Antiques make way from history to Logan
People seeking tangible bits of history may find Logan to be the perfect place to discover antiques.
Matt and Jodi Harrison stopped by Collectors Corner, located at 166 W. 1200 South in Logan, during a weekend getaway from Salt Lake City. Swing and do-wop music from Memories AM 1390, wafted over the public address system.
Already owners of an antique Singer sewing machine and an old ice box, the Harrisons were just browsing Saturday to see if they could find some unclaimed treasure.
“It’s fun to look,” Matt said. “I like looking at old boxes and trunks.”
Jodi has another favorite.
“I like furniture,” she said. “I just wish I had the money to afford it.”
Collectors Corner is owned and operated by Cloyd and Janet Frederick, antique collectors for 48 years. Janet said sometimes people find exactly what they are looking for in her store, but not often.
“So we try and have something for everyone,” she said.
A variety of items, from chairs to candlesticks, multi-colored glass to hats, furniture, china, skis and even an old slot machine are for sale at their store.
It all started with a gift.
Janet said she and her husband already owned some old oil lamps when a landlord gave them some small bowls made of carnival glass, made between the 1880s and 1920s. Carnival glass is so named because of its unique iridescence. Gold is one of the key ingredients in the glass and gives it its rainbow-like luster.
Since that day, the Fredricks’ collection has expanded to include French severs, which are a type of urn used for ashes of royalty.
The severs on display at Collectors Corner were valued by Butterfields, an auction house, at up to $24,000 for the pair.
The museum-quality severs are blue porcelain decorated with 22-karat gold leafing and are signed and numbered by the artists.
Cloyd said he acquired the severs from a friend who is a butler for some elderly ladies in San Diego and would only sell the severs as a pair.
Cloyd said The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints calls him about once each year to invite him, along with other dealers to bid on surplus church artifacts.
One of the most popular items is pioneer-era furniture, he said.
“When the Mormons left Nauvoo, they had to leave a lot of furniture on the [side of trails],” Cloyd said. “[When they arrived in Utah], they used pine to make their furniture.”
Cloyd said beginning collectors should collect what they like.
“Collect what you can live with,” he said. “Even if you want to make money, you still might have to live with it for a while.”