Meeting Jane Riegger...

To be a dealer in The Heirloom Cupboard first you had to be interviewed by Jane Riegger. She was the owner (along with her husband). Jane was a very intimidating woman. Her reputation preceded her. Around Medina, people either really liked her or they really didn't! Most respected her. Her family had owned the Longacre Furniture Store on the Square for many years. They were a prominent Medina family. She was no nonsense, a retired school teacher from Medina City schools. Her husband, Bob, was a retired Vice President of the Old Phoenix Bank on the Square. They made an attractive, distinguished couple.



When Pam took me to the the Heirloom to meet Jane I was in a panic. I know nothing of the business. What was she going to do, give me a test? Quiz me on the value of specific antiques? What I knew about the value of things was from a 1985 Schroeder's price guide. How pathetic was that! Good old Pam promised she would teach me everything.

Jane Riegger shook my hand, and asked where she knew me from. I said from coming in the shop most likely. She asked if I had gone to Medina schools? I said," No... Buckeye." She said, "Hum." She then looked me square in the face for a full minute. I didn't looked away. It seemed like forever to me. Then she said, "Let me find you a key. You can move in upstairs next to Pam's section. Nancy Slaymaker is moving out you can have her spot. You can work Nancy's days on the calendar. Four days a month is required and pay your rent on the first of the month."

You could have knocked me over with a feather. I held out my hand and a old brass key to The Heirloom Cupboard was placed in it. I don't remember if I said anything or not. But as I was going up the stairs to view my new spot, Jane called after me, "...and Shirley, September will be your month to do the display in the front right window.

I climbed the rest of the stairs two at a time.

I moved in on the 5th of July 1993. I knew that this was going to be a new direction in my life.

My friend Pam Cotman....and the antiquing story continues....

In the early 1990's I was well on my way to a nursing career. My kids were all in their teens and my personal life was slowly coming onto the front burner. My brother, Norman and I had made a pact together to get our RN degrees. I was working at a assisted living / nursing home facility and was a CNA. They had a program there to help you advance your nursing career if you had the desire. They only asked that you work for them during your schooling, and sign a contract upon graduation to work for them for an additional two years. I was fine with that..I enjoyed where I worked! I never missed a day, and loved everyone that was entrusted to my care. Nursing was my future and I was ready to get on with it.

This is where I met Pam we worked together in the same ward. Pam Cotman was from Kenosha, Wisconsin and her mom owned an antique shop there. On one of our long weekends off I went to her parent's home with her and we went antiquing.

Nancy, Pam's Mom, had a little shop, very neat and clean. She had a wonderful selection of vintage linens, quilts, and costume jewelry. The shop also had a sampling of other things too, pottery, knick-knacks, and small pieces of furniture. Pam, who grew up in her mom's shop. was an antique dealer too. She was visiting her mom to pick up a load of things to put in her rented spot...in The Heirloom Cupboard. My favorite shop in Medina.

A few weeks later, Pam and I went to an auction. I won the bid on an old 1880's humpback trunk (I spent far too much for it!) and bought box lots of things too inexpensive to pass up. Afterwards, I lamented to Pam, "Why did you let me get carried away...what am I going to do with this stuff?"

That is when Pam let me in on what she was thinking..."Why don't you see if Jane Riegger will let you rent a space in The Heirloom Cupboard, like I do?" She asked.

Medina...and, The Heirloom Cupboard

Medina, Ohio is a quaint little town. Big beautiful homes line the streets leading up to the Square. Many Painted Lady's can be appreciated on those streets... just so you know... I am not referring to beautiful women wearing makeup. I am referring to the big beautiful homes all painted in bright multi colors. The more colors the better, to embellish and enhance their many architectual details. Most of the homes were built around the 1880's through the 1915 era. So the homes were built in the Victorian and Edwardian styles. The difference between a Victorian house from an Edwardian, is basicly when it was built...as far as I can tell, except the Edwardian homes do seem to have less gables and a more flat style roof, but the brick-brack is still in abundance. These homes were called Victorian up until Queen Victoria died in 1901...the ones built after that, were called Edwardian. But I digress! My point was Medina has a wonderful selection of Painted Lady's. I never tire of looking at them.



