What Happens at Collectorama Stays at Collectorama

How good is this for a Market spot?

While it may appear that I have fallen off the face of the planet, as I haven’t blogged for a while, in fact I’ve been beavering away on various projects.

And some of those projects are now coming to fruition.  Yay for fruition!

We’re still attending the Peregian Beach Market and the Caloundra Street Fair on alternating Sunday mornings, and that’s still fun.  Peregian is such a lovely beach location, and we always enjoy our mornings there.  Last time we had a great spot right at the beach, although where we’ll be put next time is anyone’s guess.  We really want our old spot in the (currently closed) section, so fingers crossed that the Surf Club gets the permit from Council to reopen that site.

Caloundra remains as busy as ever, and the passing crowd as weird and wonderful as ever.  Let me just say right now that if those huge sideburns that Hugh Jackman sports as Wolverine can make even him look bad, what chance for the rest of the male species?  One young man came by our stand, and I had to fight the urge to hold him down and give him a good shave.  No, no, no – if you’re not Hugh Jackman, put those hairs away.

A lovely and much more quiet
busker at Caloundra Street Fair.

And one old lady came by and closely examined our business sign.  Why do you have two “u”s in your name? she asked.  Because that’s how ‘Continuum’ is spelt, I explained.  Are you sure? she asked.  Pretty sure, I said.  But she wasn’t convinced that I could spell my own business name correctly and tottered off, shaking her head.



Our Caloundra buskers are now a lot easier to live with – one is a human/insect hybrid on stilts, and the other a quite sprightly old chook.  Last Sunday Banjo Busker made a guest appearance in his role as wandering minstrel, and this time he played - and played, and played again before he went away - an extremely jaunty, double-beat version of Ghost Riders in The Sky.  Nightmare visions have never been so cheery.



I did very enjoy the Pop Up shop we had in Eumundi and would happily have another, but on the other hand working only one morning a week at the Markets has its advantages. 

Did you know I'm in the habit of
accosting old ladies with walking
frames and making them do
tricks for me?

We met with a delusional landlord in Eumundi with a view to having another Pop Up shop but he was, well, delusional.  He wanted gobsmacking rent, the place was incredibly dirty and shabby, there were holes in the floor, walls and ceiling – enough for rain to get in and ruin our stock (not to mention rodents, snakes and robbers), plus we would have to pay the electricity bill of the former tenant who ran off without paying it, before we could have the electricity turned on for ourselves.  If you’re a landlord and you’re wondering, yes, this is the very definition of Delusional. 



So the Pop Up hunt continues.  An intriguing and this-will-probably-work proposition has been put to us, but nothing will come of it until some time next year.  But having a Pop Up once or twice a year would suit us nicely, so we might have to chill until then.

Last Friday night we took our first stand at the Thomas Street Night Market at Noosaville.  That kept us up past our bedtimes, that’s for sure, but it went okay.  Nothing great, but we were very much the odd-stand-out in a mass of ready-to-eat food stands.  But we’ll do it a few more times and see how it goes.  The crowd was huge and the weather was lovely and for only one evening a month (third Friday of the month, if you’re interested in coming along) we’ll have a go.

Each of these frying pans and saucepans are over
100 years old, except the one on the far right
(with lid), which is over 200 years old.

That means lots of tarting up of more giant wooden boards has gone on, we’ve dug out the last of our French wire egg baskets, and I finally convinced Doug to surrender some of his personal collection of vintage copper pots and pans.  We have sold out of our stock copper, so I got to delve into the forbidden depths of Doug’s collection.  But he still has more than enough, and kept anything he particularly wanted, and I’m now back to having a good selection to sell.

Meanwhile, the next Collectorama antiques and collectables fair is taking place on this coming Saturday 1 November, at the Nambour Showgrounds.  It’s the last one for the year, so if you’re able to come by to visit that will be great.  The next one won’t be until March 2015.

We still have a nice selection of
enamelware and kitchen implements
to show at Collectorama.

I didn’t blog about what happened at the September Collectorama because what happens at Collectorama stays at Collectorama.

No, that’s a lie. 

Actually, that’s a big lie. 

Because what happened at the September Collectorama is going to be published for all and sundry to read about.  The next edition of the magazine Antiques & Collectables for Pleasure & Profit will be publishing a feature article by me on what happened at the September Collectorama.  So cast your mind back, everyone who visited us then.  What did you buy? Did you dress daggy or nice?  And who were you with – anyone illicit?  Oh dear, that was early September – are you sure you remember? 

Well guess what – I took notes!  And photos.  And a bunch of you who visited got a mention in my article, although I won’t know what changes the Editor has made, if any, until the magazine is published.  But I’d be buying a copy of it, Alan and Carlyle, if I were you.  Just saying.  It will be on the shelves in December.

If we have another Pop Up shop Caleb will
be one of the Managers.

Meanwhile, I have been writing business profile articles for the Sunshine Coast Daily newspaper, and the first of those has now been published.  And I’m pitching some bigger newspapers on a few political articles, and a British magazine on a travel feature.  So we’ll see what comes of all that.

Not having the shop has given me more time on my hands, so I’ve decided to be a freelance journalist.  Blogging is fun, but it’s funner to be paid for what you write.  So if you’ve got any scoops, be in touch.  You could be my Secret Source.  You could be my Deep Throat.  Come on, it’ll be fun!  I probably won’t be prepared to go to prison to protect you as my source, but you can feel better in knowing that the Feds will have to pay me a lot to break my silence.

Mischka probably won't get a run as Shop Manager
because she's too cuddly-snuggly.  That's
lovely at home but doesn't work in a shop.

So that’s what’s been happening lately.  If you’re planning to come to Collectorama on 1 November be sure to wear your lippy because I might well photograph you.  And if you could oblige by doing something amusing or stupid – preferably amusingly stupid – you’ll give me fodder for a future article and I’ll make you famous.