There are two Christie Antique Shows each year, in May and September. Calling it an antique show is maybe stretching things. It’s a show of stuff…everything from antiques to junk, located in a conservation area not far from Hamilton. It’s hard to buy junk these days, with all those “picker” shows on television. There’s plenty of interesting stuff for sale, but prices tend to be on the very high side. For instance, I was looking for oil cans for oil can banjos. There were lots there, priced from $30-$130. While if I bought one on eBay, I would have to pay for shipping, $30 seems mighty high and that was the low end. I tried to negotiate on cans and nobody seemed interested in dropping their prices at all. I guess there’s a market for old oil cans.
We did of course manage to fill up our car with stuff we didn’t need. This included a whirly-gig, a carved, painted bird, a bunch of large plastic letters (um, we needed those) and my find of the day, an old tenor banjo, which I’ll convert to a 5-string eventually, with a hand-carved neck….and more.
car full of junk (we needed this stuff, honest)
27th Street 
Hi I think I bought my whirligig at the same booth. Did you happen to ask where they came from? Or do you remember the name of the seller? I just noticed your name and I think I knew your dad. I am Donnie’s daughter.
Hi Cody, if you’re Donnie’s daughter then indeed you must have known my dad. My father was so very fond of Donnie! Nice to hear from you. I don’t know the name of the seller of the whirligig but I do know that the guy came in from Quebec for the show.
Thanks so much – nice to know where it might have come from. I bought the lighthouse whiligig. Yes, my dad still loves to quote all the wise things your dad used to say! He thought the world of him.
I am pretty sure I bought my whirligig at the same booth you did and I forgot to ask where it came from. Did you happen to ask?
Okay, let’s see… I need that washboard and the watering can and that great vintage bubble frame with the fancy gent in it and the basket kreel and the two red chairs and the steamer trunk and a big red ‘A’ and an ‘S’ for good measure and the green wheelbarrow and the four Tiffany-blue side chairs and the shredded vintage Union Jacks, and this is why Brent won’t take me to places like this.
I know what you’re saying. We filled our car with stuff we needed. Ok we really did need the whilrly-gig.
I see you brought home a decent score of quality merchandise but I am sorta disappointed in what you left behind. I see a sweet little green wheelbarrow that would have been the perfect accessory for the homeless shelters in the backyard. And a BIG wicker creel with no lid that would have been the absolute ultimate mushroom picking basket. And galvanized watering cans. man those plastic ones you get now for 10 bucks are crap. And half a pair of snowshoes – the ultimate symbol of Canada. And wood framed washboards for the jug band. Man I f I had been there I probably would have made the guy an offer on his entire display. Seriously. This is why Im not allowed to go to places like that. Thank goodness the event is too far away from where I live.
Let’s see a pic of the banjo!
To clarify my post…the conversion will have a hand-carved neck…the banjo I bought is mostly a junker. Pic posted.