Hi friends! It’s that time of year again! Time for the Round Top Antiques Fair Fall show! And this year marks it’s 50th year of fabulous!
In case you haven’t heard, the Round Top Antiques Fair is a bi-annual event with more than 20 venues and 2,000 sellers from all over the country and Europe— it is a mecca for design junkies and collectors attended by thousands of people! Maybe you have seen it on HGTV shows like Fixer Upper and Junk Gypsies. You can find just about anything here!
For those of us that live in Houston and surrounding areas it’s an easy hour and half drive. You can literally leave in the morning and come back that same evening! It’s a great day trip to take with your girlfriends! Or book overnight accommodations and stay a while.
My good friend Kate Pernoud who is the owner of Maison Pernoud has an exhibit of home decor items and antiques from France and Belgium. You can find her at the Marburger Farm show (Round Top Antiques Fair) in tent F from Tuesday, September 26, 2017 through Saturday, September 30, 2016. If you go, make sure you stop by and see Kate. Tell her that Angela from The ANGELA Edit sent you 😉 And, if you’d like to learn more about Kate and Maison Pernoud check out my post about her here on the blog!
I sat down with Kate to get her tips for shopping the fair. Here’s what Kate had to say:
Before you go:
- Measure your spaces & write down the measurements in your handy dandy notebook
- Take photos of the spaces you are looking for a particular piece (ex – foyer niche, bedroom wall, console table…)
- Decide on your budget
- Write down your priorities for purchases – it can get overwhelming once you are there!
What to bring:
- WATER!
- Snacks
- Camera or cell phone to take pictures
- Sunglasses
- Rain poncho
- Rain boots
- WATER!
- Hat
- Kleenex – doubles as toilet paper 😉
- Pen
- Notebook
- Light jacket – you never know…
- Tape measure
- A large tote bag to hold everything
- Several forms of payment – cash, credit cards, checks
- WATER!
If you are a “bargain hunter” Kate advises that you hit the smaller, lesser known shows in the fields along the highway, making your way to the large shows like Marbuger Farm, The Compound, Excess, and The Arbors. Keeping in mind that it is literally impossible to cover all of this in one day!
If you are not interested in reproductions, don’t like to dig through piles, and want a well-curated collection make sure and visit Kate at Marbuger Farm. Marbuger has some of the best dealers in the country and the show is focused on one of a kind antiques and vintage pieces. Dealers sign authenticity agreements and pledge to sell only antique and vintage items. You can also find incredible jewelry in the “Artist Tent”. Start at the three front tents (C, D, and F), often referred to as the “Designer Tents” and work your way back to the buildings and the bak tents. Get a copy of the “Howdy” when you enter the grounds. It has a map and you should use it! Cross off tents and buildings as you see them. And most importantly, if you buy something MARK IT ON THE MAP so you can remember where it was so you can go back for it later!
What is the best day to shop? It depends what your goal is. If you want the best selection of merchandise, then you need to hit a show the first day. If you want a better shot at a bargain, then visit the show the last day or two. Ask dealers for business cards too, you can always call them and ask them if they still have an item.
If you purchase large items there are several reputable companies that will wrap, pack, and deliver and/or ship your items to you. For a fee of course… Many people go to the show with pick up trucks, trailers, or U-Hauls so that they are able to get their purchases back home themselves. Make sure you have tarps to cover with just in case you run into some rain on the drive home!
Make sure to have several forms of payment available to use. Not all dealers accept credit cards!
You’ll want to bring snacks, but there are plenty of great options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner too!
Whether you go to Round Top Antiques Fair on a mission for something specific or your only mission is to have fun, the fair is sure to please. If you have some tips of your own we’d love to hear about them in the comments below.
Bye for now….
Angela
the ANGELA edit 