ALL THE FUN OF THE (VINTAGE) FAIR...

Lots of you love vintage, but have you ever been to a vintage fair? There are lots of bargains to be had… here's what to expect!

Cathy says:
The other weekend I went to a vintage fair with my friend Fiona… we were looking for retro goodies and offbeat Christmas prezzies. Fiona took some fab pics as we shopped, and I thought I'd share them - if you've never been to a vintage fair, these should give you an idea of what to expect! This particular vintage fair was in the crypt of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Liverpool, which was a fab venue - and there was a vintage tea room, which we just HAD to sample! Then it was on to the serious task of treasure hunting…

This fair was very reasonably priced… the dresses were priced from £10 up to around £50 for the really  special pieces. We spotted a pink tulle ball gown and lots of velvet 1920s and 30s dresses which were just stunning. Skye would have approved! The stall holders were VERY cool, too… the lady in the pic above was goings for a very 70s look with the turban hat and fake leopardskin coat! My fave stall of all was run by a lady in an awesome Edwardian hat made with little silk flowers and netting and glazed dark straw, pictured right… she'd bought it that day from another stallholder!

I was instantly drawn to a stall selling lovely vintage children's books and annuals… I collect these, so i had a good rummage through, though I didn't buy anything this time. I was interested to see that some of my collection, books bought for 50p in junk shops long ago, are now worth £10 or £15! At a vintage fair, you need to be prepared to go through rails and rails of  items in search of something unique; sometimes, you just fall in love with something and that's that!

My friend Fiona had a good time too… she was on the hunt for Christmas prezzies, and we both agreed that these stunning 1950s mirror compacts (once used to hold loose facepowder) would be fab gifts for any vintage lover. There were lots of amazing silk scarves, too, often on sale for £1 each… also perfect gifts and the ideal way to add a taste of vintage to a plain outfit.

I ended up buying a black velvet coat, a diamante brooch of a fawn and a charcoal grey beret… I was tempted by lots of other things too, but I managed to hold back! The most jaw-dropping thing we saw at the vintage fair was this men's shirt, printed with pictures of lurid panettone - a kind of Italian Christmas cake. It was so hideous it was actually quite cool, and Fiona almost bought it (£10) for her husband as a change from the usual dodgy Christmas jumper. She didn't in the end, and she still hasn't forgiven herself!  Me, I'm still having nightmares about it…

Have YOU ever been to a vintage fair? Would you like to? COMMENT BELOW to have your say!