Marburger Farm Antique Show in Round Top

Packing ‘Em In, Packing ‘Em Out

10/10/06 Round Top, Texas – It’s packing hour at the Marburger Farm Antique Show---not dealers, but the shoppers. At 5 pm each day, up to the tents drive Suburbans and Silvarados. Up drive trucks and empty trailers. Out come boxes of freshly laundered linens. Out come the tissue, the bubble wrap, the down pillows. Manicured hands pull bungee cords across Pine Cone Hill packing blankets. Carefully, skillfully they bundle up the booty. These are no amateurs. They are Marburger Farm shoppers---they come savvy and they leave satisfied. They also leave 400 dealers from 39 states and 4 countries pretty darn satisfied too.

That’s how it was October 3-7 at the Marburger Farm Antique Show in Round Top---- about as hot as Texas gets in October and still they came and hauled it off. From Peter and Shirley Pijnappels booth shoppers lugged off carved carousel and carnival figures. The Pijnappels had an extraordinary hand-carved small animal cage from their home in the Netherlands. A buyer nearly cried as an almost identical one had descended in her family and been lost in a fire. Off she went, happily clutching the replacement.

From Brushy Creek Antiques out went an 1870’s American butcher shop trade sign and “everything,” said Dallas owner Richard Theiss, “from 1840’s cut glass to 1960’s Mirano glass.” Who was buying? “You see a lot more young buyers at Marburger Farm than at conventional shows,” he answered. “They want decorative pieces to use. It’s not about building a collection; it’s more about making a home. They are going to use the glass.”

“I’ve never been hotter and happier at the same time,” said first-time exhibitor John Grafe of Elephant Ear Antiques in Jackson, MS. It was incredible. I’d heard of Marburger Farm, but had no idea what to expect (8 giant tents in the middle of a cow pasture? A field full of early Texas buildings?). When I got there, I couldn’t believe what I saw. It was like being at a big outdoor antique fair in Europe, not just American antiques, but Continental and everything else, beautiful booths everywhere and very impressive customers. Attendance was great. If you had the right thing at a fair price, they bought it and off it went.” What did they carry out of Grafe’s booth? One buyer bought all 24 of his framed 18^th century Italian intaglios. Others bought carved chandeliers, a painted French server, Italian commodes, chairs, tables and accessories.

Always a strong presence at Marburger, Urban Country of Venice, CA had their best opening day in the history of the nearly 10 year old blockbuster show. Owners Steve Schwartz and Casey Hale saw strong buying of early industrial pieces. Selling out of tables with swing-out stools, they began selling the pieces in their CA store and had them shipped to the show. “Marburger Farm,” said Schwartz, “is the best place to shop and sell of the whole 2 week Round Top event. If you come to one place, come to Marburger.”