Fayette County Is Already the Antiques Capital of Texas, Now We’re Dedicating a New Column to the Stories Here

“…Antiques is the last of the great free markets Buyin’low sellin’high and enjoying the profits We know life’s a gamble so how much can we possibly lose?

We’re schleppin’ all day and singin’at night Making sure our customers are treated just right— Counting our blessings… along with payin’ our dues…”

So go the words to a (maybe one day famous) song. And because good tunes make for good livin’, when you’re out there doing your own thing in the antiques business, the best posture is to just keep on “pickin’ and grinnin”.

For those who watch RFD TV on Saturday nights, you’re familiar with Ray Benson and his song “Half A Hundred Years;” to which my wonderful wife and I relate, as together we represent more than a century of trusting ourselves (and the Almighty) to make our way within the Great American treasure hunt and marketplace that is the antiques business.

Along the way we’ve met so many fine people, found, owned, and sold so many quality objects, and shared so many humorous war stories that it’s time to pull up, sort through the memories and the photos, and share the enthusiasm, camaraderie, and reallife lessons that continue to make the worldwide antiques market so special.

Those who live in Fayette County are especially blessed to have the “greatest antiques show on the planet” right in our back yard. It’s a treasure hunt, a melting pot of social strata, and an educational opportunity that few can access so easily. It does take effort to find your special interests and meet your special people there, but once you learn how to navigate the overwhelming volume of possibilities, the rewards are just splendid.

It’s an unparalleled resource to learn about and gain appreciation for our American style, American heritage, and the American future.

This column will try to be your go-to help for finding what you love and gaining appreciation of what has true antiques value. We’ll share insights on finding, evaluating, buying, selling, negotiating, presenting—and especially divesting of—antiques.

We’ll follow up with your suggestions to look into special objects and collections here in Fayette County.

The antiques business is as diverse as the thousands of individuals of which it is composed, and each person has their own special interests. Our areas of expertise are American architecture, American decorative windows, American Builders’ Hardware, and American vintage baths and kitchens.

And did you catch the “connector?” Everything is going to be about American style, innovation, creativity, quality, inspiration, and cultural importance. And from that our goal is to encourage folks to recognize the powerful legacy of our Nation’s cultural history, which we all experience each day as we travel through our built and social environments.

Texas is rich with townscapes that have not changed for a long time. Even though not much was happening, or is preserved, from before the 1840s (compared to New England where a house from the 1600s is not uncommon), you can walk or ride through many Texas towns and territories and be looking at the same public and private buildings that served your great-greatgrandparents.

Once the railroads arrived, and the massive resources of the state began to economically lift the growing middle class, Texas joined the rest of the nation in rejoicing in exuberant expressions of architectural creativity, along with all the special embellishments that filled those spaces both inside and out.

So we’ll be taking a closer look at those local buildings that we glide past every day, and give a thumbs up to that collimated porch, a figurative fist bump to that exotic sawn wood ornament, and a wry smile to the block of brownstone hidden in the weeds, which once served as a vital carriage step, but which has sat there passively ever since the last horse and buggy drove away, sometime in the early 1900s.

And then we’ll look inside these wonderful buildings and gain more insights from the furniture, fixtures, and decorative objects that now make up the fun, the challenges, and the stories of today’s antiques market.

So let us know your interests. We’ll do our best to support your enthusiasm.

And meanwhile, for a fun time, check out “Hey! Round Top Rock Me!” on YouTube.

Then you’ll recognize the lyrics quoted in this story.

PS. We’ll be posting stories based on ideas and tips from readers. Already we have one great rarity that we will feature soon.

Web & Jill Wilson live in Rutersville & love a good antiques story. Email them at hww@webwilson.com or text or call (401) 339-5522.