By Scott D. Johnston
“Old is new again!”
The Renewed Antique Show, this weekend at the Ocean Shores Convention Center, offers vendors, demonstrations and more, including examples and ideas from the increasingly popular pursuit of “antique blending.”
Event planner Dianne Hansen said the long-established event will still have much of its traditional content, including the popular antique evaluations, but she has encouraged vendors to include the new trends.
“With so much emphasis on recycling, upcycling, repurposing – antique blending is HOT,” she said of the broad concept of “antiques blended with vintage, primitives, and repurposed materials.”
She said many vendors are bringing examples of the trend and noted, “Collecting, decorating and wearing vintage has never been more popular.”
The show opens Friday Feb. 10 from 5-8 p.m. with a premiere party that features wine from Ocean Beach Roasters, hors d’oeuvres from the new Convention Center catering service, music from the Paul Bouma Trio, and perhaps most importantly, first crack at all of the one-of-a-kind articles the vendors have brought for the weekend. Tickets for the Friday evening event are $20 in advance, available at the Visitors Information center in the west side of the Convention Center, and at The Dusty Trunk, 759 Pt. Brown Ave, NW. Tickets at the door are $25.
Hansen said, “People had a great time last year.” She expects the premiere party to double from the 50 or so who came last year, noting that it’s the weekend before Valentine’s Day.
Admission to the regular event, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, is $3, or $2 with a donation of a non-perishable food item, which will go to the Ocean Shores Food Bank.
Returning favorites include Nurse Nancy’s Doll Hospital, actress Karolyn Grimes, and various vendors of vintage slot machines, glass, books, jewelry etc. A crowd favorite, the Vintage Fashion Show, takes place at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Newcomers include a “buttonologist,” who will also do a presentation and evaluations to assess the worth of old political buttons and other such collectables. Another first-time vendor offers handmade furniture and accessories made from vintage barn wood.
Hansen is in the second year of an effort to revitalize the antique show in an evolving market. She noted that, a decade ago, Ocean Shores had as many as eight antique shops. Today there is one, Gordon’s Antiques on Damon Road.
“The younger population is not seeing antiques like the older population did … there’s been a generational change,” she said. But, sometimes that creates new possibilities, like antique blending, upcycling and repurposing.
Last year’s show sought to inject some fresh ideas and content, and “we got a lot of good word of mouth,” she said.
This year, vendors are encouraged to employ antique blending — antiques blended with vintage, primitives and repurposed materials.
“Use your imagination in displays to stimulate imagination for use in homes,” vendors are advised on the event website.
The event planner said the sought-after vendors with interesting and high quality wares make an investment to come to this event, in terms of travel, food and lodging. She thanked Ocean Shores Inn and Suites for offering show vendors “fabulous rates” that she said helped make it possible for some to participate in the show. She said it was good business for the hotel and for Ocean Shores overall.
Working under the business name, The Event Planner, Hansen also organizes three other large annual events at the Convention Center: the Beachcombers Fun Fair and the Razor Clam Festival and Seafood Extravaganza, both in March, and the Sand and Sawdust Festival in late June. (See Calendar, Page 4)
More information on the Renewed Antique Show and the other events can be found online at www.oseventplanner.com/events.
