Antiques dealer and appraiser John Mickinak eats dinner at a chestnut wood table handmade by monks from Saint Vincent Archabbey.
He’ll offer another for the annual antiques show and sale that benefits the Southwestern Pennsylvania Council, from Jan. 27 to 29 at Greensburg Country Club.
“Many people are not aware that the monks made their own furniture,” said Mickinak, co-manager of the show with antiques dealer John Kroeck. “They had their own sawmill up on the Chestnut Ridge. It has that name for a reason.”
The monks made furniture for their monastery and Saint Vincent College out of chestnut, cherry, walnut and poplar woods, Mickinak said.
“They auctioned a lot of it in the 1980s, and I bought maybe 20 tables,” Mickinak said. “I bring one out every once in a while.”
The table Mickinak is selling measures 9½ feet long by about 38 inches wide.
Another item he thinks will garner interest is a Colonial-style doll house that stands about 3 feet tall.
“It’s all wood, all handmade, and it really is a special piece,” he said.
Mickinak will be among 24 sellers hailing from across Pennsylvania and several Midwestern states. Because of lingering pandemic concerns, the show last was held in 2020.
One dealer specializes in mid-century modern furniture.
“We’re really emphasizing that because it is so popular right now,” Mickinak said.
Others will offer a wide array of merchandise, including formal, country, oak and Victorian furniture; Oriental rugs and other exports; European porcelains; Roseville, cut, art and pattern glass; sterling silver and matching flatware; jewelry and vintage clothing; quilts and linens; paper items such as ads and postcards, along with paintings, crocks, toys and more.
“Our motto is always, ‘Antiques are green; we recycle,’” Mickinak said. “With the furniture in particular, the prices are lower and the quality is so much better than what you find in stores today.”
Appraisals also will be available on a first-come, first-served basis from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Fee is $7 for a verbal appraisal and $15 for a written one.
The country club dining room will be open during show hours.
“It’s more than just a show,” Mickinak said. “A lot of people go through the show, get something to eat and then come through again. You can really spend a whole evening or a whole day there.”
Sale hours will be 6-9 p.m. Jan. 27, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Jan. 28 and 1-4 p.m. Jan. 29.
Admission is $10, good for all three days. Proceeds benefit the arts council, a partnership of area artists, cultural institutions, businesses and individual supporters for furthering the cultural education of the public through the exhibition and promotion of the work of area artists.
The SWPCA sponsors an annual regional juried art exhibit, and offers mini-grants to area schools to fund student visits to the exhibit.
For information, call 724-832-7388 or 412-741-1631.
