Gathering of Friends Antique Show Union Illinois Follow-up

This past weekend, we exhibited at the Gathering of Friends Antique Show in Union Ilinois.  The brainchild of my friend Lynne Eltrevoog, the sale took place on her fabulous farm outside this little "blink of an eye and you miss it town" in northern Illinois.
Illinois weather this summer has been challenging--and our first show day on Thursday was a doozey.  We were dodging raindrops most of the day--but the customers came-and came and CAME.  The weather improved on Friday and Saturday--and people kept coming in spite of very warm temperatures.  Please wander through the pictures--if you missed it--the show will be returning next year--date to be determined.

Farm Owner Lynne Eltrevoog and promoter of A Gathering of Friends Antique Sale

Just a note to all you antiquers--Lynne has barely BARELY scratched the surface--(did I say BARELY) on the farm finds in her barns and out buildings!

Gathering of Friends Antique Show and Sale Union IL July 28-30

Our next show is a doozy!!  Sponsored by our friend Lynne Eltrevoog on her fabulous farm in Union Illinois.  Here is an article that I submitted to the local papers.

Union Farmstead to Host "Gathering of Friends Antiques Sale" July 28-30

The Eltrevoog 1858 historical farmstead is the location for a new antiques show and sale July 28-30 in Union Illinois.  The antiques sale is an event held in conjunction with the Northern Illinois Quilt Fest sponsored by the McHenry County Historical Society.

Lynne Eltrevoog,  owner of the historic farm, is a lifelong collector and has sold antiques professionally for 18 years.  Known best as "The Hat Lady", Eltrevoog is currently manager of On the Square Antiques in Walworth Wisconsin.  Her business name is Cat's Meow Antiques and she formerly owned Main Street Antiques in Woodstock.

The farm is located at 15113 Marengo Road in Union and was homesteaded in 1858 by a family named Rugh.  Eltrevoog has owned the farm for 34 years and has been stuffing the barns full of antiques ever since.

I have been collecting since the age of 16 and don't think I've ever considered buying new furniture," said Eltrevoog.  "I used to spend every weekend attending local auctions," she added.  Eltrevoog admits she is a compulsive hoarder, but loves the joy of seeing someone else's face light up with a really great find.  "Sometimes it is hard to let things go--but I do it," she laughed.

As a member of the McHenry County Historical Society, Eltrevoog says she is participating in the Northern Illinois Quilt Fest and having an antiques sale as part of the summer long festival.  It is an opportunity to show off the three wooden barn quilts on the barn and open her property to several friends who are quality dealers, she said.

Joining Eltrevoog in the three day sale are veteran antiques dealers, Little Bohemia Antiques from Wayne Illinois, Kris and Mark Hutson from Harvard, Jim Konz from Sharon Wisconsin and Maryann and Lou Loennecke from Walworth.

The sale will be held in one barn and in a large barn courtyard.  Garden antiques and primitives will be spread throughout the yard that is peppered with historic buildings and perennial gardens.  There is a large mowed field for plenty of parking.  Items for sale will include garden things, farm primitives, jewlery, glassward and pottery, Victoriana, kitchen items, artwork, plants both fabric and newly painted wooden barn quilts and furniture.  "There will be plenty of barn finds in the sale," Eltrevoog said. "Who knows what we will drag out even after the first selling day?" she added.

The Gathering of Friends Antique Sale is free and open to the public.  Hours are 7am till people stop coming (probably 6pm) Thursday through Saturday July 28-30.  There are no early sales.

Our Own American Pickers Episode

This past weekend, Dear Husbola and I were eager to fill a warm July Saturday with a good estate or farm auction.  I check www.auctionzip.com a few times a week.  It is a great site and easy to navigate.  You insert your zip code and how many miles you want to travel from home--and all the auctions are listed--most with auction bills and pictures--a great way to pinpoint an auction near you.

Late last week--a good auction was listed--and only 40 minutes from home.  The description of the estate items and location were both winners for us.  We arrived a bit over an hour before the start of the auction--got a great up front parking space--and starting looking over the wagons.

It was one of those fooler auctions.  At first blush--you think there is nothing there--but at closer look--we found many items that were of interest.  Prices were all over the place--somethings very low and some things higher--but nothing was out of resale range--so we settled in for a good day.

As the auction was approaching the last wagon--the orginal auctioneer who was being relieved by another auctioneer walks by me--and starts talking.  He tells me that the items sold were owned by an old man now deceased--and his son has decided to sell.  He says that this was "just the tip of the iceberg" and there are buildings and buildings full to the brim. WHAT????????

