Last weekend I carved out enough time, which is always in short supply around here, to make a quick trip to Mason, Michigan, to attend a yearly event that I'm quite fond of. Sandy Pier, a well known and respected antique dealer in these parts had her annual winter antique show at the Cobblestone Events Center, one of several buildings that make up the Mason Antiques District. Pictured below is the photogenic Front Porch and Loft Antiques building, right across the street from the show:
I asked each dealer if I could take pictures, and all were agreeable. Look at the bursts of vibrant color in Annie's booth, in the form of German papier-mache poultry nodders and candy containers:
Some great old household product tins, another one of my weaknesses:
I love the "Dri-Kleen Dog Bath". It was made by Hartz Co., who's still around making fish food and such, and still using that distinctive orange color:
A few more tins, including "Yummy" brand malted milk:
And now a couple of my fabulous finds that came home with me, a wonderful Victorian-era autograph book and a handful of rhinestone jewels:
Inside the autograph book were some of the nicest calling cards I've ever seen, page after page of beauty, many embellished with silk fringe, braided trim, or ribbon...
Another example, with scalloped and pierced edges threaded with ribbon. They don't get much better than this:
A profusion of mesh, enameled mesh, and beaded purses in the booth of dealer Fred Muse....
The booth of Carol Lamb, my good friend and owner of Lambs' Gate antiques, had some darling Beatrix Potter figurines and a cute bunny that long ago must have been nestled in an Easter basket:
I made a few purchases in Carol's booth, including two wicker purses with wonderful embellishments. These wicker purses are on my "Hot List", something I am actively looking for right now:
I love these cherries and the pretty velvet ribbon:
I was inexplicably drawn to a pile of collars for only $1.00 each, and purchased several that I hope to re-purpose into something when inspiration strikes. The porcelain "H" and "C" handles, originally used for bathroom sinks, are going to somehow become jewelry:
My last purchase from the show was this grouping of wood fabric-printing blocks that were made in India. I think they are wonderfully designed, and I hope to use them for their intended purpose eventually. In the meantime, they make a quirky display:
The rabbit is especially cute, and a fitting symbol for spring, which is right around the corner:
When I visit Mason, I always check out each of the cluster of individual antique stores in the Antique District, including Peddlar's Row, two long structures of open stalls that house the wares of individual antique dealers, many offering "in the rough" goods and other objects with potential; the Mason Antiques Market; Yankee Traders; the Carriage Stop; and the Old Mill Antique Mall, all within walking distance of each other. There is also a newer multi-dealer antique mall downtown, the Columbia Street Antique Mall, which shouldn't be missed (but on this day I didn't have time, and hence, no pictures).
Happy Collecting,
Mitzi
