Round Top Antique Fair - Day Three

DAY THREE - Wednesday

Amy and I had higher hopes for today. We decided to hit a show that was opening that morning called the Carmine Dance Hall.  You paid $10 admission, but that also let you into another show called the Red Barn.  We also wanted to hit Marburger today.  Our agenda was set and we once again dressed in layers. It was drizzly and we had rain all day. The high of the day was 55.  We did not expect such chilly weather so were not entirely prepared for it.  I brought two pairs of capri jeans, but still was chilly.

We got our morning coffee and arrived at Carmine Dance Hall half an hour early for a 9 a.m. opening.  We were the only people waiting. That was not a good sign. It was a darling old dance hall.  There were men out back BBQing as they were selling food later in the day.  It was fun to sit and watch the birds and smell the BBQ waiting for the doors to open.

We were first and second in the door. There were probably 15 of us lined up to go in.  It was a bunch of older dealers that really did not have what we wanted.  I did get lucky with one item and Amy and I hoped his smiling face would set a tone for the day. (this snowman is big, probably 18 x 18 and he came home in my suitcase....he is darling. I was told he was originally on a lamp post)  We were in and out of this show in NINE minutes.

We drove to the Red Barn show next.  It has a huge line when it opens and we were hoping it had cleared.  There was no line and we walked right in.  It is a very high end show.  The prices were CRAZY!  Some really fun booths and some that had stuffy antiques that had no appeal to us.  We saw vintage tablecloths for over $100.  There was a booth of Christmas which was awesome, but the prices were insane and things were in the hundreds of dollars.  We cruised all the aisles quickly and left discouraged with what we saw and the prices. 

We went to Marburger next.  It was the second day of this show. Admission the first day is $25 for a four hour window of early shopping (10-2), after that is is $10 admission which is good for as long as the show runs (Tues-Sat).  This show is supposed to be very high end and is known for having great displays.  We were not expecting to be able to buy much, but wanted to hit the show none the less.  We paid our $10 admission and went to shop.

The first few tents (8 tents total plus outbuildings) were not our style at all. Big over-sized fine furniture and lots of expensive fine items.  We were a bit worried, but persevered...we found items. The prices were decent.  There was lots of fun stuff to look at.  Our mood lifted.

This booth was Willow Nest.  Linda used to live in Portland and I went to her shows at home, so it was fun to see a familiar face.A big old boat anchored this display.

This swan was a favorite. It was huge and was a store display. It had a hook in the back to suspend from the ceiling and the wings were wired to go up and down. It would not fit in my suitcase and it was over $2000.
Amy and I both fell in love with the jewelery at Skip 2 My Lou. Janet re- purposes vintage items and we loved her quirky pieces.  We both bought something for ourselves. Janet was a doll and had the greatest southern accent.

Janet's jewelery was all displayed on old photo cards and on the backside she had written what she had used to create the piece as well as a title or little story about the piece.

I bought quite a bit at Marburger.  There were high dealers, but there were things that were affordable. The items offered were great and this was my favorite stop so far. 

We left Marburger and stopped at another show.  We decided to try shrimp and butter-beans for lunch from the food vendor there. The kid that served us had SPURS on his boots!  We were so chilled that we ate lunch in our car.  It was still drizzling.

We had dinner reservations that night at Royers.  They started taking reservations for antique week a few weeks prior and I had marked it on my calendar to call.  We had some time to kill and decided to drive out and check out The Prairie which is owned by Rachel Ashwell.  We could also crank the car heater as it was still drizzly and we were chilled to the bone.

Texas was beautiful with all the bluebonnets that lined the roads.

We were glad to have Royers reservations for dinner. There was a big crowd to get in and they do family style seating. They offer 4 reservation times each night and basically serve wave after wave of customers.  It is a small restaurant but it was soooo good. They are famous for their pies, so we had pie for dessert. I had coconut lemont chess pie and Amy had Texas trash pie. They make good pie.

We had put in a 12 hour day.  We headed back to the hotel. 

Here are my finds for the day. An old enamel heater to be repurposed in my bathroom.

Ribbon spools, a bluebird baby rattle, a spun head bunny and a celluloid flower pin.

A collection of tiny children's tin cups.

A dime saver (dime kitty) with super cute graphics, velvet fruit embellishments  and an old paper Easter basket.

An assortment of old store stock doll hats.  This was a favorite find.

They will be fun to figure out how to display. I put them on coffee mug holders for this photo.

A trio of handcrafted egg heads. The heads are made of blown eggs and I loved their silly expressions and crazy hats.  This is my necklace from Skip 2 My Lou. It is made from an old celluloid baby brush, a victorian bird pin, vintage beads, austrian floral pin and a rhinestone heart pendant. It is titled "When Birds Fly Hearts Soar."

