July in Texas - It's a 100 degrees

We just finished the summer show at the Big Red Barn in Round Top, Texas and it was hot but a good crowd braved the weather and enjoyed a really good show. Both Barn and Marburger dealers do this show so this is a more eclectic show that the Spring and Fall shows at the Barn.

Antiques on 8 is having a 4th of July sale starting on July 2nd and Nanny G's will be participating. Come on by and see all the great items that many dealers will have on sale. The website is http://www.antiqueson8.com/ if you need directions. The picture is a 48-star flag that we are offering for sale. It is at least older than 1959 when Alaska and Hawaii entered the Union.

As always, God Bless America and pray for our troops.

READY SET, GO! ROUND TOP SPRING 2011 BEGINS

We spent the last two days setting up in Round Top. We are in the Big Red Barn Tent. The Tent is smaller this year than last but our neighbor, The Continental Tent, is twice as large. Obviously much time has been spent recruiting dealers for The Continental Tent. Anyway, even though our tent is smaller than usual, there are still some great dealers so hopefully buyers will think it's worth their time to come inside.

I've posted some pictures of our booth. We've got lots of great stuff. Come on out and visit.

Great Day Picking in Warrenton, Texas

We had a great day "picking" in Warrenton, Texas yesterday. For you who don't know, twice a year the little town of Warrenton, which has a population of about 20, becomes a sea of tents and is invaded with merchants from all over. It's junking at its best! In preparation for our own show opening next week at the Big Red Barn in Round Top, Texas, we wenting looking for a few pieces to add to what we were already bringing.

We found some great items - a couple of old game boards, a copper pot (not very big but nice), a couple of sets of sewing drawers, some primitive items, some great beer glasses and some really good perfume atomizers. We had a really good time. We ran into one of the estate sale sellers from Houston, Virginia McNeeley. We had a couple of beers and some good Mexican food. Now that's what I call working!

Round Top is next week. We load in on Monday. More to come . . .

Getting Ready for Round Top

The Cat Spring Show is over. There was a good turn out. The setting was the Historic Agricultural Hall 125 years old. I've posted a picture of the sign that hung over our booth. Luckily I asked what it said because I translated it many times over the course of the show. It says:

The wearing

Of the hat &

The spur

The Smoking

The Chewing

Is Forbidden in this Hall

Now that Cat Spring is done we are getting ready for Round Top. We are bringing lots of furniture and some other larger items and very little smalls. This is risky because if people don't buy the furniture, we risk losing money. It's really hard to know what to bring. What type of crowd is coming, the smalls buyer just picking up a couple of little knick knacks or the person looking to fill up a room. It's a gamble!

Cat Spring Antique Show

Beautiful weather is expected this weekend for a great country antique show in Cat Spring, Texas, Sat & Sun (Mar 12-13). The show is held in the Historic Agricultural Hall on FM 1094. The Cat Spring show has been going on for a long time and features country items in a nice rural setting. The last show in September had a great turnout; I hope we get the same or better this weekend.

We're bringing some unique items like a pair of old theater seats. These make great porch chairs or even gaming chairs for your child's bedroom. If you can't make this show, don't forget that Round Top is at the end of the month.

End of an Era

We learned on Saturday morning that after much soul-searching the owner of Southwest Antiques and Collectibles will be closing the store at the end of March. Since the original owner passed away about a year ago, the shop has been steadily losing dealers and customers. Is this a sign of the times and bad economy or the inexperience of a new owner? Probably both is true.

Southwest Antiques and Collectibles has been a Houston antiques shopping destination for as long as I can remember. It has been in it current location for about 20 years. We personally have had a shop there since 2007. We have decided to go ahead and close our booth at the end of January. We will be concentrating more on our shop at Antiques on 8 and reinvigorating our on-line sales which have really taken a back seat in the past year.

If you are one of the long time customers of Southwest, be sure and stop by and say goodbye to the great staff and dealers. Hopefully they will all find new jobs and shops to sell their wares. Certainly there will be lots of close-out sales.

Rain and More Rain

Well show number 1 is over. The weather was terrible but we had a good crowd on Saturday. In fact several customers who returned on Sunday commented on how crowded the show had been. Saw several old friends and good customers. The picture is of the "Colorado Girls" Mary and Cynthia (MC Presents) who come down from Colorado. Don't you love the buffalo! The other picture is a great piece of folk art from Nantucket.

The load out was a real mess with the mud. Several dealers had dropped their trailers in the pasture on Friday after load-in. On Sunday, Susan (the promoter) announced for the dealers to come to the front desk to sign up to have the tracker pull their trailers out of the mud. It was a fun night.

Unfortunately furniture sales were slow but did make several good sales of smaller items. If you didn't make it out try to come in the summer. For those of you who are turned off by the bigger shows in the spring and fall, this is a really great alternative!

Big Red Barn Winter Show - 1st Show of 2011

Okay the holidays are over and it's time to get back to work. The fist show of 2011 is this weekend in Round Top, Texas at the Big Red Barn. We'll see if the economy is really coming back and people are ready to let go of their hard-earned money and buy a great vintage piece or pretty piece of linen to brighten their day.

It used to be that the only shows at Round Top were the REALLY BIG SHOWS in the Spring and Fall which draws thousands of people from all over and lasts a couple of weeks. Now Susan Franks, the promoter and owner of the Original Round Top Antique Fair (not to be confused with imitators and tailgaters), decided to get more use out of her facility and hold a Winter and Summer Antique Show. This has become a really good show and I highly recommend. Many of the Barn Dealers (those high price guys who inhabit the Red Barn in the Spring and Fall) and the Marburger Dealers (those tailgaters that has become a really big deal!) and us lowly Tent Dealers (those deemed not quite up to snuff to be in the Barn) are all joined together in one venue.

We've been getting ready since the New Year began. We attended one auction and spent way too much money but it was really hard to resist since it was the estate of a long-time antique dealer so there was alot of good merchandise. I think we got some interesting items that we are bringing to the show - a folkart weathervane, an Icart print, two Aladdin boudoir lamps, a couple of great sewing drawer sets, a WWI bayonet, some old railroad oilers, a great pair of theater seats and an fabulous Coca Cola sign.

Come by and say hi. We'll be there Saturday and Sunday. I promise you'll have fun!