‘Cheap’ chairs valuable

The Dallas Post // News

July 2

By Rebecca Bria rbria@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

Dallas resident Nancy Dingman routinely bought “cheap” chairs for about 50 cents the first night of the Back Mountain Memorial Library Auction in the early 1970s so she and her husband, Bob, had somewhere to sit during the event.

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ABOVE: Joanne Runner cools off with an ice-cream cone in this file photo. BELOW: Auctioneer Joe Killeen, right, tries to get the best bid with stage help from Steve Traver, left, and Ernie Ashbridge, center.

Charlotte Bartizek file Photos/ For The Dallas Post

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Years later when the couple was living in Vermont, a man who knew antique chairs informed them the chairs they paid next to nothing for were actually Larkin chairs worth about $250. The chairs have moved several times with the Dingmans and remain in their living room today.

Dingman and thousands of others are anticipating the 63rd annual Back Mountain Memorial Library Auction to be held nightly from July 9 through July 12 on the library grounds at 96 Huntsville Rd., Dallas.

Thousands of items will be auctioned off over the four nights. There is a $5 one-time bidder’s fee to participate in the bidding.

Some local memorabilia included in this year’s auction include a barbershop razor made in Germany with the inscription, “I. Issacs, Wilkes-Barre B.S.C.O.”; a doily that says “The Boston Store, Fowler Dick & Walker”; a music cabinet full of music from the 1930s and 1940s; a Telechron clock that says “Henry’s Dallas Jewelry” on the face; paper memorabilia signed by George M. Dallas; a drawing of the Dallas train station; and a Kingston Township High School postal cachet from 1938.

A pine jelly cupboard donated by David Hall in memory of his wife, Kathryn, will be the antique raffle item. Chances are $2 each or six for $10. A quilt raffle is available with chances costing $1 each or six for $5. Yet another separate raffle includes prizes of $500 cash, a Pandora charm bracelet, a $100 savings bond and a gas card. Tickets are $2 each or six for $10. Tickets for the raffles are available at the front desk at the library.

Plenty of other activities are available at the auction, including item booths, food and crafters. Each night, children can partake in a ball toss to win a goldfish, a whiffle ball toss or play in the fun bouncer. There will be T-shirt painting and flip-flop creations. And Sand Art will return to the auction after a disappearance of three years.

Family Night, featuring special family food prices as well as family-themed activities and auction items, will be held the first night of the auction. Hot dogs will be available for 25 cents and a youth bike will go over the auction block.

Blacksmith demonstrations will be performed by Merle Eiffert on Friday and Saturday, July 10 and 11. A special children’s auction of toys, games and bicycles is scheduled for the morning of Saturday, July 11.

The auction will begin Sunday night with the ringing of the bell by Tom and Noreen Clark of WNEP-TV. The Clarks, along with Vince Sweeney, a former television personality and executive director of the Luzerne County SPCA, will lead the auction for the first hour.

Dallas artist Sue Hand, along with two of her students, will be on site during the auction to paint the auction scene through their eyes. The paintings are auctioned off on the final night with proceeds donated to the library.

A continuous shuttle from Emmanuel Bus Lines will run from the Dallas Shopping Center to the auction and back each night of the event. Limited parking is also available on side streets near the library.