Planning for a cracker!

With the Dawlish Antiques & Vintage Fair just over a week away this weekend we'll be planning what vintage clothes, handbags and other goodies to take with us. So egg-citing! Please just let us know if you're interested in anything particular and we'll see what we've got in stock. 

Here are just some of the items that we're already planning to take..

 

Dresses for sale

Vintage Handbags for Sale

We've added some items to eBay to this week too including these beauties...

As seen on Ebay!

So make a date and pop down to the Strand Centre on Easter Saturday April 20th, it's going to be a cracker! 

The Egg-citement's Building!

Dawlish Antiques and Vintage Fairs Dates

Easter, it's almost here....hooray! Those two eggs-tra bank holiday days make all the difference. It means that there's not such a mad rush to get everything done and you have time to relax that little bit more (unless you're running an antiques and vintage fair of course!).

 

At Old's Cool Traders we're really looking forward to it, especially as we're holding the next Dawlish Antiques and Vintage Fair at the Strand Centre on Easter Saturday. We've got even more stallholders this time, selling everything from vintage clothes to gold and silver jewellery and stamps.

 

The fair's FREE to enter, you can enjoy a cuppa and a slice of cake from the cafe and there'll be plenty of lovely bargains to buy too. That's your Easter Saturday sorted!

 

Easter baby chicks at Dawlish's Bird Sanctuary...so cute!

 

Small is Beautiful!

Small is Beautiful!

Having had lots of successful pickings buying vintage handbags and vintage clothes recently we decided to go small with our buying on Saturday!

 

The wind was bitterly cold when we got to Newton Abbot antiques fair around 8am but it didn't stop us from having a really good look around the outside stalls. Brave souls those outside stallholders when the weather's not being kind!

Vintage Jewellery boxes

We picked up some beautiful jewellery boxes, love the fact that some of them come from Exeter, Sidmouth and Taunton. We even picked up a vintage Mappin and Webb one. They always add a touch of class to vintage jewellery. There was also a great stall selling gents watches and we picked up a groovy Marina one from the 70s and a classic Smiths one from the 50s. Popping inside to get warm we found a gorgeous 20s Smiths clock, a 60s style hippy boho clay necklace and some fab brooches.

 

After trawling a few charity shops in Newton Abbot it was time for the obligatory Saturday lunchtime pint. Spooneys once again didn't disappoint, Cheddar Valley's all round! Although 16 Wetherspoons pubs are closing soon we seriously think they need to open another one in Newton, it's always so busy! We couldn't believe our luck when we got a booth, we drank our pint much slower than usual...and had another cheeky half to celebrate!

Exeter Theatre programme from 1930s

After that we visited the rest of the charity shops and the market. We picked up some fascinating paper ephemera including a 1930's Exeter theatre programme, Hancock Half Hour and Steptoe & Son original vinyl albums and the ultra cool (and heavy!) Pet Shop Boys Catalogue book.

 

We got back to Dawlish in time to put a few bets on the Grand National but quelle surprise none of our 6 horses won. Still, with a bag full of bargains we did pretty well!

Cheddar Valley love!

Bag Yourselves A Bargain!

 

At Old's Cool Traders we love buying vintage handbags and recently we've bagged some real beauties.

 

We think that every lady (and chaps too, if that's their bag!) should have at least one vintage handbag/purse in their collection so we've decided to start selling a select few on eBay in addition to our stall at the Dawlish Antiques and Vintage Fairs.

 

We'll keep you posted each week with which bags are for sale on eBay but be quick, they'll be snapped up in no time. 

 

We'll also have a great selection at our next fair on Easter Saturday, 20th April, at the Strand Centre in Dawlish so please pop along and bag yourselves even more bargains!

Good Day Sunshine!

 

Ready for a day in the sun!

If Saturday could be described in one word, it would be ‘glorious’! From start to finish it was sunny and warm, just like a mini heatwave.

Perfect timing then for our trip to Exmouth and Topsham. We got the 7.30 train direct to Exeter St David's then ran like mad things to platform 1 to get the train onto Exmouth. Although it meant we got there before the shops opened (now that is early on a Saturday) it did mean that we got early pickings!

Pint at the Powder Monkey

We had a really successful trawl of the Exmouth charity shops and went to visit Exmouth's Antiques and Collectables Centre. It's always great to see owner Kirk Axson before popping in to Spooneys' Powder Monkey pub for our early lunchtime cider pit stop.

 



With the lovely Liberty Sisters

Then it was onto Topsham to see The Liberty Sisters and the South West Lindy Hop Dancers as part of the Spring Forward event. They were brilliant and we strutted some vintage moves ourselves.  

Great moves by the South West Lindy Hop Dancers

We spoke to The Liberty Sisters afterwards to say thank you for such a great show and they mentioned they've got 60 gigs ahead of them this year! If you get the chance you must go and see them.  

