Central Kentucky Antiques and Collectibles

Do You Need To Get Away? Are You Searching For Last Minute Travel Ideas Or Antiques Travel Destinations?

Copyright 2009 Kimberly Clay
If you’re searching for great ideas for that “Girlfriends Getaway”, “Couples Excursion” or family weekend trip, look no further. We’ve provided two sample itineraries that you can use to build your very own “Antiques and Collectibles Discovery Tour” in Central Kentucky!

ITINERARY #1 Northbound

If you’re traveling to Kentucky from Tennessee or places further south, a good starting point for your trip is Berea, KY.

Pre-Trip Evening

Arrive in Berea in late afternoon or early evening where there are several excellent options for accommodations for your first night in Kentucky.

Boone Tavern Hotel & Restaurant, Berea, KY – Historic Boone Tavern Hotel & Restaurant is located on Berea’s College Square. Named after Kentucky’s early explorer Daniel Boone, the hotel has been in continuous operation since 1909 when it was established primarily to house guests of Berea College, and has traditionally been staffed by Berea College students. It is widely renowned for its restaurant which has a reputation for fine Southern cooking.

Snug Hollow Farm, Irvine, KY – Snug Hollow Farm is a short drive from Berea, but well worth the trip. Featured in such publications as Southern Living, Midwest Living, National Geographic Traveler, Frommer’s USA and Kentucky Monthly, Snug Hollow is an eco-friendly, 300-acre farm encircled by gentle mountains. It includes a cozy, restored 150-year-old chestnut log cabin and a spacious farmhouse where mouth-watering meals are served at a long dining room table adorned with candles and fresh-cut flowers. This bed & breakfast provides a secluded, idyllic retreat.

Day #1

Berea is known as the “craft capital of Kentucky” for a reason. There are a variety of shops where you can find uniquely-crafted, one-of-a-kind items. And you’ll find plenty of antiques shops along Chestnut Street including Bay Window Antiques, Something Olde Storage and McCray’s Antique Center.

After spending a busy morning in Berea, it’s time to hit the road traveling west to Harrodsburg.

Once you arrive in Harrodsburg, it will be time for a late lunch. Beaumont Inn offers a great dining experience, and there are plenty other great choices. When lunch is finished, you can find several antiques shops in Harrodsburg’s historic downtown district and along College Street (US HWY 127).

After you’ve had an opportunity to “shop ’til you drop”, call it a day. Rest, relax and eat at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill or “Shakertown” as the locals call it. The Inn at Shaker Village features a hotel with modern amenities and great dining. Shaker Village is a National Historic Landmark and the largest restored Shaker community in America.

It features 2900 acres of bluegrass farmland and 34 restored buildings, a self-guided tour of 14 restored buildings where costumed interpreters discuss the Shakers, an extensive museum collection, and changing exhibits. Scheduled daily, Spring through fall, are Shaker music performances, historic farming and special craft demonstrations.

Day #2

After enjoying a satisfying breakfast, hop in the car and follow HWY 68 south to Perryville, then US HWY 150 west to Bardstown. Once there, visit Bardstown’s historic downtown where you’ll find a number of antiques and other shops for your shopping pleasure. Enjoy a casual lunch.

From Bardstown, take the Bluegrass Parkway east to Exit 34, then follow a scenic drive on HWY 55 north to Shelbyville. Visit several antiques shops along Main Street, then pay a special visit to world-renowned Wakefield-Scearce Galleries. Shelbyville offers several choices for evening dining.

Conclude your day with the short drive on I-64 east to Frankfort for a comfortable night’s rest.

Day #3

After a scrumptious breakfast, you’ll want to make a visit to Wilma’s Antiques and The Rail Fence (especially for model train enthusiasts), then continue traveling I-64 east to Midway where you’ll find all the charm and friendliness of a small Kentucky town.

Enjoy walking up and down Main Street for an eclectic mix of antiques and artisan shops of Kentucky crafters, then stop for a delightful lunch at any one of Midway’s unique eateries (caution: many serve lunch only from 11AM – 2PM).

After lunch, follow US HWY 421 (Old Frankfort Pike) into Lexington, where you’ll find Feather Your Nest Antiques and Meadowthorpe Antique Mall just across the street from one another.

While in Lexington, you don’t want to miss a visit to Scout Antiques & More or Room Service (just next door). If it’s the weekend, you may want to stop by the Athens Schoolhouse Antiques Show (follow I-75 south to Exit 104).

