Junk Drunk at the 55th Shenandoah Antique Expo

Happy belated Mother’s Day to all you lovely ladies out there! Good thing my mama and I share a love of antiquing and all things rusty. We decided to celebrate our Mom-hoods by spending the day together at the 55th Shenandoah Antique Expo and Flea…one of our favorite events in Virginia. The spring show is always one of my favorite outdoor activities and if the weather is going to be nice, it’s always a good time! We usually get up at the crack of dawn and drive an hour and a half to get to the show on opening day as the gates open at 9am. We usually end up staying until about 2pm…because that’s how long it takes you to walk through all the tents, barns and buildings!! But if you do your roundup early, no worries…Staunton, VA is only about 10 minutes away, so you could continue your adventure by exploring that cute town!

Overall, I was crazy surprised by the amount of antique advertising. It was almost overwhelming. This was on my list during last years show when I walked away with a really cool turn-of-the-century builders sign from Richmond. The prices at this years show, however, skyrocketed! I would say prices started at $275 and went as high as sun. It was still exciting to see all the different examples of vintage branding and typography!

Another item that I was surprised to see in almost every booth, was some sort of steamer trunk. I actually have one of these in my own home as a coffee table…it’s a fun example of form and function…as you can actually use these for storage if it doesn’t smell of moth balls!

I’m thinking of using this as my new Facebook profile pic? Does it say, “Please, someone, I’m burning up out here…please hand me an ice cold coke”? Note to self, BRING A SUN HAT!!

Not as many vintage/antique toys as I expected to see, but these two little tractors were a great example of what you can unexpected find at this show. I hope whomever is interested in these purchases both of them as a pair!

 

I truly love anything unique, handmade and with an interesting patina or finish. This small cabinet/cubby almost functions as folk art, as it was definitely a one of a kind, handmade piece. You could just see how much this piece was loved and used throughout the years. I could see this piece used on a desk, in a laundry room, hung on a wall in a kitchen…again, I like items that are unique in form and also functional.

She’s sassy, she’s classy and she’s my mom! Here is she is striking a pose with some Vegas showgirls in the hot, hot sun!

I’m always surprised to see awesome examples of Arts and Crafts furniture at these type of events, which usually cater to early American collectors. Here we have a petite Gustav Stickley rocking chair, priced around $850.

Do you have a great room or a large entry way in your home? This early 1800’s faux grain painted armoire would be an awesome addition to your collection.

This particular dealer had their tent set up like an old general store. I loved the great display for antique rolling pins. I love collections that are groupings of different varieties of one kind of object.

More smatterings of antique treasures…lots of chests, dough bowls and needlepoint rugs.

Here I am in classic “junk drunk” mode. I think the lack of a cold lemonade, feeling overwhelmed by all the antique treasures surrounding me and the frying sun was starting to go to my brain.

This was another surpass, as I have only come across a few Arts and Crafts settles in all my years of antiquing. These are items you usually do not see in the south east. New Jersey or New York or California, you can probably find these all day long. I was lucky enough to come across one of these a few years ago at a local consignment shop…so it now sits in our man-cave/music room/office.

There are two outdoor barns full of dealers and treasures, located on the far side of the outdoor lot. I loved this busted ol’ step back cupboard. You could enjoy this piece as is, or break out the palm sander and some chalk paint to give it new life.

This was one of the pieces I was drooling at and wanted to stuff in our car ride home. It was a petite Arts and Crafts bookcase, but not made by any of the big craftsman furniture dealers. It was a handmade example and had a piece of old oak bead board for the backing of the cabinet. Absolutely adorable!

I sent this photo home to the Mr. to tell him that I bought this GIANT truck stop sign and give him a heart attack (I didn’t really purchase this, but wanted to). I absolutely LOVED the color and type on this sign. It was rusted in all the right places. Imagine this sign in a bar or restaurant. (I’m starting to think I need a career as a scout for props). One friend suggested I put it in the car by having both ends hang out of the windows, giving our car a set a wings. Good idea!!

And what Savvy Seeker blog entry would be complete without a photo of a ginormous pie safe. I love how big and chunky this one was…everything was big…down the knobs and feet. Great piece!

Overall, we had a great day just being together. I love that my parents get just as inspired by all the textures, colors and shapes of antiques as I do. Here we are, our little clan, stopping for a quick snapshot off of the Blue Ridge Parkway, overlooking the beautiful valley below. Hope you and your family had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend!