The Madison Bouckville Antique Week is fabulous, to say the least! I attended in August 2017 and had not been in years. It did not disappoint! So many fun things to hunt for. I was looking for some pretty crystal pitchers to feature in my blog as well as some beautiful plates and serving pieces. I found everything and then some more! My carry-on luggage was packed with my all-wrapped-up breakables and then I had my backpack loaded with my camera gear. The gate agent wanted me to valet my carry-on bag. Nooooooo not valet!! Can you imagine?!…….everything would have been broken into a million pieces. I was within the required size of the bag so I knew it would fit under the seat in front of me. Head held high, I proceeded down the jet bridge. The flight attendants were speaking to each other “if it would fit”. I pretended I didn’t hear that and kept walking on the plane. Sure enough, it fitted under the seat under me. The full-size suitcase AND small taped-up box were hopefully in the belly of the plane and then waiting for me in Atlanta! They were! I had to bring home some gluten-free foods as usual with me along with a Christmas gift I picked up for my son-in-law. Love shopping for Christmas in August! My antiques all faired well….no broken pieces.
Scenic Route 20 was gorgeous. Every turn of the road gave us another beautiful view. I know, I know, not what you expect when you hear “New York”. But isn’t is breathtaking!? Farm country as far as you can see in Central NY.
The area just behind these signs is the only pay-to-get-in area. We choose not to pay to get in that particular area. The very long street and the huge lots scattered all along to walk through were more than enough for us to see. The area goes on forever. You could really spend a full 4 days and maybe still not see everything! I was afraid of what my food choices would be, so I made sure I brought plenty of snacks for the day to include a lunch that I left in a cooler in the car. I dropped off some bags of finds at the car and picked up my lunch. My friends bought a high gluten lunch so we decided to sit at a picnic table to enjoy our lunches. Bottled waters were available all throughout the streets for only $1. Prices of items throughout the day were very reasonably priced. Everyone that I attempted to barter with did so. I was able to really stretch my budget for the day. Be sure to bring plenty of cash to include small bills. Makes bartering a lot easier that way. Only some vendors accept credit cards.
Every corner was chock full of fun and beautiful collectibles. Digging through everything was so much fun! Just think if each piece could talk about what stories we would learn. So much history. I kept looking around to catch a glimpse of the American Pickers! Would love to see those guys on the road. It’s a goal!
Looking through everybody’s stash can be very time-consuming. We began at 10 a.m. in the morning when it officially opened. Vendors are ready to bargain with you. Feel free to ask them if they will go lower on their prices. If you pick up a couple of things you can package them into a good deal as well. Typically everyone is eager to get rid of their items so they don’t have to repack them up and bring them all back home. Deals are definitely to be had.
One tent after another with goodies galore. After a while, in order to save some time, we would just glance from side to side and decide if we wanted to pop into a tent. If we didn’t we just kept walking. If we did stop in, sometimes we would just make it a quick stop and then off to the next tent. There just isn’t enough time to cover all of the acres of possibilities! The sale begins at 10 a.m. and vendors usually begin closing up their area right at 5. Then the next day is another day of bargains to be had.
This was a nugget of a find. Beautiful jewelry to try on. The prices were very reasonably priced. Great ideas for Christmas or buy ahead for birthdays.
Olden days license plates are fun to find. I have my grandparent’s old 1950’s NY license plates along with my cousin’s license plate from back in the day. I keep a collection on a wall in my garage that also includes license plates from where we have lived and my Dad’s Purple Heart TX license plate. Brings back nice memories. These old outdoor toys would be super fun for little kiddos. It would be fun to have a collection of these for grandchildren one day. Need to remember that idea!
Such fun things to see! I could have brought a U Haul truck and filled it up. Not sure what I would have done with everything, but I still could have filled it up! Like this sign ‘Enlisted Mans Club’…. looks old and worn enough to have been in Saigon. So interesting…if it could only talk…the stories we would hear! Seeing all of this old stuff makes me begin to think who had it first and where was it owned. And to see old furniture and envision it being repurposed, is super fun to me.
So many beautiful colors to see all during the day. Some people really go all out with placing their collectibles. Then mix that with the rural scenery and it truly makes for a beautiful day all around. Everyone is so friendly as they are looking for treasures and bargains. The vendors are all too happy to tell you about a piece that you don’t have any idea what it is or how to use it. Many times we would see something and say “Ohhhhhh remember this? My grandmother had one!”. It’s fun to go down memory lane with friends.
Love the old stuff,
