Texas Antique Weekend in Warrenton

Dean and I hit the road on Friday morning and drove to Warrenton, Texas. We enjoyed the two-hour road trip and made a couple of quick stops on the way. We arrived in the Round Top and Warrenton area at 11:00 am.

Antique Weekend is a huge antique, craft, art and collectibles event that attracts thousands of dealers from across the country.  There are  shows, shops and events in more than a half dozen communities that participate in this huge flea market. This year the events take place between September 22 and October 7.

We parked the car at Cole's Antique Shop on the outskirts of Warrenton. This is a 63,000 square foot building with over 200 vendors. The building is air-conditioned and has indoor restrooms. There are also vendors in the parking lot and they offer FREE parking for customers. We spent about half an hour in the cool Cole's building and then started our walk toward downtown Warrenton. Many vendors were housed under tents and temporary shelters. It was a hot day and Dean decided to buy a straw hat to keep the sun off his head.

I put some serious mileage on my shoes as I walked from shop to shop looking at all the unique, unusual and sometimes outlandish treasures that were for sale. I didn't buy much....several pieces of sheet music and some thread on wooden spools. I really didn't see very many big "bargains" but I am not very good at negotiating with the dealers so I don't bicker over the prices. If the price is too high for my taste, I just keep looking.

The reality TV shows Market Warriors and American Pickers have made flea markets like this more popular than ever. I made the following video that shows the highlights of our day.

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Book Review: The Handmade Marketplace

I purchased The Handmade Marketplace: How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally, and On-Line, by Kari Chapin, from Amazon.Com and downloaded it onto my Kindle.
I am loving my Kindle.  I use the voice-enabled mode and listen to my books while I am walking.
I have been making handmade greeting cards for over a year and I am in the process of opening a store on Artfire.Com.  I bought this book to learn more about selling and marketing my cards and I was not disappointed. 
The author covers setting goals, branding and basic business procedures.  She interviews many successful crafters who share their tips for success.  I found Part 2 of the book on marketing your crafts very informative and helpful.  Kari gives detailed information about joining online communities, blogging, putting together a press kit, podcasting and social media.  I have never tried podcasting so I found this part of the book especially interesting. 
The author gives information about selling at craft fairs, setting up online stores and selling at brick-and-motor stores.  She also provides ideas for "creative" opportunities such as joining a co-op, teaching courses, house parties and selling kits and patterns.
There is an excellent "Resourses Section" at the end of this book that will provide you with tons of additional information, ideas and opportunities. This book offers up-to-date information that will help crafters take their business to the next level.  Highly recommended!