Last Saturday, August 21, we spent a very full day at the fair grounds in Rochester, MN home of the Gold Rush Antique and Flea Market. It's about 70 miles from where we live and is an event worth attending for anyone even slightly interested in anything antique or collectible, one of the largest in this region and one that really should be done over two or three days. But, thinking how tough we are, we confined our adventure to most of Saturday; oh our aching feet at the end of a long hard day upright on that pavement. There are simply miles of buildings full of all sorts of offerings from all sorts of vendors and then there are miles of booths outside, more offerings, more vendors. And this year there were ever so many wonderful food booths that it was had to choose what to eat, though Jerry stuck with a brat and I had a pulled pork sandwich at lunchtime. That was the only time we got to sit, and briefly too.
There is no seating at all in the booths or buildings, so one gets a good workout walking and browsing.It is not for the person who does not walk well, although we did see some handicapped riding their scooters, they could not get into some of the buildings; that's a good thing because some aisles would not accommodate those scooters. There were families with strollers and I felt sorry for the little ones being down there at leg height among crowds. And of course there were women who dragged along their chopping carts, an easy way to haul loot.
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| All sorts of decorative outdoor metal work available from this vendor. |
We parked in a lot near many RV coaches and asked a man who was dumping his trash if he was staying there, he said, "It's the only way I'd do this." He pointed to his motor home and said he'd been sitting there watching TV and reading the paper while his wife was off at the booths. They were from Brainerd MN and would spend five days there taking it all in. Well next year, we agreed, if we go, we are taking our Motor home and making a long weekend out of it.
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| One booth of the miles of dishes displayed |
By the way, if this is not enough, the tiny village of Orinoco, about 20 miles or so north of Rochester, but with a population of less than 400 normally, magnifies it's size more than ten fold this same weekend. The citizens of Orinoco rent out space in their yards and the entire town is covered with vendors offering something for everyone. We did not get to Orinoco this year. Rochester hosts this antique show three times a year, but August is the premier show with Orinoco joining in and ever so many more vendors. When I first heard of it as Gold Rush, I laughed because we lived in California near real gold rush country, the 49'ers and all that. But evidently this event is rightfully named because the area fills up and people come from all over to find just what they were looking for and maybe even something they didn't know they wanted! It's a time to look and certainly the place to find whatever might be missing from a collection. I think this year there were fewer of the vendors we normally have seen, a reflection in the down market, they say. At this event, though people were buying. In the past I have purchased things too, including what is a piano bench but serves as a side/end table in one of the bedrooms. It was a darn bargain a few years ago at $45.
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| This is our silver castor holder |
We had a couple items to look for, including maybe something Snow White related for granddaughter in CA who is a Snow White collector and maybe condiment bottles for our inherited antique silver castor set that speaks of a wealthier lifestyle and high society. It came from the Irwin mansion, my uncle John's' grandfather and family. I've mentioned them before, source of many antiques we proudly own. This particular item, has held our interest and it was not until this year that we even identified it by name. We found an excellent high quality vendor who had some magnificent full sets available at $350+ but who spent a long time talking to us about ours. He was so helpful and promised to contact us should he ever locate condiment bottles. If I were in the market for anything in the way of crystal or silver, I could have found it in spades at his booth.
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| Notice the ornate heads as feet and the solid silver bell |
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| Condiment bottle |
So this week I have spent time online looking where he advised and learned more about these items. Ours is a solid silver gorgeous piece, which Jerry is now polishing. The Irwins used it and the bell would be rung by depressing the small ball shaped lever atop the circular part of the stand, to summon servants to wait on them or refill condiments that might have been running low. It is made by Reed and Barton and likely during the late 1800's and is likely American, so the vendor said. He said the ones from England did not come with bells, an adaptation here by Americans of means. Reed and Barton have been in business since 1824 and started putting earmarks of the year on their pieces in 1928. Ours has none so we are confident it is earlier than 1928. The silversmith who worked on this was an ultimate craftsman, judging by the quality and intricate scroll work and the magnificent heads, used as feet. It is about 19 inches tall and a little over 8 inches wide at the circular holder for the condiment bottles. We were sorry we did not take it along, but it would have been heavy and too much to lug around all day. The vendor pulled out a book which had a big section about these and was happy to talk with us. He warned us that there are cheap models turning up lately but that we would be able to spot them as we had at other booths. We know silver plate and cheaper tinplate are no comparison to solid silver. It is interesting that he advised bottles are being duplicated but he knew of no source. This week I found some on ebay; one seller from Indiana readily admitted the bottles were new. Another ebay seller out of FL has a cheaper plated set but with five bottles which we need; I am considering bidding on the bottles but they are of a different pattern than this frond leaf scroll on ours that matches the silver etching. We have only one bottle with a crystal stopper, but the lid of the bottle is chipped, photo above. The other bottles are tightly wrapped in plastic, don't know by whom and we hesitate to unwrap them because they look like they are shattered. Then again, this gives us an excuse to continue to search antique shows and markets and we are in no hurry.
Prints like these are selling for excess of $50 and there were many available. We have one of these. It's always interesting to see prices on items we have. But then again they are only worth that if someone pays for them. One vendor had aluminum stirrers such as I have thrown out in PA; she wanted $60 for a box of six! I really gasped to see that! You just never know!
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| This vendor had furniture and prints |
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| Snow White dolls by Krueger of New York 1930's |
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| Vendor in photo with doll |
As to Snow White, there were a few interesting items, but we opted to not purchase. I considered a gorgeous huge cookie jar, but because grand daughter is only going on 20 and not out of college, who knows what could happen to it. We found a 33 1/3 record album with a great illustration of Snow White and a story book included, for only $10, but then, Jerry figured, what would she do with it. And since our DIL her mother, is a minimalist and not a saver of items, I would hesitate to send it and have it tossed. One lady had the most interesting set of dolls that I have ever seen though and she allowed me to take a photo, here from her own collection, made by Krueger in New York in the 1930's, they are worn, but magnificent...The entire set was $2650 and we were not going to spend that for Granddaughter either. Notice the photo of the little girl with pipe curls; that was the vendor as a little girl. Such a treasure for someone who would appreciate it! So very cute! She shared that she is selling off lots of her collections because, (this is a song I can sing) her children are not interested, do not appreciate the items and so she is selling now so she can get the money and use it as she chooses rather than leaving the planet and allowing family to discard or sell off cheaply. I have thought this same thing myself and have had this same conversation with others, who say sell it, and spend your money. But right now, I am enjoying our possessions too much to part with them.
We did acquire a Snow White glass which I have put away to be sent to CA another time, maybe around Christmas. I had just completed and sent off to her a Kinkade print of a Snow white throw and just last week finished a pillow to match the Snow White quilt I made for her over a year ago now. We also acquired a couple Olympia Beer glasses for Jerry's bar, here at home. That was the brand Jerry consumed forever in CA and is no longer made.
And the piece de resistance was his purchase for all of $3 of an Air Force hat that fit him. He pondered this the entire time and finally at the end when we were leaving decided that for $3 how could he go wrong. It has no insignia, however, but he is searching for his and or will look at other venues to purchase it. There were other military memorabilia booths, but at very high prices.
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| Jerry with his naked Air Force Hat |
