Antique Shows and Flea Markets This Weekend

The weatherman this morning said that the weekend temperatures will be normal for this time of year in the Mid Atlantic states.  In Virginia, that means about a sunny and pleasant mid-80s weekend.  This makes it perfect weather to get out and visit some of the area antique flea markets. 

In Washington DC the granddaddy of them all is the Georgetown Flea Market.  This antique market attracts some 50-60 dealers and thousands of people from the Mid Atlantic area.  This outdoor market is held outdoors and features everything from antique furniture and vintage collectibles to retro art glass and old advertising prints and artwork as well as linens and antique lighting and rugs.

If you are in the New York area, ArtHampton takes place this weekend, July 13-14, 2012.  ArtHamptons takes place once a year and is a fine arts fair in Bridgehampton, New York.  It attracts hundreds of art galleries from around the country and around the world and features art from among other locations, Spain, Korea, Russia and England.

If you are further south such as in Southern Virginia or the Carolinas, you might want to visit Smiley’s Flea Market and Antique Mall.  Located near Fletcher, North Carolina, this antique market is open Friday thru Sundays and has over 100,000 square feet of vintage collectibles, furniture, vintage toys and glass as well as porcelain, china and of course North Carolina pottery. 

Bertoia’s Toy Auction in Vineland, New Jersey

When I was a kid, after living in New York City, my parents moved to Vineland, New Jersey for a few years so that my father could be closer to his family and because my uncle had secured him a job with the public school system there. We lived on Elmer Street, a quiet little street, with a branch of the local library at the corner and Newberry’s five and dime down the street. I attended, Maurice Fels Elementary School, a small four classroom school that housed kindergarten thru third grade.

I still get to Vineland once in awhile to visit my aunts who still live there and I am always amazed at the change of the little town into a bigger city with bustling stores, shops and neighborhoods. When I visit, one of my aunts insists that I take her to our old haunts, the Berlin Flea Market and the Cowtown Flea Market. Even back then as youngster, I couldn’t get enough of the old things.

Vineland will swell with even more people next weekend. Bertoia Auctions, which is based in Vineland, is having a three day Toys for All Seasons auction on Friday thru Sunday, November 7 – 9, 2008. This auction promises to have everything from cast iron toys to board games and Halloween figures. The star of this auction will be a 27” tall Santa mechanical toy store display, which is expected to bring in more than $10,000. Bertoia, which specializes in antique and collectible toys holds auctions in New Jersey a few times a year.

Save Some Green by Going Green… Buy Vintage!

The combination of a weak economy and more people “going green” by recycling has proven to be a catalyst for many interior designers and homeowners to seek less expensive and “greener” alternatives for decorating and enhancing homes. Additionally, average stock market investors are seeking alternative venues for investing.

Some may argue that investing hard-earned money in something other than the highly volatile stock market is a safer way to invest these days.

With the increased emphasis on going green, the resale market for antiques and vintage goods, such as art, books, jewelry and even photography, is becoming as liquid as investing in stocks. The difference is that most antiques are a “sure thing”. The older they get, the more valuable they become (barring damage). Thus, one stands a good chance of “buying low” at a Flea Market or Antiques Shop today, and “selling high” for two reasons: one, simply because one would sell in the future, aging all the more in the process, and 2) the investor has garnered use from the item during its ownership, unlike a virtual stock certificate which offers little use, if any.

Certainly, there is no sure-fire way to ensure that one’s choices in antiques investments will appreciate and pay off in the future, but right now, it’s easy to make the argument it probably can’t be worse than investing in the stock market. The choice to purchase items that have been salvaged or repurposed as something else offers the additional benefit of helping the environment by recycling and keeping things out of landfills.

There are many area flea markets and mom-and-pop antiques shops in the Northern Virginia area, as well as periodic antiques festivals where one can shop and not spend a lot of money. The upcoming Aldie Antiques Market, in Aldie, Virginia is one such place. This once-monthly flea market, which is sponsored in part by Bella Villa features many dealers and reasonable prices, but the best part is that it is a place where one can find some quality merchandise, often American or European in origin.

Normally held on the second Saturday of each month from 9 am to 5 pm, the Aldie Antiques Market this month is being held on Saturday October 18, 2008 in conjunction with the Aldie Harvest Festival. Aldie Day is a fifty-year-old celebration that attracts more than 3000 people annually and consists of many attractions for the entire family, including children’s games, live music and food.

Admission is free and $5 donation for parking will go to charity. In addition to antiques and collectibles, the festival will also feature 100 artisans selling pottery, jewelry, handcrafted items and art, so it is a great place to do some shopping for investment purposes, while saving money and “going green” by recycling.

This article was a collaborative effort by Rosanna Smith and Marc Cortes. Rosanna Smith is the co-owner of the very popular and highly successful Bella Villa, located in Aldie, Virginia. She also sponsors the Aldie Antiques Market, a monthly antiques and vintage collectibles Market. Marc Cortes is the publisher and webmaster of the NOVA-Antiques Newsletter and NOVA-Antiques Blog. Both of which are dedicated to help bring news articles, stories and information regarding antiques and collectibles to the Mid-Atlantic U.S.

Aldie Antiques Market & Shaker Forest Festival - Weekend Happenings

Looking for Shabby Chic furniture and decorative arts? Look no further than the Aldie Antiques Market on Saturday, September 13, 2008. This market that is sponsored in part by Bella Villa Furnishings is located at 39317 Mosby Highway (Route 50) in Aldie, Virginia, right outside Washington, DC. The market is usually held on the second Saturday of each month and not only features shabby chic furnishings but many antiques, vintage collectibles and decorative arts.

Held in the beautiful Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg, Maryland, the Shaker Forest Festival features many gifted artisans and a fun atmosphere for the entire family. There are many demonstrations from woodworkers, soap makers, potters and metal workers using many of the tools and technology that the Shakers invented. The festival is held 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday, September 13 & 14, 2008 as well as on September 20 & 21, 2008. There is plenty of free parking and shuttle service, prize giveaways and unique food and beverages. There are also new artists on both weekends of the festival.