By ERIC C. RODENBERG
AntiqueWeek Associate Editor

PEORIA, Ill — “Will it play in Peoria,” quickly became the measure of vaudeville promoters back at the turn of the 20th century.

This city quickly became part of a metaphor; if it worked in this hard-bitten Midwestern city, you had a product you could take anywhere in America.
For the past 25 years, Kim and Dan Philips have played, as the owners of the Illinois Antique Center, in the heart of downtown Peoria. And yes, their venture certainly did “play in Peoria.”

During those past 25 years, more than $22 million in antiques have been sold out of the Illinois Antique Center. That, in itself, has been no mean feat. But, the impact of those numbers has had a societal effect on the city and its community of antique lovers.

When the Philips opened their business in 1986, they had 16 dealers. In the late 1990s, and on into the early 2000s, the Illinois Antique Center was home to 260 vendors.

And, the Philips never charged a sales commission. They charged only flat booth or case rental rates.

However, on May 31, the Illinois Antique Center will close. Philips attempts to remain philosophical, or stoic, about the closing; however, there is real emotion in his voice.

The number of vendors at Antique Center has decreased to about 60, Philips says.

“There are a lot of factors in the current market,” Philips says. “I don’t think you can blame it all on the computer age. The Internet is still a great tool, it has spurred the antiques market in many respects, but it’s also changed the dynamics.

“We could be in just another cycle. The antiques shows are now doing better than they did five years ago. They are again becoming something special; it’s still the fun of finding the unknown. If shows continue to become more popular, who knows, the malls may come back. It’s just that the industry is still going through a lot of changes.”

As the industry continues it changes, the Philips are adapting to those changes. Last year, they established Illinois Estate Services, conducting estate sales in their building in addition to complementary online sales. At the last couple of monthly sales, as many as 90 customers were waiting for the doors to open.

For additional information, call 309-673-3354.