Nebraska Town a Destination for Antique Treasures

If you enjoy the hunt for antiques, you might want to make plans to visit Sargent.

John Haddix and his wife own a business in Sargent called Abbott Antiques. It's in the old Abbott building on main street in Sargent, and it used to be a hardware store. They also own a business called EarthJunk where they sell used and discontinued Ethan Allen and Tell City furniture. You could certainly say that Sargent is in the running to be the "antique capital of Nebraska".

The Abbott building features an extensive collection of glassware and antique tools. There is another building down the street that Haddix and his wife own, called "M-Dears" which features items like 1950's glassware and kitchenware. There are actually several antique stores on main street and throughout the town, including one called Thompson's Treasures that you'll see coming into town on highway 183.

"We have 11 buildings," Haddix said. "The hospital and the nursing home are full of furniture. That's Ethan Allen, Tell City, 'like-new' used furniture." Haddix believes he is the largest dealer of like-new or used Ethan Allen furniture in the world.

There is a hope to draw visitors to town through the growing number of antique stores. There are also other opportunities throughout the year to search for treasures. There is the annual "Junk Jaunt" in September that runs right through town. Then, there is the "Junkathon" on Memorial Day weekend. And, there is the flea market that happens the weekend before July 4th. It's called 183 Flea. "Anyone that wants to come sell something, we set you up in front of the nursing home," Haddix said. There is no cost to sell at the flea market.

If you would like to check out Abbott antiques, it's normally open on Saturdays. Or, you can call the number on the door, and John will come open up for you. If you are looking to check out the Ethan Allen furniture, John says it might be wise to call ahead first.