ROCHESTER — Kailey Nelson didn’t go into the Gold Rush Olmsted County Antique Show and Market looking for anything specific.
The annual antique event on Mother’s Day weekend at Graham Park attracts thousands of treasure hunters from the southeastern Minnesota region. Some have specific items they’re looking for. Others, like Nelson, go to look around and have fun.
On Sunday, May 12, 2024, Nelson hit a bit of gold. No bull.
Nelson, of Mazeppa, Minnesota, found a decorative steer horn.
Her parents raised longhorns when she was young.
“I like cows,” she said, displaying a longhorn steer tattoo on her forearm.
She saw the decorative piece and knew it had to come home with her so she could hang it on the wall.
Serious hunters and casual browsers browsed the displays of nearly 1,000 vendors who came from both coasts to sell their wares at Graham Park on the Olmsted County fairgrounds.
Aonghus Gillespie looked at woodworking tools of various conditions. A perk of Gillespie’s job as an arborist is that he comes by plenty of free wood. He decided to take up woodworking. For that, he needs tools. He found no shortage of those on Sunday. However, they’re not always in ready-to-use condition.
“You have to really search the rusty ones to find gold,” he said.
Insight: Evolving Antique Market Trends
The antique market is constantly evolving, with new trends shaping the industry. In recent times, the focus on unique pieces like the decorative steer horn found by Kailey Nelson reflects a shift towards individualistic and sentimental choices in antique shopping.
The event being in its 52nd year is a bit of an antique, too. Vendors said they are finding fewer shows to bring their wares, which is good for events such as the Olmsted County Antique Show and Market. Organizers said they made a big marketing push to draw dealers from across the country this year. It worked. However, along with fewer antique shows, the crowds have shrunk, too, dealers said.
For Jon Olson, his wheelhouse is sticking to local shows and keeping his prices low.
“I’m like the Wal-Mart of antique dealers — high volume, low prices,” said Olson of Ellendale, Minnesota.
Insight: Adaptation in the Antique Business
Antique dealers like Jon Olson are adapting to changing market dynamics by offering competitive pricing and a wide range of items to attract customers. This adaptability is crucial in an industry where trends and customer preferences can shift rapidly.
His low prices have attracted some of his fellow dealers to his tables before the event started Friday morning.
“I’d rather sell to the general public, but if they offer a good price, I’m going to take it,” he said.
Olson said he has seen things rise and fall in the antiques business. When he started, glassware was high-dollar and sought after. Now, dealers don’t waste the table space.
Insight: Changing Demand in Antiques
The shift in demand for certain antique items, like glassware, highlights the dynamic nature of the antiques market. Understanding and responding to these fluctuations is essential for dealers to stay competitive and meet consumer preferences.
“Those prices went through the floor,” he said pointing to the ground. “Then it went even lower after that.”
The key is to have a little of everything — toys, collectibles, decorative antiques. Beer merchandise is a solid seller lately, he said. He can’t keep vintage Hamm’s promotional items at his booth.
“By Friday at 10 a.m., it was all gone,” he said.
Another key is deciding what to keep and what to sell. Olson, who also farms, spends the winter going to auctions buying things he likes and finding things he knows he can sell at both Olmsted County Antique Show and Market weekends. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between the two, he added.
“I’ll start packing stuff up and I decide, nope, that’s not going with me, I’ll need to find something else,” he said. The August Olmsted County Antique Show and Market is Aug. 16-18, 2024, at Graham Park.
