THE COLLECTORS

Magazine collector Mike Beck, left, made a sale to buyers Dennis Depro, center, and Hugh Smith of Cape Girardeau.

Antiques and collectibles promoter Mike Newell, left, collected the booth fee from Ronnie Wheeler, an antique dealer from Trenton, Ill., who specializes in silver.

Most newlyweds purchase washers and dryers, television sets and a set of good cookware.

When Michael and Dianne Newell married in 1969, their first purchases included a kerosene lamp, an antique trunk, an old washstand and a quaint, walnut, carved child's bed.

The Newells' love of antiques was not a passing fancy. Antiques, sales and auctions are still very much part of their lives.

The Newells, who own the Hansel & Gretel Shop, a children's clothing store in the Town Plaza Shopping Center, also operated the "granddaddy" of the region's antiques and collectibles markets.

Held once a month at the A.C. Brase Arena Building, the Newells' show has gained recognition throughout Missouri, Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky as one of the area's finest.

The show is a family affair.

"Many of the show participants and visitors have watched our daughters Gretchen, Meika and Kara grow up," said Newell. The girls were given various tasks at the show, and at times still can be found taking tickets at the door.

The Newells' involvement with the antiques show was a natural one. When they first opened Hansel & Gretel, they also operated a small antique shop adjacent to the business. It mostly dispensed "overrun" from their own collection.

"When we had an opportunity to take over the Arena antiques and collectibles show, we jumped at it," Newell aid. Working with Newell in operating the show was Paul Allee, also an antique dealers.

The first Newell-Allee antiques and collectibles show was held in 1973.

"It attracted antique dealers from a five-state area and more than 1,200 browsers," said Newell. "That wasn't a bad crowd considering it was snowing."

The show quickly became a "staple" for antique lovers, and was held six times a year for the first few years.

Allee eventually left the operation and the Newells assumed full responsibility for it.

Although participating dealers change from month to month, some have been with the show since its inception.

When the show began, it was held on Saturday because the Missouri Blue Law forbade Sunday sales. When Missouri approved Sunday sales, the show was switched to Sunday, with an occasional Saturday-Sunday format.

The show now features 200 display tables, which are occupied by more than 80 exhibitors. The recent November show attracted a record number of 95 dealers.

The monthly show pulls in an average of 1,500 people.

Newells' show shows no signs of slowing down.

"Almost everybody collects something today," he said. "There might not be enough good antiques to go around, but just about everything has become a collectible."

Rarity is no longer a requisite for collectibility. Neither is antiquity. In short, people are collecting everything from expensive and beautiful jewelry down to objects like barbed wire and Pez dispensers, those plastic 5-cent candy holders from the 1960s. The dispensers feature a variety of characters, including Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Although not expensive, they can command prices from $12 to $25.

These and other items may be found at the Arena show. And collectors certainly will find a few old wooden fishing lures, Elvis Presley memorabilia, old comics, an old book or two, baseball cards and other sports memorabilia, and many kinds of glassware at the show.

"You may find something here that you won't find anywhere else," said Newell.

That was the case during a show about five years ago, when a St. Louis woman walked away with a first-edition Barbie doll in its original box, with original black-and-white swimsuit and sunglasses.

Barbie dolls are big now, noted Newell, "What made this particular instance memorable was the price," said Newell. "First-edition Barbie Dolls are rare, especially with the original box. The doll sold for $2,300."

That was a bargain in comparison to today's climbing prices for first-edition Barbies, which can sell for up to $3,500 and even more in the original box.

Also big on the collectible scene now are Civil War items, many of which passed through the doors of the Arena Building. An 18-by-12 Civil War history from 1868 and full of old prints sold for more than $800; an old Coca-Cola poster went out for $1,000.

And on and on.

"Collectible are no longer the domain of the wealthy, but are within the reach of most of us," said Newell. "When it comes to collecting, there's something for everyone. That's the great thing about this show -- seeing people `matched' with their collectibles and going home happy."

The show is held 11 months a year, closing only during the Southeast Missouri District Fair in September. It has always been held in the Arena Building, with one exception. In July 1992, the market was held at the Holiday Inn Convention Center.

"We had to change the show at the last minute when pieces of the Arena Building ceiling started falling," said Newell. "Officials closed the building for safety reasons until the ceiling was repaired."

The 1996 show season will start Jan. 7. Other first-quarter dates are Feb. 4 and March 10. A Newell show also will be held at the J.C. Civic Center in Paducah, Ky., Feb. 11.

The Newells operate two shows a year at Paducah, usually in December and February or March. They also are looking into a Carbondale location.