One of my favourite places to get lost for a day is at the International Antique and Collectors Fair in Ardingly, West Sussex. I keep my fingers tightly crossed for dry weather, take a very big bag and lose myself amidst the vast show ground of sellers.
I never leave empty handed, and I equally never know what I might find! Sometimes I am on the look out for specific items if I’m sourcing for an event or seasonal collection, mostly I just love getting styling ideas and unusual collectible's for our home.
There are quite the cross section of traders there, some more ‘serious’ sellers (think £650+ for authentic French furniture) and expert jewellers or art dealers, right through to affordable bric - a brac sellers and house clearance firms who tip out the contents of their van and most things are a fiver….
It’s all part of the fun to discover a bargain and spend out on more unusual finds you’d not easily come across in a car boot sale. Browsing all the beautiful and unique antiques is a treat in itself, window shopping at its best!
Each time I go however I am always guaranteed to see: fabric, furniture, garden ware, vintage fashion, jewellery, glassware, rugs, military, art, old signage, ephemera and lighting. Oh and creepy dolls - always.
It’s also a great opportunity to pick up flyers and look up traders online shops - especially if they curate things that are your style.
The show travels around to several places in England and stays two days at each location. The first day for serious hunters tickets are £20 and the second day costs £5 (if you book in advance).
They have a delivery company on site to arrange courier shipping if you buy large / heavy items.
There are several buildings jam packed indoors with stalls - mostly breakables and jewellery.
Top Tips if you should go:
Book online in advance for cheaper tickets (though you can't guarantee the weather!)
Get there early, especially on the second day, many stall holders start to pack down after lunchtime instead of staying until the advertised 4pm
Take plenty of cash! Some sellers have a card machine, but signal can be weak. Cash machines on site will charge you £3.95 for withdrawals
Take bottles of water and wear a hat if it's super sunny, there's a lot of walking!
Some argue the best stuff is snapped up on the first day, but if you’re more of a budget shopper like me then traders are more likely to drop prices on day two to get more sales and pack up less stuff to go home with!
Take a tape measure
It’s always worth making an offer (not an insulting one)
I have ZERO sense of direction and often lose my bearings in the outside stalls, so I take photos of where I see things I might go back for, and remember visual markers to retrace my steps
If you are hoping to get a fair bit of treasure take a trolley on wheels to cart around your purchases (thank me later)
Decent coffee is available on site but alot of the food choice is chips, burgers, hog roast etc so take some healthy snacks if that’s not your vibe
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