Who: Marilynn Asch, 55, of Symmes Township, an antique collector/dealer whose prize possession is a pair of vintage clown shoes.

        Where: On top of a game table in the family room of the “empty nest” she shares with her husband of 33 years, Dr. Herbert Allen Asch, and a Bichon Frise named Lulu. (Their five sons are now grown.)

Marilynn Asch and her vintage clown shoes. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

        Watch out! “I enjoy going to antique shows and auctions,” Mrs. Asch explains. “That's where I found the clown shoes. My husband happened to be with me on that particular day. We were looking for primitive items at a show in Richmond, Ind., a few years ago and they just jumped out at me.

        “They didn't literally jump out at me,” she says, giggling. “But, I couldn't take my eyes off of them. They were so funny looking. Plus, I had never seen anything like them before. I looked at the price and walked away. Then, I came back. I walked away again, then circled back.”

        Footing the bill: By this time, Dr. Asch had taken note of his wife's attraction to the giant shoes.

        “He said to go ahead and get them,” she explains. “He knew I had fallen in love.”

        They go with everything: Mrs. Asch's shoes are made of leather and have been painted orange and bright green. The shoelaces are yellow and bear a plaid design.

        “There's a big hole in the sole of the left shoe,” she says with a grin. “They are also big and floppy in the front. Gosh, if I had to guess, judging by my son's feet, I'd say they were a man's size 15.”

        The big top? Mrs. Asch is not sure where her shoes came from. She'd like to believe that they had been worn in the circus.

        “They're in pretty good shape,” she muses. “Perhaps they were owned by a part-time clown, who did children's birthday parties on the weekends.”

        Plaything: “It's funny,” Mrs. Asch says, “I have so many beautiful things, but these shoes are what make me smile. They are totally frivolous, but make my heart sing. I know that they cost way too much (she declines to say how much, exactly), but there is something humorous and loving about them.”

        “Or maybe,” she says, “it's because my husband bought them for me. Not because I needed them, but because he wants to make me happy. They make me feel loved.”

        Share your prize possessions with Marsie Hall Newbold by mail: c/o The Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202: e-mail: marsolete@aol.com.

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