Antique-Lovers’ Paradise Returns to Petoskey
Ready your wallet and your walking shoes: The sprawling Antiques at the Fairgrounds is back in Petoskey — twice — and as always, it’ll be chock full of everything from artwork to furniture to unusual souvenirs.
PAIR AT THE FAIR
Dave Fraser is a longtime antiques dealer with over 30 years of experience, and he manages this year’s pair of Petoskey antiques shows with his wife, Lena, from their home in Torch Lake. “Petoskey’s been running this show for 22 years, and I took it over after Emmet County revamped the fairgrounds,” Fraser explained. “The show was at NCMC for four years, then I took it over. We have two shows this year — one the first week of July, and one the first week of August.”
MIDWEST MOGULS
Antiques at the Fairgrounds is a curated show, meaning not just anyone can show up and sell antiques. The dealers are vetted by Fraser and his crew to make sure there aren’t any reproductions or false antiques being sold. “We bring in over 170 big dealers from New York, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Florida — mainly folks from east of the Mississippi, plus some dealers from Texas,” Fraser said. “There are four full buildings of dealers, and 14 group tents outdoors, with several dealers in each tent.”
KEEPING IT REAL
A wide variety of antiques are offered, with the focus on true antiques and repurposed antiques. No arts and crafts are allowed; antiques are the star and all are carefully displayed so buyers can get a great view of what’s available. “Some of these dealer’s booths are like a museum,” Fraser said. “It’s amazing how they get such a large amount of stuff set up and displayed so quickly. I don’t know how they do it. And I’m often awed by the condition of some of the pieces. Plus the dealers are really knowledgeable and can often tell you the history of the piece you’re looking at.”
INDUSTRY TO COUNTRY
The newest thing for collectors over the past couple of years has been the industrial look, Fraser said: “Everything from the industrial side of the 1930s — metal tables on wheels, lots of industrial light fixtures.” Furniture from Victorian to country-style is another big category, as are china dishes, high-end glass items, textiles and quilts, and both vintage costume and high-end jewelry. “You’ll also see a lot of outdoor furniture, especially wicker from the turn of the century, and metal furniture that I call hotel furniture — these wonderful old metal and enameled pieces from the ’40s and ’50s,” he said. Rustic cottage furniture is also popular with people who are looking to refurnish their cottage in the style of the era it was built.
SOMETHING FOR ALL
Artworks and decorative items are in full force at this market too. “Our dealers offer lots of paintings by artists from the 1910s to the 1970s,” Fraser said. “And you can also find a lot of architectural salvage pieces, like finials and newels or iron work.” And you’ll find plenty of unusual items, such as the 1930s outboard motors sold by one of Fraser’s dealers. “Another one carries these great Old Town canoes out of Maine,” he said. “But pretty much everything sells, in every category.
You can spent a lot — some of our paintings go for up to $8,000 — or you can just pick up something great for five or 10 bucks.”
The 2016 Antiques at the Fairgrounds events will be held July 2–3 and Aug. 6–7. Parking is free, admission is $5 per person for the weekend. Hours are Saturday 9am–5pm and Sunday 10am–4pm. Food available on site for purchase from Julienne Tomatoes (of Petoskey) and Bubba’s BBQ (of Wolverine). For more information visit antiquesatthefairgrounds.com.
SECRETS OF THE ANTIQUE HUNTERS
The art of sleuthing out unique antiques has become its own subculture movement, chronicled in such popular TV shows as American Pickers, where hosts Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz travel the U.S. looking for rare items to sell in their antiques store. Books like Maureen Stanton’s "Killer Stuff and Tons of Money: Seeking History and Hidden Gems in Flea-Market America" follow antique hunters on their quest for rare finds and great deals. What do these experts have in common? They follow an unofficial set of rules that improve their odds of success. Here, a few hints to help you on your next treasure hunt through northern Michigan:
1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK If you’re looking for something specific, go online the night before the market or sale and get more information on the object of your desire; find out what kind of current price range is fair to pay, and what some of the specifics are as far as materials, brand names, colors, etc. The more information you’re armed with, the better you’ll be able to negotiate.
2. ARRIVE EQUIPPED Sharp antique hunters always arrive with a few tools: a smartphone or notepad and pencil to take notes. A small flashlight in case you need to look inside something. And a loupe or magnifying glass to help identify tiny signatures, maker’s marks, or metal content.
3. BE EARLY What amateur antique hunters might not know is that all the best stuff goes fast — often the smartest pickers are already in the parking lot while dealers arrive to unload their trucks, well before the show’s even set up.
4. BE FRIENDLY Being friendly and talking to the dealers not only makes antiques shopping more fun but also it opens the flow of conversation to some potentially valuable information — the backstories of different objects and how they were acquired, for instance. And it allows you to form relationships that might lead you to other great finds later; one guy might not have what you’re looking for, but his pal on the other side of the market might, and if you’re nice, he might just send you over there with a personal referral.
5. DON’T HESITATE You found it, you love it — now buy it. Immediately. Bartering is one thing (see below), but if you walk away thinking you’ll come back later to buy something you love, there’s a good chance it won’t be there when you return.
6. HAGGLE! While you don’t ever want to insult a seller by offering too little on an item, most items are priced well above what the seller hopes to get. So unless money’s no object, feel free to make an offer on a find, or try to barter by offering to buy several items together if the seller will knock a small percentage off the overall bundled price.
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