an afternoon at the christie antique show

I don't know what it is about fall, but as soon as the weather starts to turn cooler, I get the itch to browse antique markets and sales.

I think in the spring, as summer is approaching, I find myself paring down my home, lighting things up. But as fall arrives, I find myself adding some layers and warmth to my home. I mean, this is what we do with our wardrobes, so it's only natural that our home goes through a similar sort of seasonal change.

Anyway, I love walking around a good show, and the Christie Antique and Vintage show is the best outdoor show in Canada. It spans over nearly ten acres, all spread out around the conservation area. Some of my favourite vendors, specializing in European antiques, always have beautiful booths and great collections.

This year, if I wanted to attend, I had to bring all four boys with me. I really had to think about it before committing, but in the end, I just didn't want to miss it. It's only one day, and it only happens once in the spring and once in the fall. I was able to bribe the boys with snacks and hurry through in less than two hours. And while I didn't maybe see as much as I could have without them, or take my time looking through things, I did see most of it!

This was a gorgeous blue cabinet, with all the right wear, as well as a few really pretty ironstone pitchers. He also had some beautiful bread boards and some old portraits.

(As we came up to them, Willen said to me "Oh look, more paintings of people we don't even know. You can put them with the other ones we have.")

This booth, Booth Eight, had a few antique pine pieces for great prices. Sadly they were sold.

I loved this little bowl. I liked the size of it.

I also really wanted these ginger jars.

And this blue platter was a great price, so it came home with me. The only thing I ended up bringing home.

If you're interested in attending, the next show is Saturday, May 23, 2020, from 8 am to 5 pm, rain or shine. Mark your calendars!

Antiquing Resources

Recently I've received quite a few inquiries about where I find information on local antique shows, sales and auctions.

I thought I would share some of these resources with you.

Most of them are local to me, but you could use similar resources for wherever you call home.

One of my favourite things to do is make day trips around our area. This is how I discover great little shops. If I come across a shop I love, one that say sells vintage finds and things, I always sign up for newsletters and emails.

This is the best way to stay informed about upcoming shows. Usually these shops participate in a few shows a year, and with other, similar vendors that I will most likely love.

Some of the shows I've discovered this way are "A Day in the Country", Augusta's, Bob and Al's Barn Sale, Two Brother's and a Barn Sale, Ball's Falls Craft Show and Oliver and Rust.

Of course, if you're lucky, some of these small scale shows will turn into regular shops, like Oliver and Rust, and then you can pop in whenever you like!

Another great resources would be the Internet. There are three resources that I use often:

Kijiji and Craigslist

Auction Find Websites

Google

Ebay

Etsy

I am on Kijiji all the time. I regularly scroll through pages and pages of results for items I'm always looking for. I've snagged a few great finds on here, though it's always a little more complicated. Trying to arrange a viewing, or picking up an item is more complicated than just previewing it at auction or in a shop.

There is a website I often use for viewing listings for upcoming auctions called auctionsfind.com. Here auctions are posted for my province, by town or region. Then I can view all of the details of the upcoming auctions, and often even view photos of what's up for sale. Some local auction houses are Rittenhouse Auctions, Plato Auctions and Peninsula Liquidators.

When I'm planning a day trip, I also google the towns. I try to discover articles on the best places to shop and eat. I recently came across a list of the top ten antique markets in Ontario. You can find that here. We have quite a few antique shops near us. In Niagara on the Lake there is Queen's Antiques and the Lakeshore Antique Market. In Jordan there's Creighton Antiques by appointment. Towards Fort Erie there is Augusta's. Green Barn Antiques and Antiques on the Ridge

I'm also constantly searching ebay for smaller finds like ironstone, transferware, cutlery, artwork etc. I have a US post box across the border to help with the shipping costs. It's only about 40 minutes from our home. However, with the exchange the way it is, it's not always as great of a deal in the end., so it's important to keep that in mind when bidding on an item.

Etsy is another great online resources for finding small antique "shops" and fun vintage pieces. Something quite exciting recently are the pop up handmade markets. A group of local Etsy shops all come together for a weekend. Usually there's a wide assortment of things to browse, though most of them are handmade gifts, and not necessarily vintage shops. But it's still fun. Two local ones would be The Handmade Market, and Heirlooms Artisan Market.

Then there are the larger shows. There are a couple that I love to attend each year.

Christie's happens in the Spring and Fall. I believe it's the largest antique show in Ontario, if not Canada. It's only about an hour from here, so it's not too bad. They have a website if you google them.

Then there are the shows that are in the States; Brimfield's, Springfield Antique Show and one of my favourites, The Country Living Fair.

