Terry’s Toy Store

When we first got together Terry had a collection of beautiful antique Aladdin oil lamps. I don’t know how many she had, but it was enough to be impressive when you walked in the door of her cabin. And because we lived in the high mountains of Arizona, where winter storms sometimes knocked out power for a day or more, some of those lamps got a workout at least a couple of times a year.

Unfortunately, when we went on the road as fulltime RVers there was no place for the lamps in our motorhome, and we knew they would get broken if we tried to take any of them with us. So Terry sold them off, but I knew it broke her heart. When we bought our house, I suggested she start collecting Aladdin’s again, but she didn’t think she wanted to do that. Then I found a beautiful Lincoln Drape Aladdin on Craigslist and we bought it, and that was like priming the pump. I can’t tell you how many Aladdin lamps she has now, but let’s just say if she gets many more we will have to add an addition onto the house. This makes me very happy, because I know how happy it makes her.

One of the best sources for Aladdin lamps and lamp parts is a place called Lehman’s in Kidron, Ohio. Terry had purchased items from them by mail in the past, but when we were visiting with George and Amy Smith at Smith’s Campground near the charming little village of Loudonville a few years back, Amy took us on a tour of the area. One of the places we stopped was at Lehman’s, and Terry’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. She loved the place, and I told her we would have to come back again sometime. We decided that sometime would be while we were in Ohio recently.

Lehman’s is a huge place that doesn’t just sell lamps. They cater to the local Amish population, along with many tourists who come every day from all over the country. Lehman’s is like an old-time general store in that, if they don’t have it, you probably don’t need it. You can find anything from wood stoves to hand pumps, along with clothes, work boots, tools, barbecue grills, soapmaking supplies, cookware, canning supplies, composting toilets, and more things that I could count or have room to mention here.

And don’t even get me started on the fudge! They have a couple of dozen varieties and offer free samples. Trust me, I know from experience and about a thousand extra calories that it’s all delicious!

Kids aren’t left out, either. Though today’s kids, who grew up with all kinds of electronic entertainment devices, might have a problem at Lehman’s because they have toys that require imagination. But even if the kids are not all that impressed with the toy selection, adults are, just for the pure nostalgia of it. When was the last time you played with a Slinky, or saw a WoolyWilly? And who remembers Spirographs or Colorforms?

Terry had a good time looking at all of the lamps and lamp parts. They have more styles and models available than I ever knew existed.

There are also some very neat collectible lamps on display, like this wall lamp or this pretty green one with a tall chimney.

Terry has a brass one very similar to this that we found in an antique shop in Wildwood, Florida.

I had never seen one of these beeswax candles before, but as I understand it, they are, or were, used when a gentleman called on his ladylove. The parents would pull out a certain length of the candle and light it, and when it burned down to the bottom it was time for him to say good evening and go on his way. This is a subtle reminder to other company as well, so they do not overstay their welcome.

We spent several hours at Lehman’s and yes, Terry found a couple of things that followed her home. Guess I’d better make an appointment with an architect to talk about that addition we are going to need.

Today is your last chance to enter our Free Drawing for an audiobook of Caddo Cold, the seventh book in my pal George Wier’s excellent Bill Travis mystery series. George is a prolific master storyteller, and if you have not read any of his books yet, you don’t know what you are missing! To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn this evening.

Thought For The Day – My desire to be well informed is starting to conflict with my desire to remain sane.