It's About Time

In spite of the fact that I was a bad blogger and got no photos of the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market, I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to say thank you to our wonderful buyers. It was great to see so many familiar faces and meet some of you for the first time.  The next market is June 24th - get it on the calendar now!

This year has been crazy busy and Kathy and I have decided to back off the shows a bit - we won't be teaming up for anymore shows that involve overnight travel this year, except for the fabulous Junk Bonanza - of course!  We've both been so busy that it's resulted in no time to devote to decorating our own homes with fab finds. I've been away from home a lot this spring and haven't had time to spend with CG, either.  (We're going to remedy that with a little weekend getaway.)

So while you may not find Gracie's Cottage at quite as many shows this year, we'll still be bringing you our fun and wacky finds.  (Any 'local' shows I add on short notice will show up on my sidebar and on my facebook page.)

I've just re-stocked my space at the Waterloo,(WI), Antiques Mall.  My booth is right at the top of the stairs and it's chock full. I refill it every week with fresh finds.

I've also been busy restocking my etsy shop. and will be adding lots more in the next week.  You'll find some of these fabulous vintage watch dials there, soon.

Are YOU trying to make more time for yourself this summer?  If so, I wish you much success!

A Perfect Day at Elkhorn

We love the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market; it's nearby and we consider it our 'home' show. Elkhorn never lets us down, the shoppers come out and we always do well there.

 Yesterday, Elkhorn positively rocked and we smashed all previous sales records. We saw a lot of our regulars and made new friends. THANK YOU to each of you...we appreciate you!

The morning started off a little quietly, but we figured that most shoppers were hitting the outside vendors first. Outdoor sellers often have to contend with rain or heavy wind at Elkhorn. Not yesterday. Sunshine and blue skies ruled the day. We were happy for our outdoor friends Margaret, MaryAnn, Judy and Janice, Anita and Judy, and our new friends at Tattered Tiques. 

 Around 10:00 the crowds came inside and we barely had a moment to breathe for the next four hours. Kathy had brought some great metal lawn chairs and industrial stools; most were gone by the end of the day. Wish I'd snapped a picture of her nearly empty van as she headed home.

My beautiful memory jug went to a happy collector. The mini shopping carts, big industrial fan, and fabulous early large advertising umbrella,(upper left corner of above pic), found wonderful new homes. Loads of smaller items went out the door along with most of the flags and toy batons we brought.

I can't end this post without giving a shout-out to CG who manned the post here at home yesterday to meet some nice buyers from Chicago.  They came to pick up a couple of larger pieces in the garage and found some other items while they were here.  CG  was happy to help in my absence.  I'm pretty sure that what he was most happy about was reclaiming the space.    ;)

Today we start preparing for our next show, Viva la Cottage Vintage Market in Door County on July 9th. We've been setting aside special items for this show...you won't want to miss it!

Elkhorn...Bad Weather and Happy Shoppers

Wow, it's been a surreal spring in Wisconsin. The best thing we can say is that it hasn't been snowing. Rain, wind and clouds have ruled the skies most of the time. I flew in from Brimfield Saturday afternoon and went straight to Elkhorn for setup. Kathy saved my bacon by handling the "heavy lifting" and getting all the basics in place for our booth before I arrived so that we could get right to unpacking. (I owe you one, Kathy!)



The weather was so awful that many of the outside dealers opted out of this show...that's extremely rare here. They normally persevere because the shoppers will be out in any weather. They came in droves on Sunday.


It was so crowded that many times we had to "body block" the entrances to our space. (We've had to adopt a "max of 10 shoppers in at one time" policy, after some "pilferage" when the booth is packed.)



The day went by in a blur...thanks so much to everyone that came out. Lory, Steve & Barb, Katie, Hope, Jeanine & Jeff, Kathy from Upper Michigan, Pam from Fresh Eggs, Allison from My Artsy Fartsy Life...it was great to see each of you, (and everyone else that's escaping my foggy brain at the moment.)

