Village Squire, 1977-08, Page 22they also have an apartment uptown in
Mitchell that they rent to tenants.
"We sort of keep the businesses but
seem to add everything on to it," Ruth
said.
Ruth enjoys her job because she enjoys
getting out and meeting the different
antique dealers especially since they're
going to tell you about things you don't
know about, she said.
"You sure learn a lot about antiques
fast," Mrs. Dodier said in regard to her
interviews.
Neither Mrs. Dodier or her husband
have had any journalistic training
previously and Mrs. Dodier feels that's the
best way to learn, since you can learn from
your mistakes.
"We went down to the Beacon Herald
and they showed us all you really had to
know about how to start off," Mrs. Dodier
said.
The Dodiers got their training and
instructions over a two week period at the
Beacon Herald and they were mostly
helped by Al MacDonald who does the
laying out of the Beacon Herald. Mrs.
Dodier said that he gives them a lot of
ideas for the layout of their paper.
In order to bone up on antiques, Mrs.
Dodier reads various books and papers on
the subject. She has found in her
interviews that each dealer has his or her
own particular preference of antique and
that they know a lot about that particular
type of antique.
Both Ruth and her husband have always
gone to auction sales and have always been
interested in antiques. When they had
their house in the country they found a lot
of old books and bottles which furthered
their interest in the subject.
When Ruth and Gil go out to do a story
on the antique dealers the things they look
for are what kind of items they have, what
kind of items they specialize in and they
usually go after a place that has something
unusual about it such as one antique dealer
who ran his shop inside a log house.
Usually Gil is the one who finds the
stories through what other people tell him
and then they both do the interviews. This
is about the only chance they have to get
away from home as well.
It takes them almost the whole month to
complete the publication. Besides them-
selves, they have had a cousin of Ruth's,
Barbara Pearn there working on graphic
designs during the summer months. The
layout of the paper is done by the Dodiers.
Only the type setting and the printing of
the paper are done at the Beacon Herald.
Pictures are taken by Gil. Ruth, and
Barbara has also taken some. The pictures
in this paper are not concerned so much
with the dealers but rather with the
antiques that they sell. The Dodiers send
their pictures away to be developed.
In the paper, there is a news section, a
free listing for antique auctions, a free
listing for antique flea markets and a free
listing of the antique shows.
The 24 -page paper has a subscription
rate of $5 per year in Canada and $6 in the
United States.
The paper business is obviously a
pleasure for both Ruth and Gil Dodier.
When asked what he enjoys about doing
the paper Mr. Dodier replied, "I enjoy
everything about it. I like laying it out and I
like antiques."
Mr. Dodier also said he enjoyed talking
to people and that's about all the Dodiers
need to make their paper a success.
For over forty years
Welcome Wagon hostesses
have been making calls
on newcomers - whether they
be within our own nation or
in a foreign' country.
If you are a newcomer,
know of one, or are a businessman
desiring representation
in the newcomer's home, call
your local representative listed below
for WELCOME WAGON LIMITED.
II
r
fL.,
Call your Welcome
Wagon Hostess now.
WINGHAM 357-3275
EXETER *85-2870
MITCHELL 348-8925
GODERICH 524-6654
STRATFORD 271-5856
PG. 20. VILLAGE SQUIRE/AUGUST 1977.