STATE COLLEGE—The Apple Hill Antiques story is an interesting one. In May 1997, four couples, all antique dealers, decided to join forces and start an antique cooperative in State College. They chose a building at the top of a hill. The building stood where a farm and a large apple orchard once stood. That building is the same one that holds Apple Hill today — at 169 Gerald St., State College.
In the early 1900s, a cider press stood on the hill and drew people from around the area to make fall cider visits. So, the name was a natural fit. The building has been a skating rink, a business school and a church. As an antique gallery, it includes more than 40 dealers.
May is the 25th anniversary month of Jan and Roger Snyder’s ownership of the Apple Hill business.
According to Jan Snyder, the dealers have been the backbone of the business.
“We are all like a big family. We celebrate birthdays and anniversaries together and care about each other. Each dealer maintains their own space and shares other chores around the building,” she said. “When we started the remodeling for our business, we wanted enough room for easy walking between dealers, clear spaces and attractive arrangements. As you enter Apple Hill, friendly people greet you and they love to chat, ask where you live and help you find your antique item.”
On the first floor, Apple Hill presents pre-1969 merchandise, and five rooms off the main floor house antiques and collectibles that predate 1979. Penn State collectibles appear everywhere in the store.
A career in antiques came naturally to Roger Snyder. His grandfather, Charles Stauffer, in the 1920s and 30s, was an independent antique dealer. He bought for the Fords and the DuPonts. In letters to Roger and Jan, as they were starting, Stauffer would say, “Buy chairs. That’s a good way to start, and don’t pay more than $2 apiece.”
Roger said, “So we began to buy chairs, a couple at a time. We had 56 at one point.”
Roger is a certified appraiser and he feels education is an integral part of being an antique dealer.
“I like to help people understand why antique furniture is better-made, why it costs what it does, and how the consignment process works,” he said.
After the couple moved to State College for Roger to finish his education, they helped Ed and Cheryl Miller at the Nittany Antique Emporium at times. Roger earned his degree in mechanical engineering and began a career with ARL (Ordinance Research formerly). Jan taught at Easterly Parkway until her first child was born. A few years later, accepting what was to be a one-year commitment as a pre-school teacher for Grace Lutheran Church, she stayed for 22 years. Jan retired in 1997.
She remembers with fondness how her students’ parents chipped in to do the painting at the Apple Hill site when they were preparing to open in 1997. It was a retirement present for Jan.
“When I arrived, my students’ parents were on ladders painting and doing the ‘Macarena.’” said Jan. “The one stipulation with the gift was that we promise to keep the store open until 6 p.m. It was hard for people to bring their spouses to look at antiques and make it by 5 p.m. But, we have faithfully kept that promise.”
Jan continued, “We retired together. We have loved running the business every minute but could never have done it without our dealers. We carefully vet all the dealers and make sure they are trustworthy. Gradually over the years, our original partners dwindled as they moved, retired, or died. Finally, it was too much for Roger and me to manage. So, the dealers stepped up and divided the duties. Leslie Asbury handles accounting, George Moellenbrock and Anne do advertising, Lee Carpenter does online advertising and publicity and the Snyders’ son, Chris Snyder, took over recruitment and writing paychecks. Tracy and Steve Tibbs made sure all the light bulbs got replaced. So, the teamwork continues.”
The anniversary committee planned the event without the owners’ help. From May 6 through May 8, the store will hold its open house and anniversary celebration from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. after their regular hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A committee member has ordered cakes, etc., for the evenings and two dealers provided large sums of money for the event.
Sales continue at Apple Hill for the entire month of May. Through May 15, a silent auction is taking place. Winners will be contacted on May 16. Proceeds will go to a local charity. On May 14, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., Apple Hill will hold a flea market. Sales will continue through May.
There have been numerous articles in The Centre County Gazette about Apple Hill in recent years. Carpenter said she will display those during May for the public to view.