Thank you for visiting! We hope you have discovered so much to see and do that you’ll be back again to visit us soon!

ITINERARY #2 Southbound

As you cross the bridge into Kentucky from Ohio, you’re immediately presented with a number of choices of things to see and do.

(Before starting your official trek, you may want to follow I-75 south a short way to visit the Florence Antique Mall and the Richwood Flea Market, then backtrack up I-75 to Exit 185.)

Day #1

As you enter Kentucky from Ohio, follow I-75 south to Exit 185. Follow I-275 east to Exit 77, and follow KY Route 9 (AA HWY) south toward Alexandria. Continue on KY Route 9 to HWY 2828, turning left. Then turn right on HWY 8 until you arrive in Augusta.

Augusta is a charming little town and a great place to spend the day. June through October, you’ll find various festivals and special events taking place along the riverfront.  At the end of July/beginning of August is the annual Riverfest Regatta, a wonderful weekend of arts & crafts, live entertainment, great food, music, a car show, and lots of boats!

The Rosemary Clooney House, and Lavender Hills of Kentucky (lavender farm) are also great stops here. But it is Augusta’s very walkable historic downtown that features a treasure trove of interesting antique and gift shops, and an art gallery or two, that will really delight you.

Augusta boasts several attractive dining choices, and lunch or dinner at the Beehive Tavern, Bravo Cafe or Parkview Inn Restaurant is a must do.

If you stay overnight, the Parkview Country Inn (Just a hint: Its outer appearance  may be a bit deceiving. This is a wonderfully luxurious place to stay.), Sabbathsong Farm, or Asbury Meadow are all excellent choices.

Day#2

Start your day early, you’ve got a lot to do! Get on KY HWY 19 and follow to KY  HWY 9. Turn left onto US 62 into Maysville.

As one of the oldest settlements in Kentucky, Maysville offers plenty to see and do. From visiting the floodwalls and Kentucky Gateway Museum, to learning about the Underground Railroad, Old Washington settlement and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Museum, you’ll find much to interest you. And Maysville boasts enough antiques, collectibles and craft shops, to keep your morning occupied, and a number of dining establishments to suit your mid-day tastes.

After Maysville, a short drive down HWY 11, will bring you to Fleming County (the covered bridge capital of Kentucky) and the town of Flemingsburg. Flemingsburg offers several antiques and collectibles shops, and you won’t want to miss a visit to Humphries Antiques in nearby Hillsboro, with over 12,000 sq ft of antiques and collectibles on display, as well as hard-to-find restoration pieces and supplies.  From Flemingsburg, follow HWY 32 to HWY 165, turn right, and follow to US HWY 68. Travel south along US HWY 68 to Blue Licks State Resort Park for your overnight stay.

Day #3

Begin your day’s journey by continuing to travel south on US HWY 68 to Paris, KY. Downtown Paris is well-known for its antiques and collectibles shops.

Among your choices you’ll find Loch Lea Antiques, which specializes in fine antiques and Kentucky antiques; Ardery’s Antiques, which features an old-fashioned soda fountain and lunch counter that’s very popular among the locals; Graham’s Antiques, Discoveries Antiques, and Antiques & Stuff just to name a few.

After lunch, follow US HWY 27 into Lexington.  On Leestown Road (HWY 421 on the north side of Lexington), you’ll find Feather Your Nest Antiques and Meadowthorpe Antique Mall just across the street from one another. While in Lexington, you don’t want to miss a visit to Scout Antiques & More or Room Service (just next door) just off Winchester Road on Liberty Road. If it’s the weekend, you may want to stop by the Athens Schoolhouse Antiques Show (follow I-75 south to Exit 104).

Lexington offers a myriad choices for dining and lodging.

Day#4

After a leisurely breakfast, begin your final day with a trip up I-75 to Georgetown, and put on your walking shoes. Downtown Georgetown is replete with antiques shops and galleries from one end of Main Street to the other; Central Kentucky Antique Mall, Glover’s Bookery, Friendly’s, Georgetown Antique Mall, Heirlooms & Gretchen’s, and more. In addition to antiques establishments, there are also several flea markets in Georgetown, near I-75 and on Paris Pike.

Georgetown offers great choices for lunch, with a number of fast food and family-style restaurants. For something a bit more interesting, you might visit Lock and Key Café, FatKat’s Pizzeria and Restaurant, or Upbeat Café and Music Venue.

Thank you for visiting! We trust you’ll be back to visit again.

