South Florida Dollhouse & Miniature Show

The South Florida Dollhouse & Miniatures Show and Sale
Clarion Inn
7859 Lake Worth Road

Friday 21 through Sunday 23 October 2011

This was a 275 mile round trip for us.  That said, don't try and compare it to to a 275 mile round trip in the UK; as I said to Ken when we set off across Alligator Alley with just two other cars in sight - ''It's not quite the same as the drive to Birmingham and the NEC" - the last show we went to.

Off we tootled to the Show....mmmm... it was more of a display really.  Twenty-four stalls which translated down into 15 stallholders as some of them had more than one table.  Bit of a contrast  to the nearly 200 I spent six hours with at Miniatura. As usual my saint of a husband found a comfy spot and settled down with his book ready for a long wait.  In this instance it was a bit different to his UK experience of car parks or rough grass as he managed to lollop by the pool in the shade.  Also he did nip in to the Perkins which was on site and have a coffee and key lime pie so, by the time I found him, he was perfectly happy.  I was less than an hour on my 'spree' and didn't feel at all guilty for once.  

Here's a photo of the items I bought. I spent something under $20.  They all came from - Cottage of Miniatures

The photo is Ellen's beau, Albert; if it fits the photo frame, which is in the UK!.  

There are three glass jars for the pantry.  A good 1912 kitchen had all the food removed from the paper bags and sacks they were bought in and transferred to glass jars, metal cannisters - any container which could be sealed and was bug and mouse-proof.  I clearly am Edwardian at heart as I do exactly the same.

Leaning against the jars is a tiny bag with half a dozen good looking spools of thread.  These are not easy to find.  They are either too large or, if small enough, they are badly made.  I have seen beautiful ones but, as always with these things, they cost an arm and a leg.  I don't remember the price of these but they could only be a couple of dollars or so.  Must make a note to look on their site and get some more.

I bought the tankard just because it looked good for the money.  I now need to find out if beer was still a commonplace drink (at home) in 1912 even for ladies.  If there's a record of that somewhere I am the one to rootle it out!  Failing that the tankard had belonged to her father or Edward and it is kept for that reason.  I know from my 1950's childhood it was still commonplace for men to take their favourite tankard to their local pub for their pints of ale.  If it was their regular drinking spot the tankard was often left there for them.  As late as the early 1960's when I worked part-time in a pub (as well as my full-time office job) I had a couple of tankards in The Smoke belonging to two of the ancient regulars.  

Again, the two pairs of scissors were bought because they were nicely made and scaled for a couple of dollars.  

The expensive purchase ($4)  was the stone 'jug'.  It could be for collecting the ale from the pub or for their home-made ginger beer.  Whatever it contains it will be keeping cool on the top shelf of the meat safe outside or the marble pantry shelf.  

Most of the stalls were the usual bits and bobs but there were three stand-outs.

Geoff Wonnacott's fantastic pieces.  His stuff is decidedly museum quality and some! The inlaid chess tables and chess sets are to die for. Give his site five minutes when you've time.

There were some lovely pieces of stained glass by Barbara Sabia, but again, for me, they were way beyond my budget. Hard to resist as she does some beautiful art nouveau dressing screens and lights and fire screens.  Take a look at her site.

I get very cross with myself because I don't get a really good look at stuff like this and I would love to. I am hopeless at looking at things that I can't afford.  I am always sure the vendor knows and my embarrassment wins out and I beat a swift retreat.  I've always been like it and I don't get any better.  I was raised on the notion that you couldn't go in this or that shop or restaurant or whatever because you can't afford it (and you'd stick out a mile!).

So a long drive there and back (via Ikea!) for very little actual gain but it was OK as it was 'a trip out' and another show under my belt.....   and you never know what you might miss if you don't go.