Let me tell you--there are no words more sweet to an antique dealer than "there will be more of this and the nut has not even been shelled."  Then--even more interesting to my ears--the auctioneer asks, "Would you like to see in the big building??"

Yehaw!  Where is Dear Husbola?  In the porta potty?  Getting the car?  Dear Husbola located--we are let in by key to a huge building by a friend of the son owner--and that is where we stepped into the American Pickers episode.  The building was dark and a bit damp and cool and LOADED.  LOADED with you name it--a miniature town of pretend building storefronts--blacksmith-pharmacist-school room-grocery store--and each storefront jammed with the right kind of items for that shop.  JAMMED. And the coca cola memorabilia collection--the huge huge huge barbed wire collection.  Toys-indian items-Harley Davidson items--JAMMED.  The American Picker boys would trade in their nice white Sprinter van to get into this place.  We were joined now by the Son Owner.  Our next question was--"so when are THESE things going to be auctioned?"  "Well--I sold a few things and the wife and I took a trip to Alaska.  I'd like to go to the Panama Canal--so I will have to sell some more."  "Maybe in a year or two," he added.

The Son Owner and Friend of Son Owner were in no hurry to move us along.  We enjoyed 20 minutes with them--and wished the American Picker cameras were rolling.  This is a rarely seen piece of midwest dealer scene--and certainly never experienced by Dear Husbola and me.  This antique scene is grand!!!

Remembering Kane County Flea Market

It was 28 years ago this summer that I went to the Kane County Flea Market for the first time.  In 1983 and the pickings were fabulous. Primitives, pottery, great painted furniture--you name it.  

I went with several friends and we spent a full day trying to cover the entire fairgrounds that was chock-a-block with dealers and vendors from all over the country.  I bought a blue Hall China ball jug which graces our kitchen to this day.  I remember that the fairgrounds was a dizzying display of vintage and collectable and antique. One of my companions was looking to furnish his new home with antiques--I remember he had a good buying day. Great times.

Yesterday Dear Husbola and I decided to go to the Saturday opening of the market--we have not been in years.  The fairgrounds has seen many improvments in recent years--new buildings and footpaths and we wanted to check out the booths.  It is the Independence Day weekend--and the weather is dray and warm.  Estate auctions have been slim this summer--and we need inventory.

Gosh--let me tell you about the  booths we saw.  It might just be easier to make a list-sunglasses, juju bees and gummie bears in tubs, tee shirts, purfume, knockoff purses, furniture stripping supplies, small kitchen drawer gadgets, new metal garden ornaments, funnel cakes, dried flower displays, new painted metal garden widgets--my head is swimming.  Oh yes--bras and panties in three packs--big sale TODAY!!

We stayed 55 minutes.  I came home and looked at my blue hall pitcher on the shelf in the kitchen and remembered fondly that sunny day in the summer of 1983.

Packing for Elkhorn--The Old Girl Might Turn Over 200,000

The weather forecast says fabulous weather--mid 70s and no rain.  Read that again NO RAIN!  YeeeHaw!!  Time to load and pack for the June 26th edition of the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market at the Walworth County Fairgrounds in Elkhorn Wisconsin.  And I am taking an old friend.

My old friend is a very large, very big, getting rusty old green suburban truck who we have loaded and unloaded with antiques since 1996.  The Old Girl is backed up to the garage and I am assembling a large pile of treasures that will fill our booth in the North Hall of the fairgrounds on Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday.  It is amazing how much I can pack inside.

I have garden items, french and english decorative smalls, folk art cabinet, wonderful 1950s wrought iron teacart just waiting for someones sun room, vintage fabrics, pillows, and lots of just whimsical STUFF.  I open the garage door and start loading--and stop when I cannot stuff one more thing in the back.  Well-I might leave a bit of room--because I always leave enough space for a few things that I buy on my up to Elkhorn.  The Old Girl might GROAN if I load some concrete garden ornaments, but she doesn't  usually complain as I slam the doors shut and she is stuffed and ready to go.

It may not be on this trip--but she will turn 200,000 some day very soon.  I hope Dear Husbola will be driving because he likes those life milestone kinds of things--in fact--I think he toots the horn when cars turn over a significant number of zeros on the odometer. 

The Old Girl is amazing.  I can't tell you how many times othere dealers have said--:you get all of THAT in a suburban.  Yup--never underestimate the packing skills of a former girl scout and an "almost  eagle scout if he could just have been a better swimmer" antique selling duo.  We stuff it in--and The Old Girl just keeps on chugging.  She is certainly showing her age--rust, wrinkling, fading paint, no air conditioning, and a few stains from a few overturned sodas.

