Smokehouse Square Antiques sees demand for 'mantiques'

AMANA - A large display case near the front door of Smokehouse Square Antiques is filled with things that men collect such as ammo boxes, oil cans, hunting and fishing gear.

"We have been experiencing a lot of interest in what I call 'mantiques,'" said Cindy Burkhalter, who has owned the 25-year-old antique mall with 50 dealers since 1994. "Original oil and gas signs are just off the charts. Old cast-iron toys are very much in demand."

A rare circa 1900s Adams toy leaning road grader that was a salesman's sample is priced at $14,000. Burkhalter said serious collectors are looking for investment-grade items that will hold their value or appreciate over time as an alternative to bank certificates of deposit or the stock market.

"I had a farmer from Kansas who came in and bought five really good pieces of cast iron," Burkhalter recalled. "He told his wife that his CDs weren't making him any money, so he was investing in cast-iron toys."

Buyers walking through the two levels of the Smokehouse Square Antiques in the former Amana Welfare Association clubhouse at 4503 F St. - two blocks north of the Amana General Store - can come across a photo of former President Dwight Eisenhower in uniform during World War II above a suggestion box as the government was selling war bonds. Or they might find a light blue and chrome pedal car that many a baby boomer will recall from childhood.

"We are fortunate to have nationally recognized dealers who offer a lot of diverse and quality items," Burkhalter said. "Mid-Century Modern, which encompasses furniture and collectibles from the 1950s, is very popular.

"So are items of folk art, which were made by hand as gifts and handed down from generation to generation."

The multi-dealer shop also carries textiles, tools, hunting collectibles, stoneware, glass and pottery.

Burkhalter said the popularity of American Pickers and Pawn Stars on the History Channel has given rise to a new generation of antique collectors. It couldn't come at a better time for the 25-year-old business.

""The 1990s came barreling through," Burkhalter said. "Then came 2008, which was the worst year that I have had here.

"First we had the crash of the markets and then the flood closed all the roads into Amana. Finally we had the first year of $4  gasoline. All that happened during June, July and August, which is our 'breadwinner' time of the year."

Now, however, she noted, "We are seeing a new generation of collectors who realize that there is an intrinsic value to antiques."

In 2007, Burkhalter launched an annual Firecracker 4th Antique Show. This year's event will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday, July 3, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, July 4, at two locations - the Market Barn in the center of Amana and the Morton Building on the Amana Recreational Vehicle Park grounds.

Early bird admission from 8 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, will be $3 per person.