Vintage handbags, one of our many great finds on Saturday

To finish off our day before heading off home we visited the charity shops and Topsham's Antiques Centre.  

Another successful day, thank goodness for the sunshine!

Spring Forward Saturday!

 Really excited about seeing The Liberty Sisters perform at Topsham's Spring Forward Saturday event tomorrow. 

 

They're always great fun to watch and we can't wait to see the Lindy Hopper Dancers dance along too.

You can see them at The Chapel Platt between 12.30pm - 3pm. Doo wop! Doo wop!

 

 

Our ABC Guide to Antiques Hunting!

Outside Barnstaple Antiques and Collectables Centre

The ABC guide to Antiques Hunting according to the Old's Cool Traders team!

 

A is for keep Active! 

 

As last Saturday showed the key to finding antique and vintage items is to keep active. 

 

It was an early start and we were on the train to Barnstaple at 7.30am. It took us over 2 hours to get there but it was worth it. We picked up some 1950s sewing magazines, music scores from the 1920s, a bakelite rug cutter (every home should have one!) and some very pretty costume jewellery.

 

It was then on to Crediton and one of our favourite charity shops, Refurnish. Two floors full of treasure. We could spend hours in there!

 

After a good old hunt around Crediton we got the train back to Exeter St David's just in time to catch the connecting train to Dawlish ready to settle down for a well deserved rum and coke and the Craig Charles Funk and Soul show. Awooga awooga funktastic!

 

Vintage envy at Donne Flower Vintage

B is for Be Bold - make a statement!

 

When we were in Barnstaple we made our first visit to Donna Flower Vintage. OMG! Serious vintage jaw dropping envy.  We didn't know where to look first. So many beautiful items, dresses, jewellery, handbags and so much attention to detail. The shop reiterates what we've learnt about antiques and vintage, they don't have to be boring! It's always important to buy what you like, have a wide variety of quality items, display them in an interesting and eye catching way and have a real passion for them.

 

Much needed cider!

 

C is for Cider!

 

When you're on your feet from 7 in the morning to 6 in the evening it's vitally important that during the day you keep hydrated so make sure you stop off for that much needed pint of cider. Proper cider mind you, none of that fizzy crap.

 

Sadly a lot of pubs don’t stock anything like real cider these days but Spoonys generally have a box of something suitable in the fridge (try The General, Hogfather, Old Rosie, Cheddar Valley or Black Dragon is you get a chance).

 

Not only does this replenish your fluids but it’s also one of your 5 a day! Honest!!

Dawlish Antiques and Vintage Fair March 2019 Photos!

It's been a very busy week for Old's Cool Traders!  Non-stop in fact, so apologies for not posting some of the photos from last Saturday's antiques fair.

 

We can't wait for April's fair on Saturday 20th. As well as our lovely regular stall holders we've got four new traders already signed up, so please help to spread the word. 

It's tomorrow!

After months of planning, organising and running around like headless chickens, the first Dawlish Antiques and Vintage Fair of 2019 is upon us tomorrow.

Excited (yes!), apprehensive (yes!) and nervous (yes!) but we can't wait for the fair to begin.  Let's just hope we sleep well tonight!

 

See you at the Strand Centre tomorrow from 10am, we can't wait to say 'Hello'.

Looking four-ward to it!

With 4 days to go until the first Dawlish Antiques and Vintage Fair of 2019 we've got 4 great reasons why you should get yourself along to the Strand Centre.

Reason 1: A great range of antiques and vintage items for sale. Whether you're into Georgian brass candlesticks, Edwardian perfume bottles, 1950s ceramics or a lover of all things vintage you'll be spoiled for choice!

Reason 2: It's free entry! The fair starts at 10am and finishes at 3pm so you can come pop in for free at any time and browse away before buying.  

Reason 3: The Strand Centre cafe will be open. Enjoy a good cuppa and a delicious slice of cake and have a good look around the fair. What a great way to spend your Saturday.
 

Reason 4: Old's Cool Traders will be there. We can't wait to show you everything we've got for sale. You won't be disappointed

Non-stop Saturday!

Waiting for the train in the glorious sunshine

Saturday was non-stop!  2 fairs in 1 day!  The antiques fair in Newton Abbott and the record fair at Exeter Corn Exchange!  Go! Go! Go! 

 

The view of beautiful Dawlish beach from the platform

On top of this we distributed some more of our Dawlish Antiques and Vintage Fair (don't forget the first one's on Saturday March 16th!) flyers and posters too.



With Chris Billing, one of the lovely Dawlish fair stall holders 

 We'd like to say a very big thank you to Andrea who runs Decades of Antiques in Newton Abbot and Nicola who owns Hello Retro in Teignmouth for taking some. Both are really well worth a visit too!



That much needed pint!

Speaking of visits a well deserved break at Exeter's George's Meeting House Spooneys was, of course, included in the day! If Wetherspoons would ever like to sponsor us we'd be very happy to hear from them!