The creators and owners of the museum are my parents, Howard and Dietlind Crain.   Dad has been a collector since he received his first coin at the age of seven.   He bought his first old car, a Model A Ford, as a teenager back in the 50's for $20 (Back then they were junk!)  Mom is a dedicated creative recycler and packrat.   Both have always been excited by "the potential" in things, and they are convinced that as soon as you get rid of something, you'll need it.  (Doesn't that always happen?)  Both enjoy finding and rejuvenating "stuff", but most importantly, they like the sense of history and the connection to the past that antiques can evoke.

Mom and Dad were married in 1964, and after many years of collecting, rejuvenating and packratting their old farmhouse began to get more than a little cluttered.  At one point, a young guest entering the house and seeing the jumble of "stuff" asked "Oh, are you moving?".  At this, Mom looked into the future and saw her mother-in-law's house - a place of small living spaces in rooms filled with "priceless" bric-a-brac and dolls that started at floor level and moved in layers up the walls.  It was not an appealing thought, especially with three children in the house!

And so, after much thought and discussion of their options, a museum became inevitable.   (You must understand, of course, that getting rid of anything was not one of the options!)  In 1981, while already maintaining several rental properties, a small farm, a fledgling garbage business, three kids and an antique shop, they purchased an old truck garage for the musuem.  As in most of their projects, much elbow grease was required.  I remember well the time we all spent scraping a very thick layer of grease and dirt off the floor.

It was originally intended as a "doll and toy" museum, which is reflected in the name. (In Victorian times, a tee-to-tum was a small top that was spun with the fingers.)  In order to improve the variety of objects on display, they bought part of the doll collection belonging to Dad'd mother (which was one of the larger collections in Pennsylvania).  Dad's father helped them build the ten large display cases for the dolls.  Mom has always done the necessary dressing and restoring of the dolls.   She is responsible for the small, visually appealing "atmosphere" items that fill in the gaps.  Dad is the main acquirer and "keeper" (a job he does well and enthusiastically).  Thousands of item have passed through his hands, and over the years, he has managed to keep his favorites (when he could afford them).   The original "doll and toy" museum has expanded over the years to a museum of Americana as his interests have expanded and changed.  Luckily, he usually began collecting a new category before it became popular.  Like all antique dealers, he loves to talk, and if you catch im on a quiet day, you'll hear some great stories and learn something too.  Never a specialist, he's one of the old-fashioned breed of dealers who's forgotten more about antiques than most people will ever know, and he's willing to introduce anyone to the joys of collecting the past. 

Over the years, hundreds of visitors have enjoyed the museum, and many come back again and again.  Many articles have been written about it, yet it remains a unique and undiscovered treasure nestled in the Endless Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania.