Ortonville – Lynne Lane is crazy about ‘I Love Lucy? and it’s that passion for the 1950 era Ricardo lifestyle that led Lane and her husband Rick Zwiefel into a life of hunting and selling antiques.
The treasure hunters are the owners of the hit new Ortonville business, Antiques in the Village.
By mistake, their passionate hunt for old relics began in California 15 years ago when Lynne bought a simple cup and saucer at an estate sale.
The set had the pattern, Lynne thought, that looked like a match to the dinnerware used by Lucy and Ricky Ricardo.
The next weekend the couple scoured Pasadena flea markets for the additional matching crockery and purchased an entire 10 place setting for a bargain price.
‘I was so excited that I had all the dishes from ‘I Love Lucy,?? Lane beamed, but quickly admitted the purchase was a mistake that changed their lives.
The excitement was shortlived after the pair arrived home and popped in a Ricardo video and discovered the dishes were not the same.
‘The next weekend we rented a booth at a local antique mall, sold the dishes and it grew from there,? Rick laughed.
Soon Lynne, a Union Organizer for the United Auto Workers, and Rick were hooked on antiques and expanded their booth-business by buying an antique mall in Lake Elsinore, north of San Diego.
Three years ago Lynne was transferred to Detroit. Pontiac native Rick teases he still hasn’t forgiven his wife for the move, but admits both are happy to have settled in Ortonville and be back into the business of antiques.
Finding there is little difference between east and west coast collectors, the couple were undeterred by selling their California business and continuing the hunt throughout Michigan.
‘We buy everything that is old because everybody is a collector,? Rick said.
Without skipping a beat the couple began attending auctions, estate sales, flea markets, and find individual purchases by word of mouth.
Amassing a line of collectibles, buyers, sellers, and consignments commissions, Lynne and Rick’s home quickly became full of antiques, so they located an empty storefront in Ortonville, filled it with their purchases and opened ‘Antiques in the Village? March 1.
‘We’ve sold our own kitchen tables three times already,? quipped Lynne explaining that there are collectors for everything and she is more than willing to make the match for her customers.
‘The key is to keep the items moving,? Lynne said, explaining that she and Rick make carefully priced purchases at the weekly auctions and estate sales.
‘The only way to do that is to buy at a good price and sell at a good price, and you wouldn’t believe the work it takes to get things at a good price.?
‘The most important thing is to have fun and we do. That is the objective for me,? Lynne said.
Undaunted by the load of their passion, Rick lightly offers there are collectors for everything from tooth brushes to ink pens, adding that this community is no exception and, he is pleased at the reception they’ve been given by their steadily growing path of customers.
The pair said that among collectors the trend is to keep antiques in the original state with minimum restorative efforts of scratch fillers and oils which can be purchased at the store.
Some pieces require structural repair or stripping, which Rick says they offer through the store, in addition to locating ‘wish list? items for other treasure seekers.