A great weekend - but busy!
First - "Hello," to all the people I met at two very different events and "Thank you," to those who have already been here - my viewing statistics rose dramatically on Sunday night! I will contact some people individually, but if you look up the screen from this post, the tab Old Crocks leads to pix of vintage crockery for those who like that sort of thing. I will be updating that with items for specific individuals over the next day or two.
Days Ahead in the left hand sidebar will be updated too.
The Weekend - The Gin in Teacups gals came up trumps as usual, finding a gorgeous venue for the Dundee sale - note the stained glass panels and Arts & Crafts era lampshades. The exterior of the building is a classic too, in Albert Square across from the McManus Gallery. There was a good mix of stalls, with an emphasis on the handmade, recycled and artistic. Good stuff and a very friendly atmosphere.
I met lots of new people I hope to see at future events. I have finally managed to establish a free standing Facebook page for the stall, independent of my family photos of babies and great grandparents - my own profile pic is my great grandparents at the tea table, with my Grandma and great auntie. The new page is called Rural Reads and the profile pic is of aprons on a washing line, it is listed as a person, which was my attempt to give it all the FB freedoms to like etc. Please go there and befriend RR to keep up to date with vintage & handmade fairs in the North East of Scotland.
The Gin gals have posted some of their own pix of the day and Rural Reads has some of them on the Fb page.
A high proportion of the public and traders already knew each other and a number were at art school together.
The new venue, Chamber East is in the Chamber of Commerce building, a stone's throw from the Wellgate and across from the McManus - the perfect intersection of the retail with the creative. A Grand Day Out - Oh, yes, I almost forgot about the tea room with home baked cakes of monumental proportions - I took two home with me.
The Antique & Vintage sale at Banchory Town Hall was different; it is still has to establish its following, but with monthly sales scheduled throughout the summer and autumn, it has a lot going for it. In a small town, anyone on the High Street should realise it's on and if the prospect of antique, vintage or collectable appeals, it's a short walk up the street to investigate.
There was a good mix - classic, elegant old crockery, 50s and 60s blue and white striped Cornish ware, quirky Carlton, and lustrous Maling on some tables, old bank notes, coins and small silver pieces on others.
Vintage clothing, handbags and jewellery.
Some more modern, remade or upcycled pieces on others.
The sale has a good basis of diverse stalls with great potential for growth. Customers appreciated the quality on offer and it was encouraging to see shoppers looking for everyday crockery from vintage supplies rather than chain store shelves. As usual, other traders bought from my stall, a regular recommendation that I have lovely things at reasonable prices.
If traders and shoppers spread the word, it'll start to spread itself. Banchory Town Hall is a cosy venue, easily accessible, with a friendly and helpful hall keeper, handy parking, cafes nearby; on the day, an enterprising Church coffee morning directing shoppers onwards for spiritual and nutritional refreshment. Looking forward to next time!
