It was a treat to attend the annual outdoor Burton Antiques Market. Vendors were spread out on the racetrack at Geauga County Fairgrounds in Burton, Ohio. There were fewer vendors but that didn’t discourage collectors. Shows are a buyer’s markets this year. Vendors are eager to negotiate. Many have adapted to fewer shows by selling virtually, so check online marketplaces if you miss in-person shows.
“Brown” furniture was well-represented but didn’t seem to sell as well as it did last year. Vintage toys, salesman sample items, mid-century chairs and outdoor furniture, large wagon wheels, metal advertising signs, old stained-glass windows, license plates and antique tools and kitchen items were well-represented and were selling.
If you plan to attend shows this year, some new rules may apply. At Burton, masks were recommended. Indoor flea markets and many shows may mandate masks. Check before you go. Also check to see whether the market takes cash or credit cards. Burton was strictly cash, which meant bank fees at a generic ATM.
Here are some of our top finds.
Huron wooden coaster wagon, $120.
Homemade doll’s house, about 2 feet high, 1950s, $350.
1960s RCA TV, (vendor unsure if it worked), $225.
Atlantic Motor Oil advertising sign, metal, red, blue and white, $695.
Gear shift knobs, $20 and up.
Stained glass window, 1920s, purple, pink and green, $245.
1924 Pennsylvania license plate, $28.
Bright yellow midcentury bar chairs, pair $250.
Miniature cobbler’s bench from Virginia, about 6 inches long, $395.