Junk Bonanza a Flea Market Style Event

Now entering Mn!

Greetings all!  I have finally returned from a delightful trip with friends to the Junk Bonanza.  This AMAZING event takes place in Shakopee Minnesota ( home of our own Barbara from Ionesattic.etsy.com)  

After a trip from Chicago... This girl was really looking forward to the event.

Amazing collections!

Allie, Annie, kathi, Margo and I ( clockwise from left)

Martha, Margo and Cathy

Friends Mary Ellen, Val and Cathy ventured north with me and we were not disappointed.   My goal was to take in the vignettes, have a chance to talk to the Etsy admin and represent our team and get some ideas for what is hot in Vintage NOW!    I was able to fit this all in and more!

Upon our arrival, a blonde gal, just my height... walked up to us while checking in for our 2 night stay and said... " are any of you Martha", I quickly turned and knew it was Margo of RoboLady.etsy.com.  She has been instrumental in urging me along to get the Flea Market Style ad on their Blog.   After a hug hello and tossing our belongings aside, we spent some time talking " bonanza" with our new found friend Margo!  

crowds gather for the early bird entrance!

Mary ellen, Val, Ki, Martha and Cathy

the donut guy... a tradition at the junk market!

crowds! 8:00 am

Chairs piled high

this seller had sold out by 2 and was replenishing... had to call her husband from nea rby to  begin pulling things out of her garage!

so many things, so little time!

one of my fav's hunt and gather... they have a retail shop in  the area!

hunt and gather again...if they had an M or S...it would have been mine! those letters were about 3 feet tall

this seller had all things metal and galvanized.  a great look and across from the bar where they sold the best looking blody mary's

New Etsy Admin

So wonderful to talk to them!

Val finding some great repurposed

purses and bags.

this clever seller had created so many wonderful

 things... note the handmade, huge typewriter letter!

Same booth but look at what she did to make those huge cameras on the table!

Tons of vintage maps...everywhere you looked!

Black and white, this seller had lots of fine silver and crystal too.

note the cameras and that fishtank...full of cameras!

Moose and a camera on steroids

something for everyong, great use of an old cage.

from our own vestiesteam members  3 wren street

3 wren street was made up of Mother and daughter sellers

Allie, Annie and mom Kathi

the crowds as the 10:00 group arrived!

some of my finds for the day...keeping in mind that I bought  a vintage

typewriter table for only 18.00 ( great industrial style with a wooden top)

new Etsy Vintage items available in the etsy store.

my fav again, Hunt and gather!

The girls I was traveling with and I, have friends who were displaying at the Bonanza.  It was fun to visit with them for a moment and to wish them well for their 3 days of sales that would culminate on Saturday.  Amazing displays were staged.  A wall of trunks, a 24 foot ladder with clocks strung on the rungs.  These sellers didn't skip a beat!  The displays that were staged were amazing,   The Vendors used every square inch to show their industrial, chippy, shabby, warehouse, country, colorful and creative styles

note what she did on the chair...

loved this repurposed doll.  great use of creativity here.  also note the

old bicycle seats repurposed as necklace holders.

If I had a cabin... this entire vignette would have been mine! 

this says it all!

red and white

another fun booth

our Vestiesteam girls and Etsy admin!

 What a wonderful space our own 3 Wren Street girls put together, Mom Kathi of allthingswhite.etsy.com and daughters Annie of Thedancingwren.etsy.com and Allie from ElizabethWrenVintage.etsy.com along with one of the  Support  admin from Etsy.   They had a delightful selection of things.  I bought a vintage pennant from them and love it!  I hope to repurpose it sometime soon!

Old Crow Farm sellers!

don't you just love this... bats and balls as a flag, golf clubs as a coat rack

skates as brackets for the shelves!

friend Judi in her booth

friend Cathy with her finds!

Cathy and margo share their finds while Val looks on!

Margo and I at the atm...replenishing only after 5 hours on day one! OH NO!

There will be more to come... We headed to a shop called Hunt and Gather and then on to dinner , the next day to meet some other team members for a dinner and chat about our team and the goings on! 
 A great time was had by all!

Greetings from Chicago! a VestiesTeam Meet-Up

Anita and her hubby Jerry, in from California.

Barb aka Babs

Mary, Laurie and Ellen

Lisa, Molly and Aubrey

THE icon!

Anita with the icon, Laurie and Ellen posting for photos!

Weeks of anticipation had finally come to an end as the Vintage Etsy Society Street team's local Chicagoland chapter gathered for a spirit filled evening at Maggiano's Restaurant in Naperville, IL.

