Kiwanis hosts first-ever antiques show

Early risers searching for treasure lined up outside the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Hall for the inaugural Sisters Kiwanis Club Antique and Collectibles Sale Saturday morning, hoping to discover some tantalizing gem of yesteryear. 

Bargain hunters joined fellow fevered collectors scanning tables laden with antique jewelry, heirloom furniture, old-fashioned lace tablecloths, art books, depression-era dishware and even an imposing seven-foot wood toboggan.

Volunteer Pat Woollard counted nearly a dozen people standing outside in the cold at 7:30 a.m. before the doors opened at 8 a.m.

"This is our first ever event like this and all the proceeds from the sale go toward scholarships and community improvement projects," she said.

Kiwanian Karen Keady sold a well-known Tom Roberts painting entitled "The Shearing of the Rams."

"A lady here in Sisters whose husband was from New Zealand and also sheared sheep had been looking for that exact picture for years," Keady said. "I told her, boy, have we got a deal for you. So that was a neat connection. Everybody has been great and it's been a fun day."

Guests strolled the room, attempting to figure out the usage of some strange contraption or arcane device or inspecting the back of a framed, hand-tinted photo of Crater Lake. There were trinkets from all decades, representing every spectrum of the collector universe, from an old ozone air purifier and a miniature brass fire extinguisher to a vintage coffee-grinder, a signed Dan Fouts football and commemorative Sisters Rodeo cowboy hat crafted out of blown black glass.

Sisters author Jill Stanford was in attendance, eyeing some Asian dolls and limited-edition Gone With The Wind figures.

"There are some real treasures here and lots of wonderful things," she said. "Sisters always comes through for benefits like this and providing interesting fun things for collectors like me."

Jerry Taylor, a longtime Kiwanis Club member and supporter, was grateful for the array of items donated for their first antique sale.

"Everything you see here in this room was given to us by Kiwanians and friends," he said. "Every penny is donated right back into the Sisters community for career advancements, local parks projects and other civic-minded activities throughout the year. We hope to make this an annual event, and whatever is left over will be taken over to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore."

Taylor and wife Jan helped visitors trying to get an estimate for their antiques, hand-me-downs and memorabilia. For $2 per item, Taylor and his staff were able to provide an account of what its worth might be, using a stack of guidebooks as reference.

"My wife and I are lifetime collectors," he said. "We're not professional appraisers, but we can offer some knowledge and guidance for people at least. We've been married for 42 years and have collected and hunted down everything from toys to furniture to marbles. It keeps us entertained and is something we can share together."