LAND OF YESTERYEAR ANTIQUES

Something that was a big part of my life for many years came to a close this month. It was the Land of Yesteryear Antique Mall located in Osage Beach, (part of Lake of the Ozarks) here in Missouri. It officially closed on October 31.

MOST OF THESE PHOTOS ARE FROM 1997 &1998

It started out as the Americana Antique Store in a smaller building at a different location back in the late 1960's. It changed ownership about three or four times until the current owners Sarah and Garland Land purchased it in the early 1990's. I have fond memories of going to the original location back when I was a child and as a young collector I always seemed to find something like an old comic or toy to spend my allowance money on. In 1992 the Land’s moved the store up the street and into a new larger building and changed the name to Land of Yesteryear. I showed up a few months later to work behind the counter.

ME 1998

Land of Yesteryear or LOY as we called it was such a fun and happy place for everyone that stepped foot in the door. The timing was perfect since the collecting boom/craze was really heating up. Seems like everyone was collecting something in the 90's and we usually had an item or two that would help feed any collector’s habit. Besides the many opportunities for myself to add to my many collections I really enjoyed when someone found their own treasure. One customer actually found the very book that belonged to her Grandmother that she remembered as a child. Still inside the book was a pressed four leaf clover that she gave to her Grandmother. This lady had never been in the store before and was from another state. Needless to say she purchased the book with tears in her eyes.

We sold the hefty share of oddball stuff and whatisit? type of things, but the weirdest item was a real human skull. Yep, that’s right, a real human skull. Not sure who was missing their head, but we did know it once belonged to a school and it had a hinged skull cap and study markings all over it. A physician purchased it and ended up taking it to some of her speaking engagements. She even named the skull after me! Yikes!

The store was known for it’s excellent supply of glassware, advertising, toys, furniture, primitives and general antiques. Plain old junk and reproductions were always kept out. The store’s success came from the high quality dealers that rented showcases and booths. Most of the original group of dealers from the beginning stayed on until the end.

Being a part of this antique mall was such a wonderful experience for me as I made so many close friends and learned so much about so many things. Even though I left the store little over 2 and half years ago, I stayed connected because of my booth.

MY SHOWCASE 1997

MY SHOWCASE 1997

FIRST YEAR BUSINESS CARD

SEPT 2006

Land of Yesteryear will now just be a fond memory from yesteryear!