At Weidmann's, even the kitchen sink is for sale
By Staff
A PIECE OF HISTORY Liz Coats and Dan Wright look over memorabilia during a sale of items from Weidmann's Restaurant. The sale continues today as the restaurant's new owners make room for a completely renovated facility in downtown Meridian. Photo by Paula Merritt / The Meridian Star
By Chris Allen Baker/staff writer
Feb. 16, 2002
Rod Wing kept his eye on an antique coffee urn Friday while he browsed through an eclectic collection of items that helped Weidmann's Restaurant become a Meridian landmark.
Before he could get back and claim it, another shopper, Gail Culpepper, was placing a sold sticker to purchase it for her husband.
Since the two already knew each other Culpepper, a certified public accountant, had done Wing's taxes they had a friendly chat trying to talk each other out of the urn. Eventually, Wing won.
Meridian residents and others traveling from areas as far as Jackson said they were emotionally attached to some of the items that went on sale early Friday at Weidmann's, a legendary dining spot that was sold to new owners last year after 131 years in business and closed for renovations.
As for the old stuff, it's going fast in a two-day sale that ends at 5 p.m. today.
Pots, pans, waiter's jackets, photographs, menus, silverware and furniture is all fair game. Even the kitchen sink has a price tag. Prices range from 25 cents for a glass to $2,000 for a board with an inscription on it.
The restaurant's famous peanut butter crocks which sat on the tables for so many years did not last long in the sale. All of them were gone at $40 each by about 10 a.m. … with a limit of one per customer.
Some Meridian residents still had misgivings about the sale and so much history being carried out the door with each sale.
John Culpepper III, a local accountant, came to see what he could take home a few hours after his mother had fought her friendly battle for the antique coffee urn.