C.O.C.A. Times

ANTIQUE ADVENTURES
by J oho Carini
..... in Denver
are vacationing, there are a few easy ways to find
the local antique shops. First, surf the internet. In the
My wife went to Denver for a week in June to search field, type in the name of the nearest large
visit her sister. And of course, she had to do some city and the word "antique". Then try the city name
antique shopping while she was there. She called me and "antique row", or "flea market". Often you will
to say she had found a cheap, beat-up machine from find listings of antique shops in the area, or a calen-
the '20's and would be bringing it home, but would- dar of flea market dates. I also recommend the
Leggetts' Antique Atlas. This is a 2-volume book set
n't tell me what it was.
She had found it the very fust that lists antique stores, malls and shows across the
day, at a shop called the U.S. The one thing you need to be careful of is that
Colorado Antique Gallery of antique shops come and go. You should call before
making the drive there.
Littleton. Hidden behind some
stuff on the floor of a vendor
booth was a beat up Mills Target
Practice, marked $25.00 (see
photo). The machine works, but
was missing the front glass,
It's called Gold Rush Day . Each August in the
back lock, and front casting. I
Rochester, MN area, two very large flea markets are
am currently working with another collector to
held on the same weekend. Several other collector
restore the machine, including a new front casting.
friends had told me about it, and we decided we
She also brought me back a nice Beechnut Gum
would try it this year. We left on a Thursday morn-
Display that she had picked up at the Brass
ing, stopping in many antique shops in the large
Armadillo Mall of Denver for $17.00.
cities on the way up. Along the way, we noticed we
Denver also has an "antique row" not far from
were always trailing another coin-op collector. We
the downtown area attractions. After touring the
saw business cards tacked to the bulletin boards, and
Denver Mint, my wife visited the many antique
several times when we asked the store owners if
shops located there, and found several with coin-op
they had coin-op machines they made a comment
machines, and one in particular
that they were asked just yesterday for the same
had quite a few. She brought
thing.
me back business cards from
When we finally got to our hotel, we noticed a lot
the shops since she wasn't sure
of other people there for the flea market. We knew it
what some of the stuff was, and
must be big to have so many out-of-town people
the other family members she
corning to it. On Friday morning, we left early to get
was with were tired and wanted
to the Oronco flea market located just a few minutes
to leave. I later called the
outside of Rochester, arriving at 8:00 o'clock, just
owner of one shop and picked
as it was opening. It was a large flea market with a
up a Double Nugget for
good variety of antiques (very few liquidation type
$100.00 (see photo).
product vendors). We walked around and saw old
Are you wondering how to find out where the
soda machines, and a really old late 1930's wood
shops and flea markets are? No matter where you
cabinet Wurlitzer Juke Box (unfortunately it wasn't
..... in Minnesota
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