Round Top Antiques Market–An Inside Look

I’m back today with at look at my trip to the Round Top Antiques Market in Round Top, Texas.  If you’ve never been to Round Top before, this post should give you an inside look at the market through the eyes of an avid antique and vintage shopper.

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Attending Round Top has been on my bucket list for some time now.  I’ve heard so many great things about the market and was excited to check it out for myself.

 Here’s what I thought of the market, what I saw and a few things I purchased.

The Round Top Antique Market spans over about a 15 to 20 mile stretch of road.  There are buildings and tents all along the route selling antiques and vintage goods and even some vendors off the main road selling odds and ends.  Unless you attend the show for a number of days, there is no way to stop at every shopping spot.  If you are only attending the market for a day or two, you’ll definitely want to plan ahead and determine which spots you want to shop.

La Bahia Antiques Show is one of places we stopped and shopped.  This area is made up of permanent buildings and tented vendors and you’ll find all types of vintage decor and housewares here. I spotted lots of great items and although many were in my opinion were over-priced, most of the dealers were willing to negotiate.

This outdoor vendor had an amazing selection silver-plate items but most were very over-priced and when you asked for his best price he seemed offended. Needless to say he didn’t get our business.

One of the best blue and white tabletop dealers is located at La Bahia and his selection of items was impressive.  His prices were a bit stiff but he was willing to negotiate which gave him two thumbs up in my book.

After La Bahia we stopped at a barn along the road where ‘Poor Richard’ was selling goods.  He had a mx of items including large furniture pieces and miscellaneous tabletop and decor items.  And Richard was a nice as can be so shopping with him was a pleasure.

This oversized brass urn was $25 dollars but was a bit worn for my liking so I passed.

I did buy these beautiful ironstone bowls for practically nothing! A definite score!

Poor Richard was also selling these amazing tree stumps…so gorgeous!

There was a lady near Poor Richards selling items for $1.00 and my shopping mates scored big with her.  They  had picked over the table by the time I made it over there 🙁

Our next stop was the Big Red Barn.  This is one of several sites at Round Top that charge a fee to get in ($10 at the Red Barn).  If you are shopping for high-end antiques this is definitely a place you want to check out.

Check out this antique ribbon holder. So many beautiful details including some of the most beautiful brass pulls I’ve ever seen.

This scale was amazing and I think it was around $2700.

I had a vintage paper roll rack on my shopping list but every one I came across was several hundred dollars.  This one was amazing because it held three different size paper rolls.

There was lots of ironstone (check out the prices)

After the Red Barn we traveled up the road and stopped a several different places.

Lots of beautiful Staffordshire Dog statutes…

Beautiful blue and white antiques…

Isn’t this the most beautiful chamber pot you’ve ever seen.  I really, really wanted to this piece but couldn’t pull the trigger on the price.

Old doors with lots of charm and character…

I spotted several dealers that also show at Scott Antique Market here in Atlanta and was happy to see that they didn’t increase their prices on some of their tried and true items.

The one place that we didn’t stop at but I will be sure to check out the next time I’m there is the Warrenton area.  This area was loaded with tented vendors and the selection of items appeared to be good as we drove through.

All in all, Round Top Antiques Market is a great show and has something to offer everyone. Here are a few tips I have for shopping the market:

TIPS FOR SHOPPING ROUND TOP ANTIQUES MARKET

• Create a shopping list so that you stay focused on the items you are looking for.  Doing a little research before hand will also help you think about what you’re willing to pay for an item and it will help you when negotiating with dealers.
• Take a camera or make sure your phone is fully charged so you can take pictures as you shop.  You can always turn around and go back to a location you saw an item at and picture of the piece and location will help.
• Take cash.  I did see some vendor accepting credit cards and checks but cash is king and you’ll get a better deal if you are negotiating with cash.
• Carry a tote bag or rolling cart.  Many of the shopping areas are large and you’ll want to be comfortable carrying your purchases as you shop.
• Take it with you or have it shipped. There are several shipping business located throughout the show so if you see something that won’t fit on the plane or in the trunk, consider having it shipped.
• Dress in layers.  Our shopping day started out nice, then it rained a bit and then it got super windy and cold.
• Visit the free shopping areas and by-pass the paid spots like the Big Red Barn and Marburger.  I promise you won’t miss anything and you’ll find everything you can image in the free tents and buildings.
• Negotiate.  Most dealers are prepared to negotiate on the price and many of them will offer you a fair deal.  Several times I looked items up on Etsy and Ebay in front of the dealer and they offered better pricing because they saw I was up to speed on the prices.
• Plan to spend a little time in downtown Round Top which as some cute shops, restaurants and outdoor vendors that set up during the show.
• Like most antique markets these days, you’ll see lots of vintage and antique reproductions of if you’re not sure what you’re looking at, ask the dealers to tell you a bit about the history of an item.  And, keep in mind that in most cases when you see a true antique, you’re not going to see multiples of the same item.  Multiples of an item often signals a reproduction especially with furniture, lighting and some tabletop pieces.

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So, I know you’ve been waiting to see what other goodies I bought so here’s a look at a few of my favorite purchases…

A beautiful brass tray

blue and white ironstone plates

a larger ironstone mold

 Bucket List:      Round Top Antiques Market     √

On Monday I’ll be sharing the rest of our road trip including our visit to Magnolia Market in Waco.