Business

Market Haus & Grove Celebrates its anniversary

LOCK HAVEN -- If you haven't been to the Lock Haven area's premier antique and collectible market place in a while, this is a good week to visit. If you've never been, it's time to go!

Market Haus & Grove on Washington St., Lock Haven, a sprawling warehouse filled with all kinds of cool "stuff" and tucked back off of Walnut Street, celebrates its 23rd anniversary this week with a four-day, 10 percent off sale on everything not already discounted. The sale starts this Thursday, May 12, and runs through Sunday, when there will also be a couple of prize drawings to wrap up the celebration.

The best way to describe Market Haus is that is has something for everyone, from antiques and collectibles, to crafts, finished and unfinished furniture, art, new and used items and many other treasures just waiting to be found. In all, there are 75 spaces, or units, with displays of items for sale, with some of the vendors owning more than one space.

"It was the first of its kind in our area," said longtime employee, Cheryl Beach., of the Market Haus opening in 1999, adding that each vendor handles the pricing, layout and cleaning of their own space, with all sales channeled through a single checkout operated by Market Haus.

Beach has worked at Market Haus for 22 of its 23 years. The space had been rented to Champion Parts, she says, and when they moved out, local Realtor, auctioneer and collector, Bernie Rell, was looking for something to do with the building and came up with the market place plan.

"Bernie always said he wanted a place where people could come that wasn't a box store, where men could look around as much as the women -- something with the family touch, where we would know our customers," Beach said.

And that's just want Market Haus is. After 23 years, Beach said they still have customers that have been shopping there since the beginning, and even have some of the same vendors.

Bernie and his wife, Pat, have been dedicated to the business over the years. So much so, that when Bernie passed in 2019 at age 80, the business persevered under Pat's oversight. And she'll quickly tell you, "We're here to stay!"

Pat can be found at Market Haus many days. Cheryl and employees, Danny Peter and Roxanna Perry, make up the rest of the team.

In addition to long-time customers, Market Haus attracts antique and collectible hunters from all over, as well as those looking for hand crafted items for their home, Amish furniture, Old World Christmas items, flags (which they have by the hundreds), food items and just about anything else you can think of.

"We have a lot of talented people making items for sale that have spaces here," Beach said. "There are so many great vendors -- I can't say we have a bad one in the bunch. I love talking to the people who come in to shop and we're always glad to help people try to find items."

Market Haus is open Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also get information on their website at www.markethausandgrove.com and on Facebook.