Circa
By Connie Swaim
Recycling, upcycling, repurposing — they are all big buzzwords it seems at many antique shows and shops. What does it all mean? One definition I found said recycling means to turn waste into a reusable product or refurbish a product for reuse. The same definition said upcycling was a particular form of recycling which involved turning waste material or an unwanted product into a better quality product. Whatever you call it or however it looks in the end; it certainly isn’t anything new. Ask anyone who grew up during the Depression. No one called it a fancy name then; but lots of people turned cigar boxes into fancy art, or reused bits of clothing as quilts or toys. College students are certainly known for taking one thing (say a milk carton crate) and turning it into something else (like a book shelf). Purists may have a heart attack when they see what some of the more ardent upcyclers are doing. I’ve seen examples of things that I thought were quite nice as their original form turned into something else. It hurts to see a beautiful teapot turned into a planter or as decoration in a fountain or a bird feeder; but on the other hand, who was going to buy the teapot? There may be some items that just aren’t worth as much to collectors as they would be to someone looking for an interesting conversation piece. I attended the Country Living Show in Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 16. The event is managed by Stella Show Management Co. This was the 10th anniversary of the show. It has come a long way from its first show, which was held on a farm. This event was in Columbus at Ohio Village. There weren’t nearly as many true antique dealers at this show as there were at the first event; but the show has taken on a life that mimics the pages of Country Living more than being an antique show. And it took upcycling, recycling and repurposing to entirely new levels. I saw things made out of chenille bedspreads, mirrors made out of tennis racket holders, items too numerous to mention turned into planters and silver coins made into jewelry. Anything that could be turned into an interesting shelf was quickly snapped up as well. I’m not sure if the craze of city dwellers owning chickens had anything to do with the interest in chicken feeders; but I saw three long chicken feeders with wooden perches on both sides of a long trough and all were marked “sold.” For anyone looking for ideas of what to do with all of their merchandise that just won’t sell, this was a great show to attend to get some ideas. One of the most interesting booths for upcycling was the one with the wooden tennis racket holders made into mirrors. It was ingenious and they were really cute. The same dealer also had taken just about anything you could think of and turned it into bookends. I saw bookends made of old drills, vintage cameras and vintage pool table balls. I ended up buying a Christmas tree made out of a piece of chenille bedspread. It reminded me a Christmas tree Dr. Seuss would have come up with. The dealer had also taken old children’s blocks and placed some of the trees into the blocks as a stand. I went through every tree with a block until I found one that contained a children’s block I really liked. It had W is for Wolf with a wolfish looking animal on it. I saw lots of Santas and teddy bears made out of all types of material. However, fabric stores sell feed sack material; so I’m not sure how a person might know if the item they bought was made from a vintage feed sack or new material. Maybe no one really cares. And if this show is any indication; wool is hot. Not only is it warm to wear; but evidently everyone wants it. Numerous dealers were selling either vintage wool blankets, items made from vintage wool blankets, things made from wool straight from the sheep, etc. Sadly, the day I was at the show it was almost 90 degrees and while I know I will be cold soon, I just could not bring myself to look at any of the wool items. I did manage to buy a few older things. I found a yard long print called A Yard of Puppies. It is a well known print and it has been heavily reproduced, but this one was an older example. It was also heavily foxed; but the colors were so vibrant that I fell in love with it. The $50 price seemed reasonable for its condition. I also found a 1955 Whitman Rin Tin Tin coloring book for $3. Some of the interior pages had been colored; but the covers were in great condition. You can see more of what I did and saw at the show on AntiqueWeek’s Facebook page. Be sure and like us on Facebook and follow along on our adventures as well as quirky news notes we want to share. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve seen made into something else? Send your photos and thoughts to me at connie@antiqueweek.com
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