I ventured out to the Sunbury Antiques Market with two wonderful ladies ~ one being a previous “buyer” for a store specializing in antiques. Good thing because I know very little about antiques & vintage items. I was in awe of her knowledge and learned a lot just by listening to her talk to the vendors.
Leslie and Sonja
Sunbury Antiques Market is located at Kempton Park Racetrack and takes place on the 2nd and last Tuesday of the month. The doors open at 6:30 am and close at 2 pm. I would highly recommend arriving as early as possible as there are lots of buyers including those buying for the shops in London. Admission and parking are free. Bring cash ~ the ATM was bone dry by noon.
I have to admit, I was overwhelmed by all the furniture, crockery, china, glassware, kitchen items, lamps, rugs, fabric, jewelry, vintage luggage trunks, taxidermy (ugh!) and so much more. My favorites seem to be the French and Belgian vendors ~ I love the French Farmhouse style. There are rows and rows of vendors both outside and inside. According to the Sunbury Market website , 700 vendors populate the market and, after all we saw, I’m inclined to believe it.
Sunbury Antiques Market
Some of the vendors at Sunbury Antiques Market
The market is located between Hampton Court and Staines. The train from Waterloo (London) to Kempton Park Station takes 44 minutes and it’s an easy walk from the station to the market. Delivery men are available for hire and will transport your furniture/large purchases to London for a minimum of £50. One woman filled up an entire van with furniture and they charged her £100 to deliver all of it.
Although I saw several furniture pieces I’d love to have, such as the 1950’s coffee table and sideboard (all made of solid wood and in great condition), I ended up with just a couple of small pieces. My favorite purchase is the vintage tennis racquet from the 1960s (maybe 70s).
While no one will be hiring me to host “Antiques Road Show”, I do feel more comfortable about shopping at these types of markets. Next time, I might even try to bargain a little.
Displaced Beachbums 