Sacramento Antique Fair

In my days as a first grade teacher, I would often read the classic Three Billy Goats Gruff to my students.  The repetitive text was one of their favorites as they echoed the troll "Who's that trip-trapping over my bridge?!"  In the case of the Sacramento Antique Fair, they would have to change the echo to "Who's that trip-trapping UNDER my bridge?!!"

Beneath the freeway bridges at 21st and W-X street in Sacramento, there are lots of treasures, and yes, you may even find a vintage troll or two!  Held the second Sunday of every month, The Sacramento Antique Fair has grown to be one of jewels of Sacramento. 

Under beautiful blue skies this past Sunday, I had the pleasure of introducing my friend, Margaret, to the fair.  We arrived early, found parking easily, paid our $3 entrance fee and we were in!  Watching my friends' jaws drop is something I cherish!  Margaret was no exception - she was in awe of the numerous vendors, and the selection of merchandise.  As I was explaining pretty much anything can be found at this fair, we walked by these 4 foot bunnies!

I mean, seriously, where else can you find four foot bunnies?!  They would be great for a store window display for perhaps Easter?  Since Margaret and I were not in the market for 4 foot bunnies we moved on!

 

  I found this vintage train case at the Sac Antique Fair months ago and I bought it with the intention of reselling it at Melange but . . . I loved it so much I couldn't give it up!  So when I came across another one I had to check it out to see if it was better in anyway.  The new one has initials of the previous owner as well as the original 'Samsonite' label on it's underside so you guessed it!  I bought it to keep for myself and now this one is on sale at Melange!  I have an affinity for old suitcases but I'll save that story for another post!

Vintage dresses, hats, purses are plentiful!  If you ever need the perfect costume, this is the place to come!  So many decades are represented, 

from the gold rush days to "Mad Men" days!

We saw vintage fur coats, stoles, jackets, hats - you name it!  There were all kinds - rabbit, mink, sable, and even those little scarf like ones with the fox heads and feet still attached - decided not to take a picture of those!

Its always fun to treasure hunt for a particular item!  Margaret searched all the tables filled with vintage dishware for candlewick crystal and Fostoria!  

She found a beautiful candlewick relish dish and a candlewick tab handled dish from two different vendors.  These will be cherished reminders of her first visit to the Fair!

Antique and vintage furniture is everywhere to be found down under the freeway! Dressers, mirrors, beds, cafe sets, armoires, bookcases - some with the original finish, some have been refinished - I plan on painting this headboard I bought. If you like super chippy style or refined, you will love the variety the Antique Fair offers.  Even if you don't need furniture, it is fun to look at!

My oldest son, Max, came with me one day and looked at all the vintage guns and tools. Alex, my youngest, came with me to the May show and found a vintage Bourbon decanter to celebrate his 21st birthday!  One look at the picture above shows the variety of treasures to view - a chest of flatware, a vintage scale, Chinese checker board, wicker and bamboo side tables, and a bobble head dog like we used to see in the back of cars!  Just goes to show you, one man's trash is another man's treasure!

See that little sailor boy riding that seagull?  I found him on a previous visit!  He won my heart and I bought him but had no idea what I was going to do with him until I got home.  Somebody was kind enough to bring him to the Sac Antique Fair 

instead of tossing him in the trash. 

 Now he resides over the vignette that includes a photo of my three sons when they were much younger.  He reminds me of how I used to dress my boys in cute sailor outfits to take their picture.  I wonder - what is his story?  Just a fleeting glance over a vendors table and the sailor boy jogged a memory of the day I took Max, then 2 years old, to get his photograph taken. I'll post the picture when I find it!!

Margaret and I had a great time that day. As Margaret walked the aisles at the fair, she spotted numerous items that were inherited by her generation from her Aunt Celie or Grandma Erica - the items were once cherished by them, and now remained with a new generation to be part of making new memories.  And that's why I cherish this show - from the vendors, to the shoppers, to the merchandise - so many treasures waiting to be found and so many stories waiting to be told!

Corn Husks and Fur Stoles

One pastime I cherish is shopping for treasures! Finding a special piece at a incredible price gives me a great sense of accomplishment. Doing this with my sister or with friends makes this pastime all the more sweeter. I love to refinish old furniture, create one of a kind gift items or repurpose my treasures for my home or to sell in my space at Melange, a unique vintage store in Historic Folsom, California.

Out by myself one day, I ventured into the back room of a furniture store and spied this bust. Dress forms and busts are a hot commodity at Melange and whenever we get them in, they fly out the door, especially unusual or vintage ones. But my heartstrings were tugging at me to get this even though at the time I didn't know why - there was something about this one that I did not want to give up! A past season accessory, it was on sale!

This bust was covered with corn husks, and me being a farmer's wife, the raw earthiness of it appealed to me. Unfortunately, there was black mold growing underneath the husks so I decided to strip them off. Armed with a spray bottle of water, I attacked it for days, peeling and scraping. After three days I only got about half off! So I decided to soak the whole bust in my laundry tub!
After two days of soaking, I managed to get off all the husks, but now the bust was filled with water - there were hairline cracks in the fiberglass form so I maneuvered the bust into position in the sink to drain the water. If someone had peeked in my laundry room window they would have wondered what kind of sick experiment I must have been doing with this body in my sink! Every time I walked into the laundry room, the bust surprised me, just as if there was someone in a room that you didn't expect!
With so much time invested now, this bust had to take a special place in my home - but where?

There was a knock on the door - it was my friend returning my grandmother's black stole she had borrowed for a costume party. The glamorous accessory popular in the 1930s and 40's, is not one which can be worn often and it's scale looked about perfect. I draped it around the bust's shoulders and tied a square knot in the front, then draped a set of pearls around the neck. As I looked at the assemblage, I thought of my grandmother and all the places she must have worn this stole. Its funny how things work out sometimes - there could not have been a better match! Destiny brought that bust to me. As I gaze at it all dressed, my mind races thinking of my stylish grandmother in that stole - cherish memories.

Dress Form and Stole - Brought together by destiny!