Ruth Rice
rrice@tribdem.com
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From cars to collectibles, antiques will reign.
The 42nd annual Somerset Antique Show will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday on the streets of Uptown Somerset.
Nothing new has been added to this year’s show, said Sandy Berkebile, office manager for Somerset County Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the show.
“There will be no appraisals this year,” she said.
“We decided to have them every other year.”
The antiques show area, which will take up eight to 10 blocks, will encircle the courthouse and flow toward North Center Avenue to Main Street.
More than 100 dealers are slated to attend, mostly from New York, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
“We’ve had dealers from as far away as Florida,” Berkebile said. “They go to other shows and want something in between. We also get a lot from Virginia.”
She added that Somerset customers seem to favor furniture, but there also will be small collectibles, kitchen items, quilts, glassware, jewelry, baseball cards and books.
There are a lot of repeat customers who attend because people will have a favorite dealer.
“They will see something in the dealer’s shop and ask them to bring it to the show,” Berkebile said. “Some might come to look, but dealers like our show because they get buyers.”
Many times, buyers will be looking for a specific item they are collecting and dealers will concentrate on offering a specific type of item.
Although the show doesn’t open until 8 a.m., some eager customers begin arriving during the predawn with flashlights, hoping to be the first to get their pick of items.
“We mainly get big crowds from 8 to noon, but sometimes we have crowds right past 4,” Berkebile said.
“It depends on the weather.”
Local nonprofits will have food available for purchase, which will serve as major fundraisers for the nonprofits.
Parking is free on the street and on the lower level of the borough parking garage.
An antique and classic car show will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Somerset Trust Co. parking lot,
151 W. Main St.
Roberta Lohr, senior vice president of marketing at Somerset Trust, said the bank plans for
175 vehicles.
“We get cars from Maryland and, one time, had some from Virginia, but it’s mostly from the Cambria-Somerset area,” Lohr said.
“The first 150 to preregister will receive a dash plaque and a base-ball cap, and all entrants will be eligible for a door-prize drawing at 3.”
This will be the 23rd year for the car show, which was the vision of the bank’s trust officer Don Meese, who was a car buff.
“We do it in memory of him,” Lohr said. “He passed away a couple years ago.”
The show is not judged, but is more like a reunion party with entrants knowing each other and setting up lawn chairs.
The auxiliary of the Somerset Volunteer Fire Company will sell food, and a local radio station in Meyersdale will set up a remote broadcast to play oldies music.
“This group is cool,” Lohr said. “If I’m in town, I like to go to the car show.
“We get everything from Corvettes to Model Ts.”
If you go ...
What: 42nd annual Somerset Antique Show.
When: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Streets of Uptown.
Admission: Free.
Information: 445-6431 or www.somersetpa.net.
