Old Stuff, New Start

A Year After COVID’s Beginning, the Antiques & Crowds Have Returned in Full Force to Fayette Co.

What a difference a year makes.

One year after the spring antique shows of northern Fayette County were cancelled at the start of the COVID pandemic, things are back to normal in the pastures of Warrenton and under the big tents in Round Top.

Vendors by the thousands have returned – and the shoppers have followed.

While some of the shows haven’t started yet, things were in full swing Friday morning in Warrenton, where we caught up with some of the folks out there.

Vendors John Jonas and his wife Wanda were on their way to Warrenton last year with their antiques from their home in Laurel, Nebraska.

They’ve been coming to the shows here for 23 years.

“We had gotten as far as Topeka, Kansas when we got the call the governor was shutting everything down,” John said.

They returned for the fall show, but “that was down,” John said.

They are hoping for a strong show this year, “but it’s too early to tell.”

They made a big sale on opening day, however, a 12-foot barn cupola.

Down the road, Randall Beck was smoking a cigarette and getting ready to begin another song.

For the past three years the La Grange native who now lives in Fayetteville, has played and sung for tips in front of John Bard’s Burr Trading Company tent.

“A guy’s gotta have a hobby,” Beck grinned.

Beck is a longtime local musician. He played in a number of different bands over the years, including the Traditions, the Barebacks and Randall Beck and the Country Heartaches.

In contrast to what the Jonas’ experienced, Beck said the Fall show was “booming because there was no spring show. People were running around like a bunch of flies.”

Bard echoed that.

“Last fall was one of the best shows ever, people got tired of being cooped up,” said Bard, who is from Wharton but has been setting up shop in Warrenton for the shows for 15 years.

Beck said there seems to be even more vendors this spring than normal, and there was a “good crowd” Thursday.

Among that “good crowd” Thursday were Steve and Robbie Durham of Kauffman.

They are building a home up there and said they walked the entire length of the shows.

“We put in some miles,” Robbie laughed.

“It’ll wear you out,” Steve added.

By Friday morning, the couple were tying items down onto a packed trailer. The truck they were hauling it with was loaded with things too.

Steve said his prize find was a 1920s porcelain speaker in mint condition.

Robbie’s best find was a rare metal hoosier cabinet.

They estimated they had purchased about 300 items total, including seven neon signs.

“We wanted to buy more, but ran out of room,” Steve laughed.