Old Sleepy Eye brings 'em from afar

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- "We'll go for miles to see and buy Old Sleepy Eye," read a sign in the Minnesota Room at the Orchid Inn Friday morning.

No kidding.

The Old Sleepy Eye Club Convention brought members from as far away as Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Pennsylvania and Georgia.

"Hey, old man," said David Levings of Perry, Mo., in his southern accent to one of his fellow club members from Clinton, Iowa.

Levings, a soybean and wheat farmer, said he and his wife have been coming to the convention for over a decade. She operates Arlington Antiques in the town of 700, 20 miles west of Hannibal, Mo.

"We like to come, see old friends, buy and swap items, tell stories and have some fun," Levings said.

He would like to see the convention come to Missouri. It hasn't yet, but he is hopeful the club will find a smaller town to host the event.

Levings and his wife restock their shop with Old Sleepy Eye items. He didn't consider items overpriced. Beer steins were marked at $300. A pitcher was listed at $1,000.

He said his wife's shop includes Flow Blue dinnerware, often only found in Europe at $700-$1,000 per plate. He said he saw large Flow Blue vases sell for as much as $22,000.

Levings said he visited Crazy Days in New Ulm before stopping in Sleepy Eye.

"New Ulm was a very neat and clean town, like Sleepy Eye," he said. "At first, I parked in a leased space but later moved. I thought it didn't matter during Crazy Days."

Friday convention events included seminars on antique dolls and their restoration and a presentation on butter molds by Lorraine Kolbe.

A bus tour visited St. Mary's Church, the Sleepy Eye Museum, Mill, and the Del Monte Corp. canning plant.

Club members were also treated to beer and pretzels at the old brewery site in the northeast end of town.

Evening entertainment was provided by Mike and Lucio Kateri's native dance troupe.

Saturday, selling and swapping continues at 9 a.m. An auction starts at 11 a.m.

A banquet starts at 6:30 p.m. It will include an auction of commemorative samples and 25 excess commemoratives, if any are left. Entertainment will be provided by New Ulm's Concord Singers.