In the past several weeks we had been posting comments back and forth to one another on the thread that Anita (rollinghillsVintage.etsy.com) put up on our team page.

A comment was made by Barbara from IonesAttic.etsy.com that Anita was a true VestiesTeam Icon! The first thing that came to my mind was a statue I used to have of a fat little buddah sitting cross legged on the floor. I found a pair of Buddahs in an etsy listing and sent it to Anita! ... then I decided that If I were included in the icon status, I would want to be a tall, thin Buddah! SO...

Days later, I was working and lo and behold, someone had donated a taller, thinner one to the little resale shop. I thought it would be fun to present it to Anita !

Niki, Martha and the Icon....notice the name tags!

I had met Niki bombshellshocked.etsy.com about 2 weeks back while she was shopping as a customer at my little shop. I thought she was delightful and wanted her to join us for dinner. I offered her a ride from the train as she would be arriving from Chicago.

After spending the day picking up a little vintage travel trailer in Wisconsin, a spur of the moment purchase I made last weekend, on a quick trip to Door County... I was running a bit late. I had asked my daughter Aubrey (co founder of vintagesociety.etsy.com ... our vintage clothing site) to join us.   We took off in my little Yellow Bug... Heading for the outbound train.  20 minutes late,  I arrived to find Niki of bombshellshocked.etsy.com standing at the station decked out in a darling dress she had just found today!  She had spent the day readying for the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood!  Sadly, it was drizzling or we would have arrived in style, Niki adorning a cute Jackie O style head scarf... !

We arrived at Maggiano's Italian Restaurant only to find the rest of the group waiting patiently!

Anita had phoned me earlier and mentioned she thought we should have name tags...did I have some sticky name badges we could write our names on?  Sadly, I didn't but then Anita ( that clever girl) thought.... how about some "priority postage stickers" I swung by the post office on the way and grabbed a roll... so,
 VestiesTeam name tags courtesy of the federal government!... gotta love that! ( for any federal agents out there, please know that I will be using the others on my priority mail packages and helping to spur on the fledgling economy)

Anita was sitting with her Husband ( a brave gent for sure... to take on all of these women!)  It was wonderful to see her... it had been a year since we first met!  Anita is a lovely woman.  So full of life, love and humor! I hope one day you will have the opportunity to meet her for yourself.  Seated next to Jerry, Anita's "better half" was Babs... Barb from Retrobabs.etsy.com.  Barb has been instrumental in getting the local chapter together.  She has hosted several get togethers for the group in her wonderfully Vintage styled home.  She is always so hospitable and kind hearted!   Mary, from Passedby.etsy.com was there with stories of her own travel trailer and what a delightful gal she is too.  I was so glad to finally meet her!  Laurie from Birdieone.etsy.com came from the north suburban area.  She shared some of her experiences with us and we Loved hearing about her feature in People Magazine.. wish we could have heard more!  Ellen from EllensatticTreasures.etsy.com is from Dekalb.  I know I have shopped at her shop before and I am sure I may have purchased a thing or two in my travels.  I will have to contact her next time I head to dekalb.  She has a booth in a local Mall there!  How fun to meet her too!  My Daughter's friend, my "third daughter" and photographer Molly of Molly Bartus Photography joined us as well.  She is wonderfully talented and has been photographing many local High School students for very imaginative Senior Photos!  ( she photographed Hannah's Senior photos... my second daughter) She did a beautiful job!    While being  served Spaghetti and Meatballs as well as Spinach and Chopped Salad... we had such fun converstions.  Lisa arrived from ablastfromthepast.etsy.com adorned in her great jewelry creations and sporting a cute new hairstyle... Lively conversation and laughter filled the room!

We exchanged business cards and gifts, Passed the Buddah for all to sign... figuring that we are ALL icons on Etsy!
I think we may have begun a tradition, like the sisterhood of the traveling pants, we may have to send the Buddah around for signatures!

When It was time to leave, we all posed for pictures, hugged and vowed this would be the springboard to more meetings in the future!

A great time was had by all!

Please, I encourage you to begin a local chapter of the vestiesteam and have your own meet-ups in your area...it is too fun NOT TO!  We will send you the Buddah if you request it!

Ps... We shared many shop tips  and a suggestion was made to add a post the the team page, by Barb, Perhaps several times weekly to encourage team spirit and support amongst members ... so look for that to begin in the coming days!
  

Niki, Martha, Anita, Jerry, Barb, Mary, Laurie and Ellen...not pictured Lisa, Aubrey and Molly

from left to right
Barb, Mary, Niki, Martha, Anita, Laurie, Ellen, Lisa