Copyright – Kimberly Clay

When you are intending to buy antiques and collectibles at flea markets, garage sales, yard sales or estate sales, first take some time to walk around the market. Check out what is for sale and make a note of anything that interests you. Write it down; don’t trust it to memory.

If you see something you want being sold by more than one vendor, compare prices and try to haggle each down to a lower price. Get the lowest price you can, then give the more expensive vendor one last chance to beat the competition. It often works. But if you intend to haggle, then time it right.

Never try to beat somebody’s price down too early. Nobody will reduce their prices early in the day or shortly after the flea market opens. The best time for bargaining is shortly before closing. OK, this means that you might lose your item to somebody else, but if you need it really badly, then just buy it. Offer a lower price, but make sure you get it if you must have it. Otherwise, you can get the best prices just before closing.

Many sellers will reduce their price rather than not sell an item. It’s a fine line between leaving it too late and paying more than you need to, and experienced flea market and yard sales buyers know just where that line is. Don’t forget that flea market vendors expect to bargain, and so price their items higher than they expect to sell. Never purchase without some form of bargaining, but leave the real haggling until just before closing.

Even if you are the consummate bargain hunter, don’t waste time and energy haggling just for the sake of it. If you see something you want at a dollar or two, don’t waste time by haggling over a few cents – just pay the two dollars and buy it. While you are trying to save 20 cents, somebody else could spot that 1804 silver dollar that you can see from the corner of your eye but nobody else has noticed. . .

If you intend buying more than one item and you can find them from the same vendor, try bargaining for a better price. You can often get a better deal if you are purchasing multiple items as opposed to when you’re purchasing just one.

Yard sales are often easier places from which to get bargains than when buying antiques at flea markets, because yard sales are most often comprised of old clutter that the owner doesn’t want. Conversely, flea markets are often professionals selling to make a living.

If you think ahead, you can make some prior preparations to get yourself the best bargain. Don’t go shopping in your best clothes or trendiest designs. People that appear well-to-do at flea markets generally end up paying more: wear a fleece coat and you end up getting fleeced. You can dress neatly, but dress down (little or no jewelry, ladies), and then you won’t be expected to be able to pay a lot. Don’t show a check book or large bills. Pay in small denomination bills and coin, because if vendors see $50s and $100s, the prices may suddenly shoot up.

It also helps to have the amount that you are offering a seller in your hand when you make the offer – hold it out to them, or place it on the table. It is difficult to refuse an offer when the cash is there for the taking.

Make sure that your first offer is less than you are prepared to pay, but not too little. Just as you won’t pay the asking price, the seller likely won’t accept your first offer, but if you offer too little they might be offended or lose interest in you. Eventually you will agree on a price somewhere between your first offer and the asking price.

Once you have made an offer keep your mouth shut. The person that talks first and most in a bargaining situation generally loses out. Make your offer then wait: the seller might accept it, or might not. They might insist on the asking price, but throw in something extra; either free or at a highly discounted price. You will come across that frequently when buying antiques and collectibles at flea markets and garage sales.

If you see something you like, and intend to make an offer, then pick it up and carry it with you. That way nobody can purchase it or make an offer before you do. If you see or hear somebody else making an offer for an item you like, then pick it up before they do. Possession is nine tenths… and all that.

People frequently find themselves purchasing something too big for them to carry home or get into their car. If that’s the case pay for the item, and see that a ‘Sold’ tag goes on it. Then come to an arrangement with the vendor. The seller must have been able to transport it to the flea market or sale, so make them an offer to deliver it to you. If it’s a yard or estate sale, you can arrange to have it picked up later.

Don’t be afraid to walk away if you can’t reach an agreement. You are not obliged to accept a price offer. It might drop later in the day. Think of what you would do as a seller: would you really accept a lower price than you want for the items you’re selling when the flea market has just opened? Of course not! If you intend to haggle for everything, leave the item until later in the day, and then check on it again before leaving the market.

Finally, be polite. Negotiation and bargaining is not arguing. Don’t be rude if a vendor chooses not to accept your offer, because vendors at flea markets often pass information about rude buyers around, and you might find that nobody wants to deal with you. There is no need to be rude. Flea markets are fun ways of buying and selling and are not meant to involve serious, cut-throat activity. Have fun buying antiques and collectibles, especially at flea markets, where you just might find some great bargains.

