ROUND TOP REFLECTIONS

 

The Round Top show has loomed large in my mind for years, a bucket list trip, an event I have always wanted to attend but never had the time or reason. Being first-timers, we did not know what to expect. We heard a lot of conflicting advice beforehand. Some said you couldn't find anything priced to resell. Others said it would be a sourcing haven. Some said certain shows were a must-see, while others warned us to stay away. Once we arrived, dealers had even more advice and opinions. It was a bit overwhelming but also incredibly helpful. I am so thankful to all the people who shared advice with us. 

I AM CONSTANTLY SURPRISED BY THE GENEROSITY OF THE VINTAGE COMMUNITY, BOTH ONLINE AND IN PERSON.

 
On Sunday night, we arrived in Brenham, a town about 25 minutes away from Round Top. We stayed in a lovely Airbnb, big enough to fit our whole crew. The Airbnb was located on a beautiful stretch of land with rolling hills, a pond, and cows grazing in the distance. It almost felt like a villa in the Tuscan countryside. Besides most of the LES team, we also brought our artist Janie Kruse Garnett and fellow dealer, stylist, and close collaborator Eve Singer.

 

 

"THE SECOND DAY WAS MARBURGER, WHERE ALL THE TOP DEALERS BRING THEIR VERY BEST. SOME HAD DESCRIBED IT TO ME AS "THE RUNNING OF THE BULLS." WE WERE WARNED TO GET THERE EARLY AND BE READY TO ELBOW OUR WAY IN AND CLAIM THE PIECES WE WANTED WITHOUT HESITATION"

 

On day one, we had an ambitious itinerary planned. Excess I and II, The Compound, Market Hill, Blue Hill, The fields, and some shops with pop up from IG friends. Needless to say, we did not hit every spot. We started at Excess, and as soon as we pulled in, that sourcing rush took over. I could tell, almost immediately, that this trip was going to be worthwhile. Our first stop was at Susan Wheeler Home. Susan was busy re-arranging her items because she had just pulled out a bunch of her inventory to set up at Marburger later that day (this was the day before Marburger opened). In addition, she was scrambling to bring everything inside before it started to rain. Despite the stress, she took the time to talk to us. Giving us advice about which dealers to hit that day and how early we should arrive for Marburger. Her selection was everything I love, some weird one-of-a-kind studio pottery, mid-century modern furniture, gilded mirrors, a bit of everything. In addition, she had a killer selection of vintage jewelry and clothes. Despite not being what I was there for, I picked up the most gorgeous gold jacket and a pair of earrings.

 

 

   
We ended up spending a few more hours at Excess. There was such a wide selection of furniture, art, and design. Rows and rows of olive jars, architectural salvage, lighting, French modernist design, cubist paintings, large stone figures. So much to see and take in. By the end, we were already significantly behind schedule and sourced more than I was planning for so early in the trip.

On the advice of Susan, we decided to skip the fields. The fields are an expansive area of hundreds of dealers with lots and lots of stuff. While I often like the hunt, sifting through lots of "junk" to find those gems, on this trip, I wanted to stick to seeing the must-see shows and dealers where I would have the highest probability of success.

 

 

 

The rest of that first day was equally exciting. We made most of our purchases at Excess and found some things at The Compound. Market Hill and Blue Hill were less of a success, but I was so exhausted by that time of the day sourcing had become a challenge. My eyes had started to glaze over, and everything looked the same. We ended the day around 3 and headed back to our house to get some work done and cook dinner.

 

ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS ABOUT ROUND TOP WAS THE FEELING OF BEING PULLED IN MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS. THE TRIP'S GOAL WASN'T JUST SOURCING BUT CONTENT CREATION AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.

 

I often thought, "it would be great just to come and only take content," or "I wish I could just source." But that is often my reality. I am so lucky to have such a strong team. I didn't have to think about where we slept, ate, or how we got around. Instead, I focused all my energy on sourcing and taking content while they concentrated on logistics, purchases, shipping, and relationship-building with dealers and vendors.

 

 


The second day was Marburger, where all the top dealers bring their very best. Some had described it to me as "the running of the bulls." We were warned to get there early and be ready to elbow our way in and claim the pieces we wanted without hesitation. It ended up being less dramatic but was definitely busier and more aggressive than the shows we had been to the day before. Like the other shows, the selection was varied with something for everyone. Pieces went fast, but we could still snag some great art. All in all, it was a major sourcing success.

 

 

 

I am so glad we made the Round Top trip for many reasons. First, we were able to source some exceptional pieces that are sure to elevate LES's selection of vintage. As a team, we bonded, had fun, were inspired, and learned a ton. We got a ton of great content, found new dealers to source from in the future, and generally enjoyed the experience. We will definitely be going back in the future!  

 

 

 

SHOP LES COLLECTION VINTAGE >Â