collection of antique toys for sale, Joe and Barb Freeman and their staff are considered expert toy restorers to the international toy world.

What began as a hobby shop over 40 years ago has grown to be recognized as one of the finest toy restoration businesses in the world serving private collectors, museums, and auction houses, as well as the guy next door. Since Tin Toy Works opened in 1981, the demand for toy parts and repair services has skyrocketed. On any given day, they will receive an antique robotic toy whose battery acid damaged the exterior paint, or whose mechanism needs to be replaced. Their on-site resident painter Penni uses a multi-step fine painting process that restores the toy nearly to its original form. They manufacture replacement parts for toys that are no longer in production. Without these parts, an amazing work of art would lose its value. They make 6,000 standard parts for antique toys and, over the years, have manufactured tens of thousands of custom parts. When I visited, an automaton of a Victorian lady sitting atop a cushion that dated back to 1880 was being restored. After resident master clock maker Barry rebuilds the clock’s mechanism, this lady will powder her nose every half hour when the clock base strikes. Her clothes were original as were the other fabrics. After restoration, she will be covered with a glass dome.

The history of the Freemans’ business and Tin Toy Works is known worldwide; they’ve even been featured on the Antiques Road Show. Should an antique toy require repair or restoration, log onto: www.tintoyworks.com. By appointment only.

As this is just a small representation of what is available to the antique lover, I suggest picking up an Antique Guide for the Lehigh Valley (available at nearly all of the above shops) and taking off on your own antique adventure!

Cathy Kiley is an avid world traveler and antiques lover who has “hit the road” to many places around the globe.