On May 12th, The Vintage Vagabond set up our first vintage pop-up shop with Wanda, our 1981 Sunline travel trailer, at Whitesbog Village in Browns Mills, New Jersey at their first annual Vintage Market, Car, and Tractor Show.
After months of sourcing inventory, weeks of pricing and tagging items, and days of packing everything safely for transport, I was excited that the big day had finally arrived. Not even waking up to some pretty steady rainfall could dampen my spirits. I was ready to conquer my first vintage market even if it meant dodging puddles and raindrops to get the job done. Fortunately for everybody involved, the rain stopped right on cue and the ground dried up quickly. Our set up went very smoothly, and I am proud to say we were ready for our 10:00 start by 9:45 AM.
In addition to getting my first vintage market under my belt, I got to visit an amazing venue. If you're from the Delware Valley, and you've never been to Whitesbog Village, you should put it on your "Places to Visit" list. According to their literature, the Whitesbog Preservation Trust invites visitors to travel back in time to learn about the history of cranberry farming, life in a rural South Jersey company town and the individuals and culture that supported the farming operations and Elizabeth White’s efforts to cultivate the first highbush blueberry.
Vintage Day at Whitesbog included visitors in period costume, vintage tractors and cars, museum tours, gallery walks and not just one, but two jug bands.
And that wasn't even the best part of the day. More than anything, I enjoyed meeting some great new people. I got to talk to a young lady who purchased an English pitcher for her grandmother for Mother's Day and some binoculars for her grandfather. While we chatted, she explained to me how she lived on a nearby 47 acre blueberry farm with her grandparents. Then, there was one of the world's greatest grandmothers who bought a package of vintage marbles from me on the sly so she could spread them around for her grandson later in the day so he could "find some treasure". She also bought him a vintage telephone because he was having so much fun playing with it in my display. I couldn't help but think how lucky the little guy was. And that's not to mention all the awesome volunteers who work at the village, or my new friends, Jaclyn and Michael, from Merchantville Antiques and Salvage.
If this market is any indication of what I can expect at future markets and fairs, sign me up now. Being outdoors, visiting new places, meeting new people, and connecting customers with quality vintage wares are some of my favorite ways to pass the time. I can't wait to see where my next vintage market application takes me.
No comments:
Post a Comment