Look out for me this weekend--I am the dealer with that good looking green truck that has some extra zip in her tank this trip--NO CONCRETE!

Madison's Odana Antique Mall Gets It Right

So many antique malls and centers these days DON'T get it right--I am happy to be part of a shop that DOES get it right.

Since February, Dear Husbola and I have had a small space at the Odana Antique Mall on Odana Road on the west side of Madison Wisconsin.  We have had our eye on this shop for several years--and this year was the time to pursue a space--and happily--a small space became available this winter.

This shop gets it right.  The building is a large former furniture store on a busy road.  The shop is owned and managed by women.  Enough said.  They get it.

The shop is carpeted and well lit.  There is spot lighting throughout and can lights that allow the goods to be viewed in a more home light glow--not like a surgical theater.  There are no huge rows of locked cases.  Cases are sprinkled throughout--and dealers can have them in their booths if they wish.  The shopper's eyes do not glaze over with rows and rows of them.  We think the trend is booths without cases--so we have chosen not to have any in our booth.

The shop owner and key staff Sue, Sharon and Amy work hard at making eye catching attractive displays at the front of the shop as you walk in.  With permission, they pull items from dealer's booths, and create bright seasonal or themed displays that frequently change.

The air conditioning works and the music is upbeat and sometimes quirky and NOT intrusive. Plenty of parking.  Easy to find. (off the beltline between Whitney Way and Gammon Road on Odana Road)  Good and good again.

The collection of dealers is varied--there are antiques and vintage that goes from 19th century to mid 20th century.  You can find a $1.00 postcard or a fabulous victorian cast iron garden bench for over $1000.  The furniture throughout is country to victorian finished to shabby from garden to books to lighting to arts and crafts to industrial.

We do have a horrible problem there.  When we come up to stock our space--we have sold items as we are unpacking, and well as the next day.  OH DEAR.  What this means is TRAFFIC.  And buying traffic.  We love it.  Our booth  today has everything from artwork to garden  to a fabulous library standing globe to folk art furniture-to lodge look items-and from cottage look to finished.  We love the ecclectic look and it sells well for us.

Well run shops are hard to find these days.  Shops dedicated to keeping up standards and filling dealers vacancies quickly and promoting themselves are rare.  Make a trip to Odana--you will not be disappointed.

A Used Book's Journey to My Reading Chair

This summer I have decided to only read books by dead women authors.

My friends know I have strange reading tastes.  I don't want to read anything on a best seller list--unless that list was compiled in 1915.

I enjoy searching used book stores and on line for copies of books that are the vintage of the authors who wrote them.  I want the copy of Jane Eyre from the 19th century(and I have an 1840 copy that I found for 5 pounds in England.)  I want to read Flannery O'Connor with a good original 1950s dust jacket.  Heaven would be to find a 1943 copy of The Fountainhead.  Currently I am happily  tucking into a 1963 copy of Edna Ferber's autobiography "A Kind of Magic."

When I received this copy--I cracked it open--and what greeted me?  Not a tender dedication of the book from a long ago giver to a long ago recipient. No--this was a former library copy with huge black letters saying WITHDRAWN.  WITHDRAWN FROM CIRCULATION. Hastings Nebraska Public Library

Strangely--this made me sad.  I am gobbling up Edna Ferber's books--and wondering how my good solid midwestern high school and college education could have overlooked this good solid fabulous midwestern born and bred writer.  I guess we were too busy reading Willa Cather or Theodore Dreiser and Sinclair Lewis.  But, WITHDRAWN???  Aren't there good librarians everywhere who know the virtues of Edna-?  And certainly a librarian in the heartland of America--small town Hastings Nebraska??

I have never been on a library board--although My Dear Husbola was on one many years ago.  Who makes decisions for books to be withdrawn from circulation?  Do libraries check the circulation history of a book and the least checked out tomes get retired?  And who is the hatchet man (or woman) who sits at the sturdy wooden library table, with the spongie black ink pad and huge rubber stamp and  opens books and slams down WITHDRAWN?  Is there a PETA organization for books?

I can guess this book's journey to my home.  Someone purchased it as a used book sale at a library, maybe read it, or maybe just sold it to a used book store.  This used book store sells on line--and during my search, I landed on it.

There is a thrill I get pawing through boxes of books at auctions and estate sales.  Our book shelves are filled with used "orphans" that have been much loved and I love them still.

By the way-Edna Ferber led a fascinating life-"A Kind of Magic" is a delightful snapshot of a great American writer.  Ask to borrow my copy--and the WITHDRAWN treasure can continue its journey.