A tiny bunny tin plate for Easter decorating.
Today was a much better day.  I am hoping for warmer weather tomorrow so perhaps this give-away fan from Marburger can be put to good use!

 

Comments

[Sheryl Remy]

Those little hats and velvet fruit float my boat. I'm fascinated by the black and orange floral pieces too. So sorry about the weather. But you did good.
Sheryl

[Erica]

I am so happy that you are doing this series of posts. When we do this trip someday, I don't want to waste my time at shows that are out of my price range or have things that are just not my style. You and I have such similar tastes that I will follow your lead!

I love those tiny little tin cups. I bet you have a million ideas for them! When I was little, my great aunt used to make those little bunnies out of the real eggs. Of course at the time, I had no idea that they would someday be considered vintage Easter!

It is freeeeeezing here today! Hopefully the weather warms up a bit tomorrow. Maddie has a no school day and wants to go to some sales. That's my girl!

Erica

[Lara]

Jealous of the hats! Also, of your visit to Marburger. They weren't open when we were there.:-(

[HeidiAnn]

Laurie - I love reading your posts and viewing your finds. The hats look adorable on those mug trees! But I have to say your sparrow necklace created by Janet of Skip 2 My Lou is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen! I can certainly understand why you chose to bring it home! I think I'd have done the same. Such a nice post!

[pam]

I'm glad you had some great finds. I have often wondered if the shows like this which have received so much attention have turned into over-priced stuff only the rich who want to look shabby can afford? ;) The necklace you bought is really neat. I like that she is incorporating pieces that are not traditionally Jewelry pieces into them. Can't wait to read more!

[Diane]

So interesting! Like the hats on the mug trees, and the dime kitty is too cute! Too bad the weather was sub-par. I think it's a common theme this spring.

[Maureen]

Very cool treasures you have found so far! I am glad you persevered; I adore the Dime Kitty, rattle, Easter basket and the little tin cups and plate.

Can't wait to see that heater repurposed in your new bathroom decor!

[Kim Kenward]

I love your instant collection of tin cups and doll hats. So darn cute! I have that exact same bunny tin plate. They are currently out in my kitchen with my tin toy stove. That necklace is totally you with the sweet little bird on it. I hope your weather got better on this antiquing adventure. It's so darn blustery and cold in MI, but we expect that (even if we are sick of it). Can't wait for the next installment!

[Shara]

I cannot believe you bought an enamel heater and put it in your suitcase! You must be a masterful packer like me. :) You have an eye for the sweetest things. I am loving these posts of yours. But, they make me realize that I would never actually go. Sounds very expensive having to pay to get in everywhere plus high prices on top of it. I know it would be a fun experience though. Also, that pie place made me claustrophobic just looking at it. Lara at Pretty Quirky ate there too. Looking forward to Day FOUR!

[Janet Johnson]

I am so enjoying "our" vacation! The little cups are adorable. I can't wait to see you wearing that sweet necklace (glad you didn't buy that garter necklace, eesh). I am especially enjoying the displays.
Thanks for taking the time to share the details.

[Annette]

Those egg heads are so funny! The little doll hats are adorable. I am amazed at the things you packed home. You must have taken a large suitecase. I guess it's a gamble with all the different vendors and shows going on...not knowing what you are going to find inside. Too bad about the weather. Nothing stops a good junker like you and Amy!!!

[Kathy]

Glad you were able to make some great scores on day 3! It is interesting that a different part of the country has different "stuff". You hardly ever see the tin play dishes around here. BTW, I love the way the hats display on the mug trees - looks perfect to me!

[Doreen]

Read your post this morning but didn't have time to make a comment.Got a laugh out of the Texas trash pie.Love the scenery pics too.Did you haul that little heater home in your suitcase too? You did say you were bringing a big suitcase:-)The tins and hats are darling. Looks like you made a good haul for Day 3. Had fun reading your post again.Makes me feel like I was there with you.
Thanks for sharing!

[Debra Ganas]

AAAAhhh, finally a good day for you and Amy. The little hats and eggs with hats are just adorable.
I wondered what you would find, since you DO find the most amazing things in your "neck of the woods".

One of the best things about junking trips with my Mama and friend Bert, are when we find something really good to eat. Last time it was fried chicken.

Debra

[Julie]

Oh, I am practically green I want the doll hats so badly!

[Melissa]

Wow! Reading your posts has gotten me so excited about Junk Bonanza! It looks like you had so much freakin fun! And your haul home has been outstanding! Yeah for junking trips!

[Into Vintage]

How in the world did we accomplish so much in one day?! You are the very best travel agent and also an excellent historian. I will look back on these posts forever. Hopefully while eating some pie. xo