Vintage Barn Antique Show, Rathdrum, Idaho
by docsteve on 07/13/08 at 9:08 pm
“If you buy that, I’m not refinishing it!” They looked like sisters, but they might have been long-time friends who just resembled each other. One of them had discovered a treasure—an old end table with a lot of mileage on it—and she hoisted it before her like a shield. Her companion had apparently been through this before; she was stating her case, holding her ground, drawing a line in the sand. Table Lady laughed and reassured her. “It’s perfect! Don’t you dare touch it!”
All around us, similar transactions were unfolding. The advertisement had been dead-on: “…vendors as far as you can see,” indeed! Across the mown field were spread dozens of booths and canopies. Nearly 50 merchants and craftspeople had set up shop on this old farm’s grounds, where the vintage barn that lent its name to the show governed the scene.
Hundreds of people paid $4 for the privilege of strolling up the grassy hill to scour through antiques and vintage items. Everyone was looking for a deal—or just looking. One older gentleman, approaching us from behind while we paused before a timeworn icebox, related how he used to accompany his father to fetch a block of ice for just such an appliance they’d had in their kitchen. As he spoke, I recalled stories my Dad had told: as a youth, he and his friends chased the ice truck down the street, scrambling for chips that the ice vendor broke from the blocks to toss toward the urchins in his wake.
A grey-haired lady smiled enigmatically as she picked carefully through tabletop items. More memories, I thought.
A young woman in a floppy hat could barely carry all the prizes she’d found, yet she still browsed.
Tonya came out of the crowd, toting two ancient window frames, their glass and hardware intact. She had that look; another mosaic project was taking shape in that creative brain of hers. Being more pragmatic, I clutched an old, wooden-handled washtub that was going to make a great planter for our back deck. We were both pleased with the prices we’d paid.
We vowed to return to this biannual show when it came around again in September.
Visit www.barnbarnbaby.com. Better yet, join us on September 6, 2008, 9am to 4pm, at 22277 Ramsey in Rathdrum. Portable restrooms, food vendors, and shade are all on site.
We just went to the September show. It was really cool. Pretty crowded, so it was a little hard to look at stuff. But fun nonetheless. Great music and perfect weather, too!
Loved how they had people (”lot attendants”) directing for parking…that really helped out. Everyone was real friendly, too.