Enjoy all the fun of the (antiques) fair
Dazzled by the choice on offer at antiques sales? Vintage expert Michelle Mason has some tips to sort the gems from the junk
From Sunday garage sales to local flea markets and European antiques fairs — the sheer number of vintage and antique shopping opportunities and the amount of items available when you get there can often feel overwhelming. Here are my favourite places to source the best pieces, as well as my tips to bag the best finds. Novices should start with a local, mid-size vintage market or country brocante. Look for the regional listings in home interest and antiques magazines or search online. Sourcing at antiques fairs offers the chance to meet dealers, find the best bargains and sift through what’s on offer, which will give you a better eye for when you’re shopping online, too.
Sunbury Antiques Kempton Racecourse, TW16 5AQ Getting there from London:
Kempton station has direct links from London Waterloo and a free car park, though you’ll need to pay a nominal entry fee between 6.30am and 8am. Best for: English antique furniture, rustic French ceramics, Eastern European glassware, enamel advertising signs, vintage French linens and crockery.
A one-day event held every first and last Tuesday of the month at Kempton Racecourse, just south of London. The market is easy to navigate but is large enough to find good rustic, antique and mid-century furniture, vintage glass and ceramics and industrial salvage. There’s also an indoor section dedicated to vintage ephemera including fine jewellery, textiles, books and china. As well as the British dealers you’ll also find Dutch, French and Italian and it’s worth arriving when the gates open at 6.30am as the market is very popular with stylists, designers and dealers.
• Next market is Tuesday, May 30
Henley Decor Fair Henley Showground, RG9 3AS
Getting there from London: You can take the Elizabeth line from any of its central London stations to Twyford, changing to a local bus. Best for: Architectural and garden salvage.
One of the most picturesque settings for an outdoor event has to be Henley, in Oxfordshire, where the Decor Fair pitches up twice a year by the Thames. With a good spread of exhibitors, expect to find collectables, artworks and antique ceramics, mirrors and garden salvage and statuary. • Next fair will be in September, dates to be confirmed
Newark Antiques Fair Newark & Nottinghamshire Showground, NG24 2NY
Getting there from London: Trains from King’s Cross to Newark Northgate take as little as 1h 14m, plus a 10-minute drive to the showground. Best for: Barn and garden salvage, statuary, antique and vintage garden furniture.
The International Antiques and Collectors Fairs stage some of the largest shows in Europe. The fair at Newark & Nottinghamshire Showground, held on a sprawling 84-acre site, is one of my favourites and you’ll encounter dealers from around the UK, Hungary and France. • Next fair is held June 1-2
Shepton Mallet Antiques Vintage and Collectors Fair Royal Bath & West Showground, BA4 6QN
Getting there from London: It takes about three-and-a-half hours from London via trains from London Paddington to Bristol, Castle Cary or
Temple Combe and onward taxi.
Best for: Antique and vintage lighting.
Shepton Mallet hosts more than 600 dealers offering reclaimed lighting, vintage clothes and textiles, British ceramics and china and antique furniture, among other items.
• Next fair is June 16-18
The Dorset Brocante Larmer Tree Gardens, SP5 5PY
Getting there from London:
Trains to Tisbury station take
1h 46m from London Waterloo. It’s a 20-minute drive from there.
Best for: Rustic French crockery, textiles, artworks and homewares.
The bi-annual Dorset Brocante, every May and November, is well worth a visit for its country garden location. You might even spot one of the park’s peacocks, parakeets and exotic birds. Expect a friendly gathering of vintage dealers with tempting refreshments to enjoy.
• Next fair is the Christmas Brocante, November 10-11. Tickets on sale in summer