Palouse antique dealers combine stock for sale

Even antique stores need some spring cleaning once in a while, or so say four dealers in downtown Palouse.

The four antique shops are sorting out wares for a sale March 12 at the former Small Towne Quilts building downtown.

Heidi Kite, owner of the two Open Eye Consignment Shops in town, said Palouse lacks a town-wide event in March and that means a slump in sales for businesses.

“Jackie (Strack) and I said ‘Lets do something!’” she said.

She is organizing the March Madness sale in the hopes of drumming up business. Kite added she will be giving out coupons from other downtown Palouse businesses for discount purchases.

“We’re trying to include everybody,” she said.

Filling the floor of the shop already is a set of wooden chairs and a table, along with some other knick-knacks.

Owner of St. Elmo’s Antiques, Jackie Strack, said she’ll be bringing a mixture of garden antiques and other antiques to the sale.

“Hopefully, all of it will be reasonably priced,” Strack said. “It’s just what I have that I want to get rid of,” she said. She pointed to an older Radio Flyer Wagon, a stepladder and other antiques in the back storage lot of St. Elmo’s.

Bob Strack, owner of the small bakery in the back of St. Elmo’s, has brought in restaurant kitchenware, including special baking supplies.

Linda DeWitt, owner of Linda’s Whimseys, said she is bringing down some antiques that she has lost interest in fixing.

“It’s just stuff I don’t want to mess with anymore,” she said. She has a set of six 1900s lion’s head chairs. She is also looking to bring some “more rustic things” like melted glass doorknobs or kerosene lamp parts.

“We’re tired of fixing,” she said.

The sale will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the former quilting shop store.

Bank Left Gallery will open at 5:30 for a dinner with live music in the spirit of spring, called Out of the Vault.

Dinner will be Fidget Pie with a spring garden salad.

“The pie is layers of apples, black forest ham, sage and potatoes and onion. It’s this beautiful, warm, spring-type pie. That’s the main entrée,” said gallery owner Nelson Duran.