Clover Market - Lucky Finds for the Home: October 2010

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Celebrating the Real Thing - freshvintage Meetup Sunday at Noon

This Sunday we're trying something new at Clover. I asked local blogger and antique dealer Colleen Allison from freshvintage (along with her sister and partner in crime Erin) to come to the Market for a fun and informal "meet up". Want to join them? Just come to the Clover tent (on the Lancaster Avenue side of the parking lot) at NOON where they'll be starting the walk and talk!

Colleen and Erin will let you in on their favorite antique spots in the area (you don't want to miss this if you've heard anything about how skilled these two are at scoring great finds) and will address all of the "faux" antiques in the catalogs right now. Then, they'll hunt for the real thing as they walk through the Market, pointing out what items they think are the best finds of the day and why.

To make my point about the prevalence of "faux" these days, I took a little browse online this morning at some of the more popular catalogs. I won't name amy names, but you can probably gather who I'm talking about.

"Like trunks that have traveled the globe" says the website - $1300

A funky but still mass produced wingback chair - $1700

Yours for the bargain price of $995 - real or another faux?

Now don't get me wrong. I shop these catalogs from time to time for my own home and have used items from them in my client projects. They certainly serve a purpose. But, as you can see from the pictures below, you can often find the real thing at the Clover Market and oftentimes for less money than you'd spend for the reproduction. I'd SO much rather have the one-of-a-kind piece with history, character, and real soul. No wholesale or mass produced items are ever allowed at Clover- period.

A collection of vintage trunks from Daffodils Vintage Home and Garden

A one-of-a-kind Chairloom creation on an antique chair

Hand made factory cart by D4 Architectural Salvage

As I've said before in a prior post, the sellers at Clover are artisans and small business owners who are making a living selling and celebrating the unique and handmade. The Market gives you a place to buy the real thing, a way to support these local entrepreneurs, and a means to have something really special in your own home...and hopefully have a whole lot of fun doing it! Hope to see you there Sunday - we'll have a full parking lot filled with treasure.

Finally, for more on the topic of the real thing, check out this great video from one of my fave designers Nate Berkus who visits the Brooklyn Flea. I saw Clover seller Olde Good Things in the video and MANY similar items to what you can find right here in the Philly 'burbs at Clover.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

New Seller Crew 10/24

We've got a terrific lineup at Clover this weekend including a couple of brand spanking new sellers. Daily Memorandum is a "digital storefront" specializing in salvaged goods & vintage design. From industrial to depression through modernity as they say at their Etsy store. Their aesthetic is just amazing, incorporating loads and loads of MY favorite things - schoolhouse, American craft, industrial, primitives, and more....

Nina Fox from The Vintage Fox has been buying and selling antiques and vintage jewelry (Victorian era to the 1960's) for 30 years with a focus on equestrian themed jewelry and objects of art with the fox and hound theme. With a fashion retail background, Nina also designs necklaces fashioned from Victorian watch chain and fobs of the period.

Dana Marston has been interested in vintage style since she was a young girl when she used to try on her grandmother’s jewelry, carried retro handbags and marveled over ornate, old furniture. After many years of collecting, Dana started circaD in 2009 and began selling vintage and antiques online at her Etsy store where her style leans toward feminine accessories and mid-century housewares. She is currently also selling at the Bucks County Antique Gallery and Reed's Recycles Antiques.