Contributed by collector and Overstreet Advisor Art Cloos
Photographs by Alice and Art Cloos
The 38th Allentown Antiques Toy Show was held on Saturday, November 5, 2016 at the Agricultural Hall located at 17th & Chew Street in Allentown, PA 18104. This show has a legendary place in the toy collecting world. Indeed, 25 years ago when my wife and I first heard of it we were being told this was the show to go to, even ahead of the famed Atlantic City and Kennedy Airport shows. Well, they are gone now but Allentown is still going strong.
It must be understood that this is an antique toy show, and all exhibits and merchandise must be authentic children's playthings such as toys, dolls, trains, comics, art and so forth. Current and over the counter toys are simply not allowed. Indeed, the sign up materials for it state that the show staff will monitor exhibits and merchandise and exhibitors selling new products will not be permitted to return the following year. Many of the dealers have set up there for years and the same can be said for the show attendees too.
The location, Agricultural Hall, is a large, open facility which can accommodate 500 tables with wide aisles. There is ample parking available for dealers and buyers during registration periods and the day of the show, but overnight, meaning on Friday, parking of personal vehicles/trailers and motor homes on Agricultural Hall property is prohibited by local ordinance.
As we walked the show aisles we were struck by the variety of items that dealers were showing. There is a lot of history on display here. From Disney to 19th century cast iron toys, from TV to radio show, from comic to pulp based collectibles there was a vast variety of items to look at and buy. Don't plan to go through this show in an hour. It just is not going to happen if you are a serious buyer looking for a particular item or items.
You get the sense quite quickly that this is a seasoned group of veteran dealers who know exactly what they have and what they are willing to accept for it. Likewise, it was quite obvious that the buyers at the show know their stuff and know what an item should cost as opposed to what is being asked. Prices are not generally cheap but bargains can be found or negotiated.
People travel long distances to do this one-day show. For example, I spoke to dealers from Tennessee, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and potential buyers from as far away as England. That is impressive because I know as a long time collector and attendee at art, toy, and comic shows that people are not going to go long distances for a one-day event unless they are sure it is going to be worth their while.
Major auction houses were there too, with Morphy Auctions in attendance as well as Hake's Americana & Collectibles. It was nice to talk to Kelly McClain and Todd Sheffer from Hake's for a bit while I was there.
Allentown is really an old fashioned show. Not every dealer cares to have his or her picture taken but most had no issue with pictures of their tables. You don't see a great deal of publicity for it either. It’s almost as though the people involved want to keep it a secret, though there is a Facebook page for the show.
Once done with the show I heartily recommend checking out the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market which is right next door. Dan Wuchter, who has been a part of the farmers market since it opened in 1955, and his wife Laurie keeps the gears turning at the farmers market today. Dan and Laurie also own a few of the businesses within the market. Dan’s Bar-B-Qued Chicken, for example, has been in business since the ’60s.
With over 60 local merchants, you're sure to find everything you need in one quick stop depending on what you are looking for. You can find a variety of lunch or dinner items and there are areas to sit and eat if you are so inclined. There is an impressive amount of farm produce from vegetables to fruits to fresh meats to buy and take home if you bring a cooler. Or there are several nice hotels located in the area and local attractions to check out and making a weekend getaway out of attending, as Allie and I did, can make for a fun mini vacation.
Remember, though, if you are planning to stock up at the Farmer's Market that it is only open Thursday from 9 AM to 8 PM, Friday from 8 AM to 8 PM, and Saturday from 8 AM to 6 PM so plan accordingly if you plan to attend the show and some buying from the market.
The cost was a very reasonable $5 for adults and $3 for children from 6 to 12 years old. Show hours were 9 AM to 3 PM. For early buyers the hours were Friday from 10 AM to 3 PM, which was dealer set up and dealer trading, and Saturday from 7:30 AM to 9 AM with a cost of $50 per person. The show is run by David K, Bausch and Ray Holland and really is a well oiled machine at this point with everyone associated with it knowing what their function is from dealer to show worker.
As of this writing the 2017 show dates have not been set up. For show questions, you can visit their website at www.allentownantiquetoyshow.com, contact Susan at sfrey5564@gmail.com, Julie at jsauerzopf@msn.com, or call (484) 553-2947
