Texas at last! We have arrived! We pulled the trailer from South Carolina, to Atlanta, to New Orleans, then to Houston were we traveled along the famous country road pass cows, voluptuous trees, rolling hills, small picturesque houses (a painter's dream) pass stands, tents, barns, houses, dance halls and fields FULL of antiques until we came to were Lynn will set up in Marburger Farm.
(You might be wondering why I took a photo of this sign on the backside. I'll give you three guesses:
- One, the clouds were prettier at this angle?
- Two, I wanted to show you that I was INSIDE!
- Three, because I see things backwards most the time.
The Antique fair at Marburger is set up in several large tents, plus in several small buildings… the rustic setting gives way to a show full of stunningly beautiful pieces. Marburger is the only place that has an admission fee. The other fairs along the route are free to the public.
A sneek peak inside. A small house STUFFED full of antique linens.
Antiques in Marburger are in a Bingo Hall, a Blacksmith's shop, a Dance hall….
As we were one of the first to arrive I took the opportunity to take some photos before the other dealers came in and set up. The out buildings are enchantingly rustic.
The interiors are simply lovely as is. The walls in this building are lined with pressed tin. I am glad I was able to see inside most of these places before the dealers arrived and filled them up.
We unpacked. Every item was either in a box, or covered in old blankets or bubble wrap or both, or crated… the 'stuffing' (the packing material) takes up a great deal of room. We carried each piece into the stand, then uncovered it and carried the stuffing back into the trailer.
Each tent holds about thirty or forty dealers. The fair offers walls and tables for a small price, and porters to hire. Each dealer must bring there own decor, flooring (the tents are set up in fields, as the ground is damp the furniture cannot stand directly on it or it will damage it.) hence, you need to bring ground covering, wall covering, electrical wiring, ladders, hooks, nails… well let's just say you need to bring everything to set up shop. Lynn covered her walls in Burlap.
After several hours, we were walking dead. Luckily Lynn brought fans, it helped beat the heat.
It is an incredible sight to see hundreds of other dealers arrive from all over the country, and start the process of setting up for an antique show. The slow transformation of pastures in Texas to becoming a mecca of antiques in nothing short of a miracle. One thing in certain…. these people, these antique dealers are passionate about what they do, or they are simply crazy for hard work and old things.
Let me tell you we will sleep good tonight!
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