Selling Thread in Unique Cabinets: Spool cabinets of the Reif Collection

By Steve Reif

Steve Reif, a Kalona Iowa native, grew up in a family which operated the small town's historic general store. The business often received point of purchase displays. For many years, Steve had noticed large, ornate spool cabinets in antique stores. He was drawn to the beautiful woodwork, and fascinated by the colorful spools. With his f

• Language: English
• Publisher: Printers Workshop
• Release date: May 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781947161252

Steve Reif

Steve Reif, who grew up in the small Iowa town of Kalona, has always had a love of historical things. Proud of his heritage as the 5th generation to operate his hometown's general store, he was always familiar with point of purchase displays. As a board member of the Kalona Historical Village, a society which works to preserve aged buildings of local historical significance scheduled for demolition, Steve turned his attention to creating interesting and informative displays within those structures. With a large Amish community in the rural area, it was only natural that quilts would decorate the walls. For many years, Steve had noticed the spool cabinets in antique stores. He was drawn to the beautiful woodwork and the colorful spools. Through good friends Steve was introduced to a collector, who had sold many cabinets and was a wealth of knowledge. With his first trip, Steve was inspired to begin a lifelong hobby, which has made Steve into one of the United States' most trusted sources for information & pricing of these treasures. With the assistance of his daughter, Steve has amassed more than 500 pieces, which include spool cabinets, ribbon displays, sewing boxes, needle cases, dye displays, pin cushions and more. Together, the pair has spent numerous hours searching for the appropriate knobs, pulls, glass, and accents, as well as endless hours finding and filling wooden spools. This book is a chronicle of the treasures they have found and the work that went into the restoration.

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