Copyright 2009 Kimberly Clay

I know it’s trite and you are probably sick to death hearing the joke, but when collecting McCoy Pottery how do you know you are getting the real McCoy? (Urghh!!). I couldn’t resist it. But truthfully, how do you know that these McCoy Pottery marks are real, or even if an item should actually have a mark?

Let’s look at some McCoy Pottery history, which will perhaps give a bit of insight as to why that question was put to you. Keep in mind that it is pieces such as McCoy pottery cookie jars and pitchers that collectors prize, rather than fine tableware or decorative items as such, and this comes from the company’s background and origins. It is very much like the history of many other American potters and ceramic businesses around that time – the turn of the 19th century to just after World War II.

It was a period that covered the horror of WWI, women’s suffrage, the frivolity of the 1920s, new art movements such as the Harlem Renaissance, Art Deco and American Modernism, the Wall Street Crash and then the Great Depression, World War II and the rise of plastics to threaten the ceramics and tableware industries. So many changes in only one generation!

First of all, to which McCoy business are we referring? JW McCoy, Brush-McCoy or Nelson McCoy? J.W. McCoy started his pottery business in Roseville Ohio in 1899. He made utilitarian pottery, such as McCoy pottery planters, pitchers and stoneware flagons. When he put it on, his kiln mark was a ‘C’ inside an ‘M’ in several designs, often with the name of the product or line underneath.

George Brush held the stock majority in November 1911, and the company’s name was changed to Brush-McCoy. Much of the stoneware and pottery produced around this period had no kiln marks whatsoever, even before Brush added his name to the business. However, this quickly changed, and line numbers were adopted rather than the company name. If you have a piece that might be McCoy, and it has only a number such as 747 cut into the piece, it is most likely from this time period. These numbers were the only McCoy pottery marks used at the time.

When JW died in 1914, his son Nelson took over his interest, but sold it four years later. A major reason was that Nelson had started his own pottery business, one which was to become the McCoy Pottery Company. He formed the Nelson McCoy Sanitary Stoneware Company in 1910 in Roseville, Ohio. Part of their business, other than the manufacture of various forms of stoneware, was to mine and sell clay that was used by potteries in the area, such as the Roseville Pottery Company. The type of stoneware they manufactured was more of the foot warmer and storage crock type of item rather than pottery or tableware.

However, in 1925 the company decided to expand and not only extend its firing capability by commissioning a new 100 yard kiln, but also to branch out into the decorative art pottery products that the businesses to which they were supplying clay were involved. They started off by applying decoration to their jardinières, foot warmers and other functional items, and then into the more decorative art products.

As that part of the business expanded, so too did the staff involved, and artists and designers were taken on to ensure that the designs were commensurate with the marketing of these (to them) new types of products. Like most other pottery companies in the area, the original designs were natural motifs, such as berries and flowers, largely because of the fact that green and brown glazes were inexpensive and it would have been difficult to compete using the more expensive brighter colors.

The designs produced throughout the latter part of the 1920s and ’30s were functional as they had always been, but appealed to the public because they were decorative. This new approach certainly helped the company during these financially difficult times. Unlike some ceramic and pottery businesses that failed, a McCoy Pottery cookie jar or pitcher had everyday use, and were items that visitors could see being used and could admire. The fact that they also looked good was an added bonus and good selling point. Today we would call this a winning USP (unique selling point).

However, what has all this McCoy Pottery history to do with knowing you are getting the real item (I refuse to repeat the puerile joke). We are coming to that now. During the Depression, a co-op was formed, called the American Clay Products Company, whereby the products of each pottery that joined were marketed by the same sales team or salesmen in the same sales and marketing campaign. It was difficult for buyers to tell which company was selling which product, since they were all offered in the same portfolio of products.

This eventually gave rise to the development of distinctive kiln marks from those businesses within the association, and on its demise, which was inevitable because each member was vying to sell more than the other, these marks were used more extensively than those from other companies, such as the Roseville Pottery, that was not a member. To cut a long story short, it is not difficult to identify McCoy Pottery marks.

After 1940 they consisted of the name McCoy, often with ‘USA’, Made in the USA’ or some other lettering. Prior to that they were in the form of a clover and shield, and where appropriate also provided the volume of the container in gallons. The earliest McCoy pieces, with the name or ‘MC’ logo with a ‘C’ within the ‘M’, were made by JC, either on his own or as part of the aforementioned Brush-McCoy company.

Those who collect McCoy should find it relatively easy to identify the year of manufacture of the product from the McCoy pottery marks, and that is how it should be.