28 October 2011

A Wednesday Spent at Crumpton Auction

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One of mine and my husband Brandon's favorite ways to spend our time is visiting flea markets and antique stores. We love antiquing as a hobby, and we especially love the occasional thrill of finding the rare treasure that will add the perfect eclectic touch to our home. Brandon collects records, old books, Staffordshire dog figurines, and anything related to the Beatles.  I'm always keeping my eye out for quirky home accessories, silver, opera glasses, great typography, and art that just speaks to me. We're far from being big spenders, so as much as we love browsing in fancy antique galleries, we tend to stumble across our favorite finds in off-the-beaten-path flea markets... often hiding in a pile of junk.

This past Wednesday, we took a little day trip to Crumpton, Maryland to check out Crumpton Auction/Dixon's Furniture Auction, one of the largest weekly antique auctions in America.  Anyone familiar with the Mid-Atlantic region knows what a breath of fresh air it is to venture across the Bay Bridge to the Eastern Shore. The tiny town of Crumpton, Maryland prides itself on having only one stop-light. Once you arrive to Crumpton, you'll find two large fields filled with lower-priced items ranging from glassware to old furniture.  It's just the place to find a perfect piece of once-loved furniture and give it a new life. We really don't have room for more furniture right now, but my mind was overflowing with possibilities and inspiration while we were there. So many pieces had so much potential. Inside a giant warehouse, there are higher-priced, collectible items being auctioned off simultaneously from 9 AM to sundown.  We actually recognized a few antique dealers from the city we live in buying up truckloads of great deals.  Amish cooks have a restaurant and market set up inside the main auction house where you can enjoy anything from a sit-down lunch to baked goods. Brandon and I didn't end up buying anything in Crumpton but a lunch of lemonade and pretzel dogs, and a box of whoopie pies to go! But we had such a fun time browsing and were so refreshed by a beautiful day in the country!

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We always make an effort to visit local flea markets and antique districts whenever we travel.  Any favorites that you'd recommend?


P.S. Have a lovely last weekend of October!