The Woman’s Club of Strausstown took a look at antiques at their March meeting. Guest presenter for the evening was Mr. Sylvan Witmer of Womelsdorf.
Mr. Witmer is an auctioneer and, while he told the ladies that he is not a licensed appraiser, he said that he has gained considerable knowledge about antiques in his years as an auctioneer. Mr. Witmer also informed the ladies that a number of factors influence how much an item may be worth.
One of those factors is the region where the antique is being sold. He used the example of old bottles from Anthony’s Dairy, which was located in Strausstown years ago. In the Strausstown area, Anthony’s Dairy bottles might bring a decent price, but if those same bottles were sold in western Pennsylvania, they might fetch very little.
Mr. Witmer also pointed out that the buyer’s purpose plays a role in how much he or she is willing to pay for an item. Obviously, someone who is buying antiques in order to turn around and sell them for a profit isn’t going to want to pay top dollar. And, of course, sentiment outweighs intrinsic value in most cases. Mr. Witmer cited his own experience of purchasing a marble-topped table for more than its appraised value because it had belonged to a relative of his wife, and she wanted it.
After his brief introduction, Mr. Witmer examined items brought in by the members. The ladies were not really in the market to sell their antiques, but they were interested to find out whatever information they could about their treasures. Articles on display ranged from a penny from the 1800s to a hand-crank coffee grinder belonging to one of the member’s grandmothers. Some other items were a child’s bracelet with a locket for pictures, a wooden butter mold, an embellished tin Easter egg, an art glass bowl/ashtray, a souvenir matchbook holder with a bust of Abraham Lincoln, and an Anthony’s Dairy baby bottle. Although no pieces worth a fortune were unearthed, the ladies enjoyed Mr. Witmer’s informative talk.
During the business meeting members considered the details of disbanding the club and where to contribute the group’s remaining funds. At a previous meeting it had been decided to give some money to the Strausstown Fire Company and keep some money in order to finance a celebratory event in May. There will be no April meeting of the club, but the members will hold a 60th anniversary/farewell luncheon on May 2, at the community center, and all members are asked to bring along memorabilia to be shared and displayed at that event. A letter with details about the luncheon will be sent out to all members.