Walk-about in Lancaster County

We visited two great outdoor antique markets in Lancaster County, PA today - Renninger's and Shupp's Grove. Both were participating in the Antiques Extravaganza Weekend and there were bargains galore!
We arrived at Renninger's at the civilized hour of 10 am and found that we were actually considerably late by their standards. Turns out most dealers had been set up since around 4:30 am with the customers arriving soon after. Now that's devotion. Next time we'll plan ahead. The temperature was in the mid to upper nineties and I really felt for the dealers who were set up out in the hot, hot sun without shade from a tent or a tree. By the time we left (around 1:30 or so) most dealers were packing it in for the day. I didn't blame them.

Some were a little crankybut most were willing to make some sweet deals.

Shupp's Grove, as the name suggests, is in a beautiful wooded area with a rambling stream running through it. We found it far more pleasant than Renninger's on this hazy, hot, humid day.Ken scoped out the best bargains of the day and came away with a nice haul of antique photos. I added a few new Bakelite pieces to my collection. There were so many things I wanted but some how I held back. Maybe it was the heat...I must say, my heart skipped a few beats though when I rounded the corner and came across this dealer's booth.

I wanted these too, but managed a show of modest restraint.

There was a lot of quirky kitchen stuff from the 40'sand all the corn pottery you could ever want
(if you're into that sort of thing...). There were "needful" things

and not so needful things. But hey come on, who doesn't
need a life sized chain saw statue of John Lennon?

Suh-weet.

Scary life-sized plaster dogs kept this booth safe from roaming riff-raff,and an array of trophy mounts kept me away from this dealer's table
all together (thank goodness for a good zoom lens).

We met a dog almost too big to be believed,who was a real head turner. I think he
needed a saddle instead of a leash though.

We even saw three baby sparrows nestled in a bookshelfanxiously awaiting their next meal.

There were some rather odd decorating ideas

and some odd but ugly accessories for the home.The dealer proudly offered "It works!".

We saw an item we'd never seen beforeand a few things we wished we hadn't seen at all

Yep, you guessed it, they're forceps.

There were dream kitchens

a fancy set of wheels,

and a dealer with an interesting political perspective.

Tomorrow we'll hit a few more antique shops as we head in the general direction of home. It's been a great vacation but I miss my friends, the kitties, my garden and our front porch. Being away has been good for the two of us, but as always home is best.