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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Florence Originals...



Last week I mentioned that Florence Originals were a great sale for me at the Nashville Flea Market. And that seemed to spark some questions as to what is a Florence Original?



Florence Originals or Florence Ceramics are figurines that were made in Pasadena, California. They were manufactured during the 1940’s and 1950’s. On the bottoms of most of them you will find their names incised into them. Each girl came in multiple colors.

My favorite reference for these figurines is The Complete Book of Florence Ceramics by Barbara S. Kline, Margaret C. Wehrspaun, and Jerry Kline.

They are beautiful and extremely delicate works of art. The details are superb. I love their sweet faces, like little rays of happiness.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Total Shopping Exhaustion...


I believe Donnie & Courtney shopped every inch of Nashville this weekend. Looking for treasures and decorations for our favorite holiday, HALLOWEEN! Here are some of the "Courtney Cam" photos. I hope you enjoy. And hopefully we will be able to be here next month for the BIG extravaganza.

"Antique Alley"





Look at all the pumpkins they found. Donnie was so disappointed in what he didn't find last week. But this week made up for it.

Its a first for me to see an open truck with an 8ft cast aluminum alligator staring back at me. I think I will call this the show picture of the week. *note how they have placed a doll baby's arm in its mouth*.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Nashville...



Some of the best Antique Markets can be found in Nashville, Tennessee. Tailgate and Antiques at Music Valley are some of the most noted antique shows to shop or setup. There also is a great antiques section at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds Flea Market. This is a monthly event usually the third or fourth weekend and it has something for everyone.

In the 1980’s and 1990’s this show was the place for anyone interested in antiques. For me it has always been a successful trip. This is our first time here in almost 2 years, because of our schedule conflicts or they were sold out.

In this market I sell more to a younger crowd which I am very excited about. A few things that have sold well for me include lucite furniture & accessories, Florence ceramics, pattern glass, jewelry, and fiesta. Buying trends tend to change so I didn’t come with just that kind of merchandise.

Selling isn’t all I do here. I have bought well over the years, things for my personal collections as well as great merchandise. Also, I have made great friends. The southern hospitality is overflowing at this show. So next time you are in Nashville stop by the Tennessee State Fairgrounds flea market and load up your car.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Oh, what we've found...


The second & third day at the Springfield Antique Show Extravaganza was full of fabulous finds. We’ve purchased jewelry, a darling sterling mesh purse, linens, photos, trombone, light fixture, prints, lots of odds & ends, and the conversation of the day yesterday a sitting mannequin for my front porch for our Sweeney Todd Themed Halloween. From what I have heard Donnie made quite the spectacle hauling her back on top of Courtney’s Stroller yesterday while Courtney talked to her.


Thursday, September 16, 2010

Springfield day 1...



Setup day at Springfield was not a disappointment. Yes, there has been some rain and extremely strong winds, but when isn’t the weather like this at this show. However the selection is broad, prices are for people of all budgets, and there is more than enough to fill your entire weekend with fabulous shopping. No one will leave this show empty handed.

Below are photos we snapped this evening while walking through the miles of outdoor vendors.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Extravaganza Time!!!

This is the fall show we simply live for...It's SPRINGFIELD EXTRAVAGANZA!! We consider this the start to our favorite holiday season, Halloween/Thanksgiving. Simply put this weekend will be FANTASTIC. The cool smell in the air, the fall decorations, and more antiques/collectibles then you could ever imagine.

Springfield posted in a Facebook post that there were 250+ more vendors scheduled for this show then what was there last September. I can't imagine all of the wonderful things we will see.

I hope to post daily as friends of ours are traveling with us. I hope to share lots of finds, photos, laughs, & tales!

Come join us on this FUNTABULOUS Adventure!

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Stewarts Show in Louisville...


We are half way through the weekend, and boy has it been wild. We haven’t done a show in almost 3 months and the girl shows it. She has been almost impossible at times, but thanks to Gypzie Roadz & Donnie we have been able to keep her in the stroller, well fed, watching TV, playing in the water hose, taking naps, etc.

This weekend has been a little off from the norm but it has been a fairly decent weekend for me. My best sellers have been vintage clothing & accessories, jewelry, & sterling flatware/hollowware. I’ve sold some glassware but it has been very slow.

I’ve talked to a lot of different dealers and they seem to be moving smaller items in the $10 to $35 price range better than anything. There are a lot of beautiful things here this weekend and wonderful bargains to be found.

There is something here for absolutely everyone. With the flea market side offering everything from iphone accessories to groceries, and the antique end offering everything old.

Lets hope for the weekend to continue towards success!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Let's get this Show on the Road!!

Today is the official start of our show season. We are on the road headed to the “Ville” as my son Tanner calls it. And to start it off with a bang we purchased an RV from some friends of ours. I spend so much time in a vehicle its more like an old friend so I always name them to make them a little more personal. So I would love to introduce to you “Gypzie Roadz”.

We have kept with the vintage theme for our travels. She is a 1984 Travel Craft Leisure Craft. She has updates such as new flooring, wall papers, upholstery, engine, etc. But she still has some of her original charm with her dark paneled cabinets and don’t forget the original 8-track (which Sirius works fine with). Courtney seems to really be enjoying it. She is seated at the table in her car seat strapped in with a seat belt. She loves all the coloring and play space. (Although within 15 minutes she was out like a light). We hope for this to add more adventure to our travels as well as even more quality family time during our evenings.

This has been a wild week. Unpacking, repacking, unloading, loading.
Trying to get everything ready. This is the first show we’ve done since Springfield in May so we are stir crazy. And with all that I’ve managed to buy over the last few months I didn’t have room to bring it all. We started Monday morning and worked well in to wee hours of this morning (Wednesday). I managed to launder and iron linens, hankies, etc. Clean glassware, polish silver, price, and freshen up the entire show. We will go like mad till December. And then take a 3 week break to jump right back into a busy winter and spring show season. So come with us to Louisville for the Kentucky Flea Market and Antiques Wing run by Stewart Promotions. We hope to share photos and stories from Freedom Hall this week. As well as a few personal stories from Gypzie, Donnie, Courtney, and tid-bits of useless information!