Downtown Oronoco Gold Rush Days is an antique show and flea market event filled with goods from different places and times. It can be intimidating for beginner shoppers to navigate the lingo. To help you ease into the weekend, we compiled a list of the most popular words you might hear at our show to help you make the best decisions possible while shopping at Downtown Oronoco Gold Rush Days.
Antique vs. Vintage These are arguably two of the most used words you will hear at our event. So what is the difference between antique and vintage? Antiques are considered to be a piece of furniture, work of art or collectible object that is 100 years old or more. Vintage is similar but is aged at 25 years or older.
Smalls People often use the word “smalls” to describe small vintage or antique home decor items and accessories. Other worse to describe these little items of value are knicknacks, baubles and Tchotchkes.
Collectible Any item that is regarded to have value or interest for collectors is considered to be a collectible. Collectibles are often times worth more money than they were originally sold for.
Primitive To be considered a primitive, an item must be hand made, and utilitarian – think wooden bowls, spoons and such. These items were often made by untrained people. Primitives are generally very old and usually older than 100 years and therefore considered antique.
Folk art Folk art is antique or contemporary art made by hand by craftsmen, not artists. Folk art is similar to primitive but can be It is expressive and often colorful. Hand made picture frames, wooden toys, and cigar boxes are some examples of items considered to be folk art.
Upcycled This is a fairly new term used to describe a form of recycling. Up-cycled tend to be pieces of low value that are changed and become a product of higher quality and thus value. Jack-o-lanterns made from old gas cans are a great example of an upcycled item.
Art Deco A style of visual arts, architecture and design that first appeared in France just before World War I. Art Deco features bold geometric shapes and patterns accented by high shine gold or chrome and the colors navy or black. The movie Great Gatsby is a great example of the art deco style.
Mid Century Mod This type of decor is having major come back thanks to shows such as MadMen. This style from the 50’s and 60’s is sleek and simple. The furniture often features bright colors, gold metal, laminate tops, narrow or hairpin legs and is usually made out of walnut or teak.
Chinoiserie -This European interpretation and imitation of Chinese and East Asian art is often found featured on beautiful pieces of furniture and porcelain. Beautiful vases and screens are often mediums for this type of art.
These are just a few of the words you will hear falling from the lips of our vendors and shoppers during your trip to Downtown Oronoco Gold Rush Days and we hope you find the knowledge helpful. While we are happy to provide this information we’d be remiss if we didn’t tell you that the secret to learning the most about the goods at our show is to ask the vendors. Vendors are a treasure trove of information and are more than happy to share their knowledge with the shoppers! Make sure to stop and ask about that interesting piece that catches your eye during the show. You might just get a little lesson in history and you will definitely walk away with a great story and maybe a new treasure!