Post Messenger Recorder -

Lollygag Antiques opened its doors to the public in mid-July of this year. Situated at 112 6th Avenue, just behind the historic New Glarus Hotel, the 430-sq. ft. shop is not so difficult to find despite it being a bit hidden and up (or down, depending on your perspective) one of the hills New Glarus is famous for.

But owner Karen Rodeghier says she works very hard to create an "experience" for her shoppers, and since opening the little boutique, the shop has had quite a bit of traffic. Prior to opening, though, Rodeghier says she had some concern that New Glarus perhaps didn't need another vintage or antique shop.

"I was kind of worried about it," she says. "I went and spoke with the owners of the other shops and explained what I wanted to do. They were very supportive and welcoming. I think we all like the idea of New Glarus being a one-stop antique destination. And all our shops complement each other really well; we all concentrate on different aspects of collecting."

Given this, when one begins to really take in the contents of Lollygag Antiques, you will start to see a thematic pattern emerge, even though contents change not only seasonally, but daily.

"I'm a total sucker for letters, numbers and words," she says. And she's not kidding. They are absolutely ubiquitous in the shop. Tucked away in nooks, crannies and between other objects are vintage games, from croquet to card to board games, most featuring some kind of alphabetic or numeric symbol. Curious books with odd titles and written in foreign languages can be found. Old signs, many with just one word scrawled across them, hang from walls and displays. And, perhaps obviously, there are adding machines and typewriters among the fixtures. She even has a few pair of vintage bowling shoes that she bought for the shoe size boldly and proudly displayed on the heel.

Another area Rodeghier specializes in is giving new life and new purpose to objects. For example, she crafted a candleholder out of the cage of an old auto-mechanic's under-hood light. She also turned old metal cart wheels into a fresh-looking pair of bookends.

Photo courtesy of Zoe Nevil Photography

"Sometimes," she admits, "I don't even know for sure what an item is or what it was used for. I just play with it until a new use strikes me." Rodeghier says creating new, useful objects from old ones is one of the aspects of the shop she enjoys most. "I'd like to think that I can inspire other people to look at raw materials differently, too, and they might fashion something beautiful for themselves."

Lollygag Antiques specializes in vintage and antique home and seasonal décor and furnishings. It is located at 112 6th Avenue, New Glarus, WI, (630) 209-0423, or on Facebook at Lollygag Antiques. Current seasonal hours are Monday 10:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 10:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.