Collectors who love all things Lititz had plenty to choose from at the Lititz Springs Fall Antique Show in September 2014. A recent estate auction of longtime resident “Sketch” Mearig had put a fresh supply of local memorabilia into dealers’ hands, and several vendors brought their new finds to the park. For a few shoppers, browsing turned into a trip down memory lane.
A surprise from Dad’s office
Linda Neiss was stopped in her tracks by a pair of green clip-on sunglasses in a leather case. They had been dispensed by her father, Lititz optometrist Dr. C.L. Wertsch, whose practice once occupied the front of the family home on Main Street.
Local dealer Dave Sharp had acquired the glasses at the Mearig auction, along with a collection of old Lititz High School photographs. Neiss bought the sunglasses and thought she might have spotted her brother in one of the class pictures. Holding back tears, she said the find brought back a lot of memories.
Finding family in old photos
Sharp, who has sold at the show since it began, said many shoppers were finding relatives, and even themselves, in the photographs. Lititz historian Ron Reedy bought a picture of his sister, and one woman found both her mother and her best friend in class photos.
The dealer said he was getting a Lititz history lesson of his own as shoppers explained who was who. One highlight of the album was a photograph of the 1919 Lititz High School boys basketball team, which drew plenty of attention.
Yardsticks selling like hotcakes
At the other end of the park, Lititz dealer Jerry Striker was surprised by what was flying off his table: advertising yardsticks from hometown businesses. He had started the day with about 40 and, by late afternoon, had fewer than a dozen left, including ones from Bingaman’s Clothing and Beck Brothers Furniture. He had bought the lot, along with photographs from the Eby shoe factory, less than two weeks earlier.
The yardsticks were a reminder of a time when local stores handed out practical promotional items, and of how many familiar business names have come and gone from downtown Lititz.
Coke or Pepsi?
Michael Soslow of Lititz came with his wife, Beth, hoping not to find anything. That plan ended when he spotted pale green glass. The couple’s children were decorating a Coca-Cola-themed room, so the Soslows bought a wooden Coca-Cola crate filled with classic bottles as a gift for their daughter-in-law.
Another dealer then pointed out that the bottom of each bottle was stamped with the name of the town where it was bottled. The couple flipped them over and found bottles from Lancaster, Atlantic City and East Liverpool. Michael admitted they were now hooked.
Spared by the weather
Vendors had their own surprise: the weather. Suzanne Kopp, who displayed a large collection of antique kitchen furniture without a tarp, said she and her husband had debated whether to set up at all. Heavy clouds hung over the park all day, and a few sprinkles sent some dealers scrambling to cover tinware and other sensitive pieces.
Customers told Kopp it had rained all around the Lititz area, yet the park itself stayed largely dry. She called it an answered prayer.
A seasonal tradition
The Lititz Springs antique shows, held in the park in spring and fall, have long drawn dealers and shoppers from across the region. Under the shade trees and along the spring-fed stream, visitors can browse furniture, glassware, toys, tools and, often, pieces of local history.
For many residents, the 2014 show was a chance to hold a little bit of Lititz’s past in their hands, whether it was a pair of sunglasses, a team photo from nearly a century ago or a yardstick from a store they remember from childhood. As one dealer put it, every item has a story, and in Lititz, the shoppers usually know it.