At the center of town we have the Square. A lovely place with a big white gazebo in the center with paths from all four corners leading up to it. Huge trees and formal gardens abound. There is even a big military cannon on the west side of the Gazebo that the children love to climb on. Benches are strategically placed so strollers and dog walkers, or people with a good book, can sit and read, relax, or gaze in any direction and enjoy a scenic view.



Back in 1993, though, if I visited the Square, it wasn't to sit on a bench and relax. It was usually because I needed something from the old hardware store on the block just south of there. A very cool place in itself. But I always hurried through there, to make time to go three doors down to "The Heirloom Cupboard". A wonderful antique shop. I'd always stand in front first, and gaze into the windows on each side of the door. They changed the displays in the windows on the first of each month and you never knew what would be in there to see. Then I would step up the big step and open the big heavy door and walk in, as the brass bell on the door announced my entry. The Heirloom Cupboard had a smell all it's own. I always stopped after I had shut the door to fill my lungs with the mixture of lavender and furniture polish, candles and "old." I loved this place. I was stepping back in time ...and felt very much at home there.

My first Auction...

In September 1962 we moved to Grafton Road in Valley City, onto a small 3 acre farm that a man named Arthur Haas was selling. It was wedged between huge farm fields owned by MTD Farms. Across the street was the Schmidt/Krueger farm. Further down on the right was the Mallasch's homestead. Next to them was the Foecking Farm and as the crow flies cross the back side field was the Crocker Dairy Farm. After Dad bought the property, before we could move in ... the Haas's were having an auction.

What an exciting day that was! We got there early. Trucks and tractors started pulling into the long driveway and parking in the side pasture. Men and woman were gathered talking. Groups of men in overalls were standing under the pear and cherry trees. A man had even climbed up onto a big branch of the big oak tree by the back door and was perched there smoking a cigarette. There were a few kids in the crowd,and some were down by the apple tree at the end of the driveway trying to knock down an apple to eat.

The big crowd hushed as the auctioneer started his fast talking spiel...and bids started to fly. I couldn't keep track of it all! My dad was right in there bidding on furniture and old farm equipment, tools and chickens! The auctioneer, got to the point that when my dad won the bid , he would do a salute and yell, "Sold to the man in the green shirt!" It was exciting! I remember men stacking boxes around my dad's feet won from bidding...full of dishes and old books, and all sorts of stuff. I couldn't keep up with finding the treasures in one box before another was delivered to dig through. This was better than any holiday!

A young boy about 13 was there . His sister. who was older, was trying to keep him in tow. He wanted to bid on something in the worst way. Finally near the end, an old kitchen table came up for bid. No one bid. This boy yelled out...TEN CENTS...the crowd was dead quiet. Then the auctioneer pointed at him and said SOLD! That was when I knew this is something I wanted to learn about. This kid had just bought a perfectly good table for 10 cents...I could have done that!

That boy was Dick Foecking our neighbor. The table ended up in his family's grainary...up the steep stairs to the loft and was our childhood clubhouse table for many years.

My Dad and I went to many auctions together. It was a passion we shared up until he died. He helped me load up many pieces of furniture and boxes full of treasures for the Depot,. And, I would tease him now and again about wearing a green shirt...

How it started...

My passion for antiques started when I was little. My family lived in a small community where there was a local dump. On Saturdays my dad would load our garbage bags from the week into our '56 Buick and take them to the bump. I always made sure I went. There was all kinds of things there. I loved it. Not many people thought about recycling then. When an item was of no use any more to them ...it was brought to this big field of discarded items... and added to it. The garbage was thrown on one side but metal and other household items on the other...that was where I always headed. I would find pretty floral dishes ( a few chips here or there didn't bother me) and small pots and pans to play house with. Once I found an old doll buggy that was in really good shape. I collected old bottles, dug up an old radio that even worked, tubes still intact.
Dad would help me load up my treasures. Home we would head where Mom and I would scrub everything with Spic-n-Span...