Antique' is in the eye of the beholder

By Jeff Dick, The Leader

By Jeff Dick, jdick@qconline.com

Certain types of antiques are always in demand, says Kim Schilling of Melting Pot Productions, organizers of the twice-yearly Antique Spectacular: furniture, jewelry, art pottery, glassware.

But the spring show that opens today at the QCCA Expo Center in Rock Island also includes art prints, stoneware, dolls, coins, toys, silver, china, postcards, rugs, vintage textiles, books and much more.

"It's hard to say if there are any trends," Ms. Schilling said. " `Shabby chic' -- the rougher or more primitive stuff -- was so expansive that we're still seeing a lot of that. Then there are clientele who like more traditional antiques -- classic furniture and the more `authentic' stuff.

"It's like taste in clothing. There's someone for every antique out there. Everyone has a different eye."

Melting Pot Productions organizes antique shows in Des Moines and Council Bluffs in addition to the March and November shows in Rock Island. This year is its 13th in the Quad-Cities.

There will 77 exhibitors at the sold-out show, with dealers mainly from Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, plus a few from Kansas, Nebraska and even as far away as Texas.

"We have a lot of new exhibitors coming, including one from Minnesota with holiday items from the Victorian era," Ms. Schilling said. "We should have a good variety. Every antique has a beautiful history, so it's always fun."

If you go

-- What: Antique Spectacular spring show.

-- Where: QCCA Expo Center, 2621 4th Ave., Rock Island.

-- When: 5-9 p.m. today, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, March 7-9.

-- Admission: $6.

-- More information: www.antiquespectacular.com.