The World Comes to Fayette Co. – Again
2023 Spring Antiques Shows
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Vendor Larry Rush of Canton was busy restocking metal yard art goats at his tent in the Bar W Field in Warrenton Wednesday. Rush said the show has made a good comeback from the lean years of COVID-19. -
Corrine Carlson of San Francisco, California, shows off a vintage bowl she found while shopping with her family this week in Warrenton. Photos by Andy Behlen -
Rachel Bills and Olon Miller of New Caney visit just about every show. -
Erin Hart and Whitney Walters of Grand Prairie visited the show for the first time this week.
Rainy weather rather than inflation was the only thing keeping folks away from the Round Top and Warrenton Antiques Show this week. Vendors say the crowds have been much better than the last two years, when COVID-19 kept many folks at home.
Inflation and economic woes don’t seem to bother the buyers either.
“People are still spending money,” said Larry Rush of Canton.
Rush sells antique fencing materials, metal yard art, and gigantic steel cutouts of Bigfoot that you can’t help but notice when driving past his tent in the Bar W field in Warrenton.
“We got here about a week and a half ago,” Rush said. “I’ve been coming here for 34 years now. I’d say it’s been about average. We had some slack when COVID first came in, but it has picked back up.”
Erin Hart and Whitney Walters of Grand Prairie came for two days of shopping this week.
It was their first time to visit the show.
“We don’t even know where to begin,” said Hart. “It’s overwhelming.”
Olon Miller and Rachel Bills of New Caney visited the show on Wednesday. Miller grew up in Round Top, and they visit the Antiques Show every year.
“I like old household appliances, like old phones, radios, electronics and stuff,” said Bills.
“I’m more into old toys and one-off, weird stuff,” said Miller.
“We’re also looking for stuff for our apartment,” Bills said. “Stuff to hang on our walls.”
Scott and Lisa Carlson of Denver, Colorado, and their daughters Corinne and Abbie of San Francisco, California visited the show for the second time this week.
“We were here two years ago,” Scott said. “We have some friends in Round Top.”
The ladies were looking for vintage glassware and cowboy accoutrements. Scott was looking for hubcaps, railroad spikes and blacksmithing items.
“We found some glassware,” said Lisa. “We haven’t found any railroad spikes and not many hubcaps.”
“We found one hubcap, but I thought there’d be more,” Scott said.
“We’re doing pretty good so far,” Corinne said.
There’s still plenty of time to visit the Spring Show. Most venues stay open through April 1.