After Surviving COVID, Local Collector to Sell 50-Year Cache of China, Crystal, Porcelain, Silver and Art

For more than 40 years he operated a popular florist and gift shop at 404 South First Street, hosted an annual Christmas Open House, and turned a small 1957s bungalow on South First Street into a historic showplace. Through it all, he never saw a beautiful piece of home decor, China, crystal, statuary, mirror or art that he didn’t like. And he collected, EVERYTHING.

For the past ten years he and his wife Angie have lived in a two-story, four bedroom house with a clerestory living room, chock full of beautiful things. Now they want a small home, on one floor and there will not be enough room for the huge collection that Ken has kept polished for five decades.

They will keep enough of the treasures to decorate a pretty ranch style home, but the vast cache of collectibles will go on sale. For three days this week, Ken Coleman will hold an estate sale.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday December 29, 30 and 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Location 1745 Lake Meade, in Westlake Subdivision.

A lot of Pacific residents have seen and even handled some of these pretty artifacts.

Three times in recent memory, in 2008, 2015 and 2016 the National Weather Service notified Pacific that the Meramec River was about to leave its banks and inundate old town Pacific up to the railroad tracks. Suddenly South First Street in front of Coleman’s Florist would be lined with a caravan of pick-up trucks, SUVs and ordinary cars as friends and customers from rural Pacific all the way to Catawissa turned up at the shop to carefully wrap hundreds of fragile collectibles and carry them to safety.

Only a year before the 2008 flood, Ken Coleman was recognized by the City of Pacific for beautifying his former simple frame home at 602 South First Street. He transformed the 1957 structure with brick and stone, wrought iron railings, brass lanterns and carriage doors on the rear garage. The beautiful little cottage was eventually lost to the flood.

Reigning at local weddings, graduations and Mother’s Day celebrations for 40 years, with his old-world charm and one of a kind floral arrangements, Ken earned a reputation as the areas greatest arbiter of beauty.

His annual Christmas Open Houses always drew an influx of shoppers – and sometimes just lookers to view his latest find. The 3,000 square foot shop would be filled with angels, birds and birdhouses, mirrors and Nativity Scenes, some so delicate they were captured in glass globes.

Each year before Christmas he attended the Kansas City Gift Mart to replenish his stock. In 2008 he returned with a line of scented candles, sachets and room fresheners. Fragrances with names like Pheasant Hill, Whispering Pines, Pomegranate and Christmas are so delicate they did not compete with each other in the display. 

Through it all, what stands out about Ken Coleman, is his unabashed confidence in his own taste. He has an affinity, and a story to tell, about each piece. He knows who crafted them or whose home they once graced. His personal China collection, inherited from his family, could easily seat a banquet.

And now hundreds of items will be offered to the public.

10 to 2, Dec. 29-31, 1745 Lake Meade Drive, Westlake Subdivision.

• 

• 

•