You’re reading a story from Sidelines 100, a project showcasing a century of student storytelling at Middle Tennessee State University. Sidelines 100 plans to highlight 100 stories from the newspaper archives this fall and spring.

This story originally ran in the July 30, 2003, edition of Sidelines. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay on top of all things Sidelines 100.

The story has been updated for current basic AP style, but the wording in the story has not changed. Any ideas, perspectives or opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Sidelines.

“Antiques represent history’s material culture. Every piece has a story behind it,” John Vile, MTSU political science department chair, said.

Vile has dealt antiques as a hobby for the past 14 years and was present at the recent 39th Annual Murfreesboro Antique Show and Sale, held at the Murphy Center.

Treasure-seekers and history enthusiasts from all over the United States found themselves in Murfreesboro for this annual event.

The exhibition, sponsored by the Murfreesboro Antiques Dealers Association, always draws a crowd of excited shoppers eagerly searching for hidden treasures.

An estimated 66 dealers came from the weekend of July 18-20 to trade and sell their wares and discuss antiques with fellow enthusiasts.

The dealers also made time to join the general public in exploring the goods offered by other dealers. Items such as furniture, pottery, artwork, linens and other relics of times gone by were available.

“That perfect piece with the perfect history,” said Jeff Smotherman, show chairman.

Smotherman, a self-proclaimed history nut and veteran antique dealer himself, verbalized the importance of preserving antiques.

“Our kids in the future need to know what the past was like,” he said.

Dealers Anne and Chuck Bruser traveled all the way from Chicago to exhibit their collection of Colonial-era furniture. Anne explained her opinion on the value of antiques and the necessity of their preservation.

“Antiques are part of our heritage and our link with the past. They were made by unskilled people with handmade tools and have managed to last hundreds of years,” she said. “It’s the kind of longevity that you just don’t find in manufactured things.”

Chuck Rawlings of Bowling Green also made the trip to Murfreesboro to sell his European furniture, silver and porcelain, among other things.

Rawls noted his reasons for getting into the business of antique dealing.

“It’s the smartest thing to buy antiques, because they are always worth the money,” Rawlings said. “You know they will never lose their value, unlike furniture that was manufactured.”

More than merely a smart investment, though, Rawlings pointed out his love and passion for the trade.

“You have to appreciate the artistry of antiques. They just don’t make things like they used to,” he said.

Dealers and enthusiasts weren’t the only ones interested in the craftsmanship and quality of antiques.

Smotherman anticipated the possible attendance of Tennessee State Museum representatives on the lookout for pieces to add to the museum’s collection.

Show manager Don Detwiler wasn’t surprised at Smotherman’s prediction. He noted that a lot of the antiques at the Murfreesboro show are definitely museum-quality.

So where do dealers find these valuable relics? Most do their shopping at estate sales, auctions, flea markets and antique shows such as the one here in town.

Dealers also trade amongst themselves. And one of the most valuable resources available to those seeking specific artifacts is – appropriately enough – an old-fashioned method: worth-of-mouth.

“Different pieces sell better in different parts of the world,” Detwiler said.

“So you might here about someone in a different state selling the exact thing you’re looking for. It’s a big game,” he said with a smile.

Christy Pullias, a shopper from Murfreesboro, agreed with Detwiler about the enjoyment derived from antique shopping.

“It’s fun to see the things here and realize you have treasures in your own home that you didn’t know were treasures,” Pullias said.

“The older I get, the more important it becomes to me that we preserve antiques,” Vile said. “Antiques are our heritage.”

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