Antiquers Descend On Fayette Co. Again
After Best-Ever Spring Show For Many, Fall Shows Kick-Off With Big Expectations
Some antiques vendors in Round Top and Warrenton reported their best sales ever during this year’s spring antiques show, and they expect similar sales for the fall show that begins this week.
“The spring was the best show I ever had,” said Mark Kirkscey, a dealer from East Bernard who specializes in primitives. “I hope it carries over. People are coming through and buying stuff already, and the show doesn’t officially start until Thursday.”
Kirkscey’s booth is located in the Rose of Texas Venue in Warrenton. He sat among stacks of Marshall-style pottery, quilts and numerous unusual antiques such parts to a weaving loom and an old fishing creel basket.
“I find a lot of this stuff at estate sales and auctions in the Houston area,” Kirkscey said. “Old quilts are always popular. Old school stuff, old Halloween stuff and Christmas stuff will all do well here.”
Jim Bicknell, an 81-yearold vendor from Canton, said he’s been in the antiques business for 51 years. His booth is located at the Little House on the Hill venue. He also reported good sales at the spring show.
“I’ve never had a bad show here,” he said.
Bicknell laconically explained how he got into the business:
“I went to an auction and bought some stuff, then I had to do something with it.” he said.
When asked about his specialty, Bicknell said “profit.”
“I really don’t have a specialty,” he said. “I’ve got military, political, jewelry. I do a lot of tie bars and cufflinks. I sell a lot of cookware. I do a lot of buttons. I got about 100 cigar boxes out there. Police, fire, a little bit of everything.”
Vendor JillSuzanne Murphy comes from Port Neches. She sells out of the JillSuzanne Gift Shop tucked away in the Little House on the Field Venue.
“This is the only show I do,” she said. “It takes me six months to get enough inventory. We travel during those six months picking.”
You can hardly miss the place – it’s the one with all the old barn cupolas in the yard. JillSuzanne specializes what she called “statement pieces” – large items such as antique cars, big signs, authentic whiskey barrels and loads and loads of barn cupolas.
“I think its going to be huge,” she said of the fall show crowds. “It gets bigger and bigger each time. Our landlord has been here 40-plus years, and he said the spring was a record crowd.”
JillSuzanne said the COVID pandemic has not slowed down the antiques business.
“People are so excited to be out and breathe fresh air,” she said. “We feel that Texas as a whole has been getting back to normal.”
JiMiCooL and Annie, vendors from Duluth, Minn., specialize in vintage clothing, decor, jewelry, vinyl records and other music-related. Much of their merchandise comes from the 19050s, 60s and 70s, but they said trends are changing.
“As our customers get younger, they’re looking for things from the 1980s and 90s,” JiMiCooL said.
Check out their booth near the border of the Hillcrest Lot and Das Blau Haus.