It is Tuesday and that means it's Bloggers Bodega over at Capers of the Vintage Vixens..go check it out! The first of my boxes from Brimfield arrived yesterday and I've begun the process of reloading Gracie's Cottage on etsy with fun finds. Check back often for new listings.

Next post will be more on Brimfield....my laptop died the day before leaving home so off to the repair shop we went yesterday. Awkwardness rules as I try to blog bouncing between the iPad and our dinosaur pc. See ya soon!

Josie, Hippie Tom and Grayslake

Yesterday, Kathy and I met early in Eagle, a small town in the beautiful Kettle Moraine Forest. It was the start of Eagle's Community Rummage sales.  Our first stop was out in the woods at Josie's place. (Josie declined to be photographed.)  I was too busy shopping to get many photos.  The driveway, garages and surrounding areas were overflowing with great junk.  

This sale is so well run; everyone starts a pile and one of Josie's helpers tags it with your name and watches over it, so that new arrivals don't mistakenly pick up something that's spoken for. That gives you the freedom to keep shopping with two hands...love that!  You should see the fun things I found - and you will, if you come to the Grayslake Antique Market this weekend!


Later in the day I headed into "town".  Three miles down the road from me is Serendipity Farm. It was "open" and I couldn't resist a quick stop.  If you're a fan of American Pickers you may remember the "Hippie Tom" episode, arguably one of the best ever.  (* I forgot my camera and had to take pics with my iPad...in the bright sunlight I couldn't see the controls and discovered later that I'd taken video rather than still shots, so the following pictures are photos of video frames...drat!)

 Serendipity Farm is the home of "Hippie Tom" & his wife.  Yes, there really are bicycles  hanging in the trees. 

 It's impossible to convey the volume of great junk that Tom has gathered; it's all over the yard and in the quirky buildings that he's constructed from reclaimed materials.

Tom is an 'old soul', WYSIWYG, a friendly, gentle spirit who truly loves pieces of the past.  You can visit Serendipity Farm for their occasional sales, or see Tom at various markets, including the upcoming Elkhorn Antique Flea Market. 

I'm linking up with Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday.  Grab your cuppa joe and follow me over to check out all the great participants! 

See you at Grayslake!

Kane County Flea Market - A Little Peek

It's 'show season'....finally!  This weekend we'll be at the Kane County Flea Market in St. Charles, Illinois.  You'll find us in the Robinson Building, Space 42.  Along with a fun mix of finds,  we're gonna have a 'fixin's bar' filled with fun ephemera and loads of schnibbles & bits.

 If you need a place to stash all of your little finds, Kathy is bringing a most amazing dental cabinet - perfect for the job.

We'll also have a limited supply of  'The Great American Fleabag'

We're saving imperfect grain sacks from the landfill....one stitch at a time.  Some are nearly big enough to hide a small child, but we're not endorsing that.  We do, however, recommend that you get one right away to carry all of your vintage treasures.

If you can't make it to Kane, we'll be at the Grayslake Antique Market next weekend.  The weekend after that is our "home" show....the can't-be-missed Elkhorn Antique Flea Market. We hear that this show is sold-out.  Hundreds of vendors, inside & out...and all vintage.  We hope to see you soon!

I'm linking up with Creations by Kara for Look What I Made

Go check it out!

A White Wednesday Wheaton Report

I'm afraid my White Wednesday photos have nothing to do with Wheaton.  I'm such a "cabeza de do-do" sometimes...(that's my 'tortured Spanish' phrase for "do-do head").  Off to the show I went and left my camera behind.

My location was in a great neighborhood, next to Joe & Sandy of Rhubarb Reign, across from Diane Passi and a couple spaces away from my Elkhorn buddy/neighbor Michelle. 

 The Wheaton show definitely has a different vibe; Diane told me that a lot more men shop Wheaton than Grayslake and she was right.  Fortunately I had decided not to devote much space to frou-frou at this show.  Aside from one of the sweet pink dresses and one boudoir cap, most of my sales were of ephemera and industrial/primitive.  

