Aberfoyle Antique Market Spring 2023

The first big, open field flea market of the summer has come and gone but I'll always remember it because I have these photos to remind me of the things I should have bought.

I only came home with a few things, even though almost everything I see at an antique market, I like. Some pieces I LOVE but I'm able to walk away from them because of my hidden weapon - anxiety.

Do you have any idea how long it would take me to find a place to put the below suitcase in my house for instance? (I love vintage suitcases)

It would take me 5 crying bouts, an anxiety attack, 4 general tantrums and endless scenarios ending with me dropping to the floor in the fetal position - before I even started to rearrange things.

This due in part to the newly arrived pause in my meno. I believe it's official and complete but no one gives you a gold star for such things, they just give you vaginal creams and a pamphlet explaining why you'll never sleep again.

Also, in menopause related news I've suddenly developed sugar cravings. I have NEVER craved desserts or sugar or candy or cookies before. I'd eat them and like some of them but never once in my previous 50 years did I ever wake up to pee and also grab 3 or 4 cookies to eat on the way back to bed.

Last week I woke up in the morning with a half eaten cookie clutched in my hand.

I fell asleep mid cookie eating.

Sleep eating was never listed on the menopause pamphlet.

So I have enough anxiety going on with this whole menopause thing without also adding to it by buying things I don't need.

Just looking at that wicker basket gives me an unpleasant combination of glee and impending diarrhoea feelings.

I also had a difficult time saying no to the chocolate bunny molds even though I don't like anything about Easter except maybe this easter grass.

Blue & White Forever

I kept obsessing over the handless, dark blue, flow blue cup and saucers near the centre bottom of this photo. But I didn't buy them because I have extraordinary restraint and the space related antique anxiety disorder that presents as a trip to the Imodium aisle I mentioned earlier.

Everywhere you look. STUFF.

The VERY difficult thing about one day antique shows is that they're there and then they're gone.

So you have to decide right there on the spot which of these things you truly are going to love once you get it home.

Below you'll see my sister Pink Tool Belt holding a red wagon.

This was the look of genuine joy on her face when she saw this little wagon. She put it down to think about and if it was there when she went back to the booth she would then buy it.

It wasn't, she didn't, she's sad.

The worst part is you really don't know what you're going to regret until you get home.

You dont' know what you're going to regret buying or what you're going to regret NOT buying.

How to make the right decision at antique shows

1. Picture it away from the show and alone, in your house. Is it still great?
2. Know your prices. If you don't know the value of something check the booth to see if their other prices seem to be in line with current market value. If not - you're item is probably overpriced as well.
3. To get a DEAL buy things the seller doesn't specialize in. For instance, I bought a little ironstone vase for $5 once because the booth vendor didn't care about ironstone. They were selling art mainly and just happened to have this one piece of ironstone, so they basically gave it away. From a vendor that specializes in ironstone the vase probably would have been $35.
4. Have you ever seen anything like it before? If not, it's worth a second look because chances are you might never see it again.
5. Do you have room for it and if not are you willing to get rid of something else to accommodate it? If you don't like it more than what you already own it isn't worth buying.

If you don't mind a little anxiety diarrhea and home rearranging then go nuts. Buy what you want. Like a Noxema sunburn sign.

Or a giant pig. Or a giant weird thing that might be Barney Rubble in the form of an ice cream cone.

Of all the things at the antique show, these are the two things I CANNOT STOP thinking about. Not the two things above, the two pieces of art below.

When I first saw them the words that came out of my mouth in no particular order were:

• omg
• i don't even know what to say
• i mean they're awful
• So, so awful
• I love them
• Why yes, I think you're right, they do appear to be the same person so one must be their drag persona.

I like creepy portraits. I love them in fact. And even though I still can't stop staring at these I feel like they're maybe a bit more than creepy.

I wouldn't trust them to not kill me in my sleep. HAHAHAHAHAHA. I don't sleep.

Continuing on ....

I had no desire to buy any of the ceramic white people cake toppers.

I also don't understand people's obsession with collecting signs, even though they do look fun. I assume they're bought by fancy people who own a garage to hang it in and have a 28' long Buick Riviera to get it home with.

Knobs for grabbing.

Don't ask me, I have no idea what it is.

We're almost at the point of the journey where I show you what I bought.

But first, if you missed the puzzles last week were from the above photo you can still do them here.

So what did I get? With all my whining about not having space, I bought things that stack. 4 restaurant-ware ironstone plates and a mortar and pestle.

And the tiny vase in behind is my $5 ironstone bud vase. It's one of those things that I still love after getting it home.

And the plates are ones diners would have used to serve french fries on. I will do the same with them.

But I guess now I'll also have to use one for cookies.