Photo courtesy of Marburger Farms
Everyone who's a collector or dealer knows about Brimfield. If you are on the West Coast, you go to the Alameda Pointe, Hillsborough or Rose Bowl shows. In Texas, we have Round Top.
Round Top is a small town (population 77 most days) located about an hour south of Austin, Texas (and 45 minutes away from Brenham, Texas, home of Blue Bell ice cream!).
Photo courtesy of Marburger Farms
Round Top Antique Week was founded more than 30 years ago by Emma Lee Turney and her company, Antiques Productions. The show started out as a social event for Houstonians that happened in the spring and in the fall. It offered some of the best dealers with nothing less than the finest antiques this part of the country had seen.
It still takes place twice a year, however it is no longer just for the Houston social scene. Each event is mobbed with antique dealers from around the country and shoppers from all over the globe.
Much like Brimfield, there are different fields that open on different days, and many dealers that set up have tents in more than one field. It is said that more than 2,500 dealers set up each season. The show is 10 days long, however numerous dealers talk about being there for a full three weeks.
Photo courtesy of Marburger Farms
What type of merchandise will you find at Round Top? Just about everything! From Native American jewelry to vintage gas pumps. Miles and miles of tents, indoor air-conditioned buildings filled with dealers, to people with tables setup alongside the road.
There are plenty of porcelain plates and Victorian keys to acquire, but if a bigger acquisition is what you are eyeing, you'll find a fine array of great art, furniture and important silver there too.
To help you determine which shows open on what date/time and where, there are a few magazines published with scheduling information, maps, and highlights of dealers and auctions happening in the area. They are given away at most of the show sites. You will certainly need a map. There are over 50 fields in 4 different cities for your shopping pleasure.
If all of that isn't enough, Round Top is also home to the Junk-O-Rama Prom. Yes, I said prom, and not one meant for high school kids. The "Junk Gypsy's", long-time patrons of Antique Week, have turned Thursday night during Antique Week into "Prom Night." It's a night for dealers and shoppers to cut loose and have a little fun between buying & selling negotiations. Everyone dresses up (or down, depending how you look at it) in vintage garb, and Zapp Hall is turned into an outrageous "gym" with champagne, Christmas lights and chandeliers. No prom would be complete without great live music and a disco ball!
So change your weekend plans, book that flight to Texas, or get in your car and start driving now!
What are you waiting for? The deals are just waiting for you to come and find them!
Happy Hunting!
Reyne