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Boston Antiques Weekend
Old, but never tired
By JAN ROSENFELD
del.ico.us
reddit!
Here's betting you don't have one decent safari-style leisure jacket in your closet. Luckily, the Boston Antiques Weekend has arrived just in time with enough historical ephemera and vintage clothing for everybody. Score some super rare glass or pottery art, or spice up your apartment with American period furniture. If you aren't a seasoned antique buyer, you can attend one of the various seminars dealing with all the ins and outs of the trade, from spotting a fake to restoring damaged cabinets. (Always useful.)
The event—consisting of an antiques show, book and ephemera fair, and vintage fashion show—brings about 250 different vendors to town. Sift through a sea of assorted vintage buttons or take a look at the antique maps of bygone explorers. The variety is what really makes the show so impressive. Last year, dealers brought rare offerings like cases of shimmering, petrified insects collected in Maine between the 1940s-1960s.
Vintage fashions will definitely be a major attraction over the weekend. Women's clothing for sale delves deeply into the 20th century, complete with canvas bathing suits from now-defunct department stores and printed dresses from the 1970s. Mens' selections include vintage letterman jackets and fur lined overcoats, as well as some undeniably cool artisan belt buckles.
Serious antique hunters will be satiated by the array of fine silver and porcelain, Americana folk art and selected pieces of the arts and crafts movement. Some of the pricier furnishings and artifacts can cost well into the thousands. They're expecting a high turnout this year, so get there early if you want a shot at the best of the best. Finding the perfect antique, like all worthy endeavors, can be quite the battle. Bring a helmet—it can't hurt.
[Sat. 4.12 10am–6pm/Sun. 4.13 10am–5pm. Seaport World Trade Center, 200 Seaport Blvd., Boston. 781.862.4039. $12/$17 for a two-day pass. bostonantiquesweekend.com]