Now, I've never attended either the Springfield of Brimfield shows, but they are on my list. The Country Living show however, I attend almost every year; sometimes in Rhinebeck, sometimes in Columbus. To be honest, I prefer the Columbus show.

When I attend these shows, I make a weekend of it. We scout out all of the best malls, markets and shops in the area, and map out a weekend of treasure hunting. If I go with Ryan, we camp, and if I go with girlfriends, we all share a hotel room and stay up late watching cheesy shows with a glass of wine and lots of giggling.

I really just spend a lot of time exploring. I'm quite intentional about searching out places to hunt and I'm not afraid of climbing through old barns and driving across the countryside to spend an afternoon at an auction or show. 

I love it.

Hopefully those few resources prove to be helpful.

Augusta's and Christie's

As Summer is slowly saying goodbye to us, the anticipation of Autumn is getting greater with each passing day.

Autumn weekends, for me, are often spent browsing flea markets and attending local artisan and antique shows.  And this year hasn't disappointed. Since I don't have my own sale to prepare for, and with our dollar the way it has been, I really didn't think I would get much shopping in. But I was very wrong.

I've visited the top ten antique malls in Ontario. I will have attended all of the local handmade markets and shows, as well as the top antique shows in Ontario - Christie's and Aberfoyle.

I find browsing through these shows so peaceful and inspiring. I loose myself in rows of beautiful old things, dreaming up how they could be brought back to life in my home. And when I need a few minutes to rest, there's always a good cup of coffee.

Two weekends ago was a local show - Augusta's Fall show.

Her little farm, complete with a mule and a few sheep, is merely a few minutes from me. And while her style is more primitive, there are always things that I love.

This year I purchased a pair of cast iron urns for our front porch. I will show you them when I have the entrance decorated for Fall. I also found a few handmade gifts for Christmas from another local artist.

Christie's, while considerable slower than other years, and maybe not as full, was still a success for me. I managed to find a few great things!

I also rediscovered a childhood favorite that brought back many sweet memories - Apple Floppa (Fritters).

These fried pillows of donut-covered apple were warm and tossed in cinnamon and sugar. They were the perfect treat with a hot coffee and kept me warm and cozy while it began to drizzle. My Opa and Oma used to take us to a farmer's market on holiday's and every time we visited we had a slice of Hawaiian pizza for lunch, and watched them make Apple Fritters by hand. Then we'd buy a box to enjoy on the way home.

I picked up this cream scale, which will likely find it's way to my dad's, amongst his collection of antique scales.

One of the first pieces I came across was this pretty little pitcher. It immediately caught my eye. When I saw the price tag, my heart started fluttering. It was $4 because there was a crack in the spout. I nearly paid and ran before she changed her mind!

Another great find was this wicker basket. It's going to be a trash can until Christmas, when it will become a base for a small tree.

I also picked up a lovely antique linen towel.

And two small ironstone pieces.

And this.

One of my other great finds was this painting. It's quite a large piece, with an ornate frame in great condition.

I experienced another episode of heart fluttering when she told me for $65 I could take it.

It will most likely go in the family room, but for now it's hanging above our bed.

This weekend is the Aberfoyle Fall Outdoor Market, and I'm looking forward to another wonderful afternoon browsing. 

Hopefully I will have just as much luck.

Flea Market Wish List

One - This stunning farmers market sign. I want this in my kitchen! It's perfect!

[All Photos - The Grower's Daughter]

I had previously shown you my two favourite booths at Christie's Antique Show a while back, but I wanted to share a few of my most favourite finds that we're throughout the show.

If I had my way, and an appropriate size truck, I would most definitely have come home with each of these stunning pieces.

Can you believe it's Friday already?

I'm off to pick out a lovely shade of white for my dining room hutch (more on that to come later), and then I think I may spend some time with my sewing machine this afternoon.

Have a lovely weekend!

PS. I have a little announcement this weekend, possibly regarding a one year anniversary, and maybe also including a giveaway of sorts.... Check back later for more on those very vague hints.

Maria

xo

Two - This collection of jadeite, or even a just a few pieces of it. This is something I've always been drawn to, but am too afraid to purchase because I know it will become one of the those obsessive collections that grows and grows, and quite frankly, I just don't have the space for another collection!

Three - I really love this cupboard. I also really love those vintage pins. They would suit Willen's room.

Four - The charming bench. It was just in such delicate condition, which is too bad, because it would make the perfect bench for a farm table, or in a gorgeous hallway, or maybe even at the end of a bed.

Five - And finally, this pair of doors. I know! The price tag on them was so high I think I thought for a moment I was cross-eyed and seeing a few extra zeros. I wasn't. So they stayed.

How gorgeous are they?