It's Time for the Vintage Market!

I've never been one to shop just for the sake of shopping. It's just not something that I've ever relished doing. However. Several years ago my daughter told me about a vintage market that was coming to the area and that she wanted me to go with her (she was already a vintage junkie).  So I did.

This is my daughter, being silly, at our first St. Louis Vintage Market Days.  What a blast!

That day changed my life forever. I became an official convert.

I now understand why women like to shop. I enjoyed that day so much that I went back the following two days. Insisting my friends go with me. That this was something that they were just going to love. Mind you, it wasn't as life altering for them as it was for me. Most likely because their shopping gene had been activated at an early age, whereas my shopping gene was activated very late in life (as in the day before), but they still enjoyed it.

That first year, I took a ton of pictures and did a hefty blog on it. I think this is the fourth one for St. Louis. (Chandra, please correct me if I'm wrong.) Last fall the venue was in Highland, Illinois at the fairgrounds and I think the best venue so far mostly because so much of it was covered or indoors. 

St. Louis Vintage Market Days, Fall 2014

This was one of the coolest vendors that year.  I found a great Christmas gift here!

This year the venue is at the Chesterfield amphitheater and is just lovely; generous paved walkways, very flat, a nice walk from the parking (at Chesterfield Mall), very clear signage, and uber obvious orange safety cone walkways manned by very pleasant guides encouraging us "to follow the yellow brick road." It was fantabulous!

 

I could hear the live music as soon as we got through the gate. Last night was one of my all time favorite local bands, Miss Jubilee and the Humdingers. They are widely known in the St. Louis area and specialize in swing and big band style music. I bought their CD that first year. Love them! So did my girlfriend. She signed up for their email newsletter so she could get the latest on when and where they are performing.

My friend had never been before so it was cool introducing her to this fun shopping experience. She is no longer a Vintage Market Days virgin! She loved it of course. I didn't take very many pictures because I was busy chatting with her and greeting the vendors, many of which I remembered from past years, and some who actually remembered me! 

I hope to go back either today or tomorrow and spend more time capturing some photos, plus I have my eye on a lamp at Pheone's Vintage Market's booth for my little back porch project that I'm doing.  It's just so cute and so perfect (she even sells those vintage looking light bulbs). 

What do you think? Can you see those bulbs? Just perfect!

The other thing I was on the hunt for are some new drawer pulls for an antique dresser I picked up at an auction a while back. And I finally found them! Here's the dresser.  I can't wait to post pics of the drawer pulls and the finished product.

 

So, if you haven't experienced St. Louis Vintage Market Days you must go!  As we were walking to the venue yesterday afternoon somebody behind us asked someone walking towards us, "How was it?" And the person coming the other way, who was empty handed I might add, said, "Oh, it's kind of flea market-y." While I agree the layout is similar, I would beg to differ on the actual content! 

I just love this!

My favorite part of VMD are the vendors. They are so personable; they will talk to you about your furniture, they're willing to share their ideas, provide tips for replacing a stripped drawer pull, even coach you on how to keep that Angel Vine alive. One vendor even remembered what I bought the year before! The personable nature of each vendor is what really sets this event apart from any other. That human connection that makes the experience so much more enjoyable than going to the mall or a regular flea market. I think because these are people just like you and me that are out there with the desire to earn a living sharing their creativity and craftsmanship. People willing to really see you and share your shopping experience with you. 

My girlfriend was looking for something for her home and found an old tin ceiling tile and an old metal galvanized letter cutout to go with it. When she went to pay, the vendor gave her a couple of magnets so the letter would stick to the ceiling tile and she's looking at it, moving the letter around, cocking her head back and forth, "I really like the way that looks," she said. And I could see the wheels turning in her head. So, it's also a sharing of ideas between the vendors and the customers as well as, just an openness that you get.  Everyone we interacted with was so nice and very friendly. I'm looking forward to going back at least one more time this weekend. I'm still mulling over those lights for my little back porch...