 For every show I always try to guess what will sell first.  I was certain that the wire baskets in my previous post would be the first to go. Wrong. They are now available in my etsy shop.  I had lots of medical jars and they were very popular; there are only 4 left now.

The carny punks got a lot of looks but came home with me. The following day they were sold to someone that had seen them at the show.  They were 'too cool for school', imho!  

 Valentines were popular again, and my favorite moment of the show was when two guys spent time picking out sweet ones to give their gals...awwwwwww....(it would never occur to anyone in my home to do that!)

Traffic was good most of the day. Diane sold a table soon after the show opened.  She's got the gift of staging and was able to re-do her booth in a flash so it still looked amazing.  Things were hopping in Joe & Sandy's booth and people were swarming Michelle's space as she was setting up.

The only sad note of the show for me is that I've been unable to find my 'mobile office' since I returned home.  It's the box that holds my clipboards, notes, business cards; if you were there and asked for info or a contact after the show, please let me know - my notes appear to be gone...

It was great to meet a lot of new people and I'd like to thank everyone that made it a successful show. 
I probably won't set up at Wheaton often, (it's not the most pleasant drive from here), but hope to see you at one of my other shows. Watch the sidebar for details! 

I'm linking up with Faded Charm for White Wednesday. Head on over there and check out dozens of inspiring posts!  The non-Wheaton photos were taken in Case Eagle park and come to you courtesy of the fresh snow on Monday!

Wheaton Antique Market Saturday - Half-Price Admission!

If you watch my show schedule over there on  the right, you'll note that I sometimes add a show just days before it takes place. The reason is simple. I'm a wimp. There, I said it. I don't like to do shows in exceedingly cold, snowy, rainy, hot or humid weather.  So I wait until I can see the five-day forecast. Crazy, hey? 

After checking the forecast,  I decided to set up at the Wheaton Antique Market in Wheaton, Illinois this Saturday.  Once again, Zurko Promotions is generously offering you half-price admission. All you have to do is print this page and bring it along.  Simple. 

See you there?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Come see us at the Grayslake Antique Flea Market

January 8,9.... 2011

Grayslake This Weekend...

Grayslake Antique Market

Grayslake, Illinois

This weekend....

Check back later in the week for a preview!

 

Elkhorn Antique Flea Market - Grain Sacks & Time Travelers

This Sunday is the last of the season for the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. This is by far one of the best flea markets in the Midwest with 400-500 vendors of vintage and antique items.  No new stuff is allowed so you won't wear out your tootsies bypassing soy candles, knock-off handbags or t-shirts.  As always, we'll bring a nice mix of items for you.

We'll have a selection of grain sacks at a very special price

 

Seasonal decor & accessories

and even "Time Travelers"c

See YOU there!

Junk Bonanza Wrap-Up

Junk Bonanza.  I'm still processing the entire delicious experience.  A little random thinking brings the following memories to the top...

• an endless parade of humanity
• great sales
• taking different routes to the bathroom so I could at least see some of the booths, (no time to shop)
• sleep deprivation & achy feet
• a decadent dinner including chocolate cake & milk with Candyce & Jill
• realizing that I missed connecting with so many that I had hoped to meet
• all of the truly nice shoppers and fellow vendors that we met
• the poor Canterbury Park guy assigned to moving benches with a forklift during the craziness of load-in...no wonder he was so crabby
• my hero Kathy who did not let her van troubles ruin our trip
• jellied brain - couldn't add 2 + 2 by Saturday
• the most amazing show ever!

There was never a moment to go around and take more photos; I'll leave you with what I have...

Rooming with that wacky Tamarah left Margo talking with a "Tex-tralian" accent and taking photos with the lens cap on....

By Saturday afternoon the shoppers were feeling as silly as we were. The lamp parts queens...

...the girl with stinky feet

...and the deep sea diver

It seemed that the fun came to an end just as we were settling in...can't wait til September 2011!