Antique Showcase Directory, 1996-97: A Guide to Antique Shops of Ontario

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

This is the 32nd year this guide has been published: obviously it fills
a need. The directory divides Ontario into 14 areas and for each
provides a highway map and a listing of antique shops. The shops are
grouped by location (town/city) within the area. The listings are bare-

bones brief, consisting of no more than the owner’s name, address,
phone, hours of operation, and a one-line notation of the types of
antiques sold (“jewellery, old dolls, primitives,” for example).

Apart from the listings, the only text is pure filler: several pages of
manufacturers’ marks and an essay on “Toys for a Canadian
Christmas.” The bulk of the book is advertising. Nearly 300 ads from
shops selling antiques and/or collectibles and related services
(furniture refinishing, china repair, etc.), and for antique shows and
fairs, pack the book.

While many people would be reluctant to purchase what is essentially a
collection of advertisements, the directory has value in that it
presents a series of ready-made driving tours for the avid antiquer.