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 Company: Forest Hall Antiques
Owner: Reggie Leen & Peter Spielhagen
Established: 1966
Contact: 214 Broad St. Milford PA 18337
570.296.4299 (foresthallantiques.com)
Type: Antique Store
Instinct: How’d you and your partner, Peter Speilhagen, open up your own antique store?
Reggie Leen: Around 10 years ago, Peter moved his shop to Milford as Forest Hall Antiques. I met Peter in NYC 30 years ago. I lived and worked there in the garment industry all my adult life, until I moved out to Milford five years ago.
Thirty years ago, did you ever think you’d be running an antique store?
Who knows what anyone will do 30 years from now? We make plans, make adjustments, make the best out of what choices we have. Bottom line: we are happy, and have no reason to complain.
How do you gain inventory in an antique shop?
Peter goes all over the country to search for what he likes. We also go to China once a year and import directly. We have found that Chinese antique furniture is still affordable; and since I speak the language, and greatly enjoy the food, it’s a nice business trip.
I have to be tacky: what’s the most valuable item in your inventory?
You can say we have items from tens of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, ranging from decorative vases and accessories, to specially made lamps we have designed from China, to 17th century Renaissance furniture.
So is it strictly antiques, or are either of you involved in anything else?
Besides running our antique store, I keep very busy with bringing chamber music concerts to Milford—we have six concerts scheduled this year. I’m also very much involved with our local Pike County Democratic Committee.
That’s great.
We’re currently working with local Democratic candidates running in the 2007 local elections. I just finished Barack Obama’s book, Audacity of Hope, and in this book he quotes someone—was it JFK?—who said, “The most important office in our government is CITIZEN.”
ow do you find the time to run the store and stay so politically active?
Sitting in a shop gives me plenty of time—with email and the Internet, I can get a lot done. I heard someone on NPR last week say, “What have you done today to stop the war?” We as citizens have power, if only we band together and use it.
Reggie’s’s Top 5 Best-Looking Democrats
1. Howard Dean
2. Barack Obama
3. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom
4. DCCC Chairman Rep. Chris Van Hollen
5. Bill Richardson
Reggie’s Top 5 Signs Your “Antique” Is Fake
1. The piece does not show any wear.
2. The price does not reflect market value.
3. The place selling it is not reputable.
4. The weight and finish are wrong.
5. Other shops have many pieces of the same thing.
Know a great gay-owned business? E-mail business@instinctmag.com!
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Instinct Online 
written by Gary Mendelson on May 25, 2007
First of all, I must share how excited I was to see this magazine and to hear that you did an article on the town of Milford, where I was living for 6 years. Not to mention seeing that Sean is still moving and a shaking things up, in a good way!
It's great to see and read this story about Reggie and Peter. Guys, sending you a big hello from San Francisco! And a hello from your friends Ray and Stewart! I speak to them every now and then!
This is Gary Mendelson, who was part owner of The Pike County School of the Performing Arts, and the Dad of two Afro-American boys...remember me? I hope so.
If you are ever out this way to SF- please get in touch!
gmendelson@sbcglobal.net
Sending y'all lots of hugs and fond memories of Milford, PA...
Gary