buying & selling antiques Archives

buying & selling antiques

Artistic Endeavors

original oil paintings to sell at Lucketts

It was sort of inevitable. I move back to within an hour from Lucketts and I get sucked back in. (And I mean that in the best possible way.) If you were reading this blog before I moved to Minnesota, you’ll remember the days when I was a full-time vendor at the Old Lucketts Store in Lucketts, VA, and when I sold at the Spring Market each year. Lucketts has always been a very special part of my story since I used to shop there over 25 years ago when I discovered a love for antiques. My first antique market over 15 years ago was at Lucketts. My business grew so much when designers and vendors from Lucketts bought my pieces, took me under their wings, mentored me, and invited me into their wonderful world. It was a hard place and community to leave when I moved over 1,000 miles

October 2, 2024 27 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

antique shoe cart reproduction & inspiration

Over the years, I have bought and sold more antique “shoe carts” than I can properly remember. These antique shelves on wheels are called shoe carts because they were often used in shoe factories to transport shoes around the factory. I have found carts that are all different shapes and sizes and made in different styles. Some have spindles making the “shelves” instead of a board (like the first shelf.) I always preferred the ones that had solid shelves (or could be adapted with boards) so they were more versatile. I’ve mostly used these antique shoe carts for retail display or storage in my old studio in PA, but I did use one or two in my home over the years in my kitchen and home office. When I was an antique dealer, I bought and sold a lot of ironstone, so these carts were fantastic for displaying stacks of

February 13, 2024 8 Comments

buying & selling antiques

A walk down Lucketts lane

This weekend is the Lucketts Spring Market and it’s the first time since 2010 that I am not there. Lucketts has been such a huge part of my business since the beginning, but it’s now over 1,000 miles away. It’s hard not being there, but I’ll admit that it’s nice to have a break from all of that physically taxing work and stress! I know that many who read my blog love watching the furniture makeovers and frenzy as we prepared for this event each year, so I thought I would share one big walk down memory lane, starting with my very first Lucketts event. Old Lucketts Fair 2009 (August, shared 10 x 10 space) This actually wasn’t the Lucketts Spring Market, but the Old Lucketts Fair, which is a craft event with some antique dealers held on the grounds of the old Lucketts Schoolhouse, across the street from the

May 18, 2018 37 Comments

buying & selling antiques

Lucketts 2017 | part 3

On Saturday morning, the Lucketts Spring Market didn’t start until 10:00. That gave my team a chance to catch a collective breath. We all slept in a little bit later and were treated to an amazing breakfast by our hostess at the Zion Springs Bed & Breakfast, Chris. Waffles topped with strawberries and whipped cream served with a side of bacon was the most decadent breakfast I’ve ever had on a morning of a market! And, it was all served on blue & white dishes, which is a small thing that made me smile. We also gained two more helpers, Stephanie (of the blog Stephanie Spring) and her husband, Eric. When I met him, I immediately realized he was an unspoken answer to the question, “Who will be able to take my mural down?” (He’s 6’7″!!) Anyway, the handiness of Eric’s height aside, it was nice to have some fresh energy, given

May 25, 2017 47 Comments

buying & selling antiques

Lucketts Recap 2017 | part 2

If you missed part 1 of the Lucketts 2017 recap, you can check it out HERE. Friday was VIP day, but it was a little different this year. The VIP tickets were essentially for early admission from 8:30 – noon. At noon, the gates opened to general admission, so we were expecting a morning rush and another possible rush in the afternoon. Our space was as ready as it could be when the gates were opened to the VIPs. (And we were excited, as you can clearly see!) At our old location on the Lucketts grounds, we were pretty close to the entrance, so we could see the wall of people approaching. At this new location, we were a bit of a hike from the entrance, so the crowd was diffused a bit once they arrived to our booth. We later heard from vendors near the entrance, though, that there

May 24, 2017 13 Comments

buying & selling antiques

Lucketts Recap 2017 | Part 1

The story of Lucketts 2017 is a big one! There’s all of the stuff, the great customers, the new venue for the market, our gracious hosts, and my amazing team who helped me pull it all together. When I last posted, I shared pictures of our set up in the Show Barn at the fairgrounds Thursday, the day before the market. I was so tired and it was late and I was just trying to communicate some things that would be helpful for shoppers the next day, so I didn’t share the details of the set-up day. So, let’s back up and I’ll start the story there. We loaded two 20′ trucks with all of the things from the studio that we’ve been working on and collecting and drove them down to the Clarke County Fairgrounds early the next morning to unload the trucks and set up the large pieces. (You can

May 23, 2017 60 Comments

All Things Home

Lucketts Guide 2017

I’m getting this guide in at the last minute! It’s just been that kind of day! Since it’s late and I’m pooped, here are the details… LOCATION Just a reminder that the Lucketts Spring Market isn’t at Lucketts any longer! It’s at the Clark County Fairgrounds in Berryville, VA. That is where we’ll be and that is where you’ll want to be! More specifically, I’ll be in the “Show Barn”. DRESS CODE… Obviously, there isn’t really a dress code, but I’ll tell you that there is a lot of dust that gets kicked up on the grounds, so wear some digs that you don’t mind getting dirty! You will be wearing the Clark Country Fairgrounds home. CHECKOUT… You can pay for your purchases with cash, checks, or credit/debit cards. We will have FOUR checkouts running during the busy times, so we hopefully will get you out and on your way

May 19, 2017 53 Comments

buying & selling antiques

Lucketts set up

Last year, I thought my new digs for Lucketts, a 20 x 40 “circus tent”, sounded enormous. I kept adding more and more stuff to the “pile”, so I made sure the space would be filled. Well, two rental trucks later and the space was certainly full! It was overflowing, in fact, and trying to find a place for everything was nuts. We worked it out, but the tent was crowded and I would’ve been up a creek if it had rained before we moved some serious merchandise. So, this year the Lucketts Spring Market moved to an entirely new location and I am in a large pavilion called “The Show Barn”. I had a chance to see it a few months ago, but I really didn’t grasp the size of the space. The stuff we’ve been working on over the past few weeks and months filled two 20′ rental trucks this

May 18, 2017 33 Comments

I’m Marian, a painter, writer, and lover of all things creative. From art and antiques to home projects and everyday life, I share my journey in hopes of inspiring you to embrace your own creativity and make beauty in the spaces you live.

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