A Fine Vintage
Headwaters’ antiques and auctions experts offer an irresistible way to connect with the history – and value – that comes with well-made furniture and nostalgic collectibles.
As any antiques hunter will tell you, the thrill of shopping for classic furniture, retro collectibles and other secondhand wares lies in the often slim chance that no one else has snapped up a treasure with your name on it – whether it’s a sleek teak credenza enjoying a moment in decor magazines or a dead stock Star Wars action figure that sparks happy flashbacks to grade school. They’re all out there lurking around the next corner – at least in our imagination. And now that the antiques world, like many others, has replicated itself online, those next corners have multiplied for shoppers craving an antidote to mass-produced, homogenous goods built and priced to end up in a landfill.
It’s a quest that feels right for our times. Local sellers report business is strong, even after weeks-long pandemic closures. Jon Medley of Inglewood Antiques, for one, says business in his sprawling barn location is up this summer over last. “Typically June is one of the worst months of the year, but it was really good. I was actually really surprised.”
Maybe we’ve all been stuck at home wondering how to add roots to our surroundings. Or we’ve noticed that buying vintage can save us a few bucks. Online auctions are certainly a great alternative to doomscrolling. Whatever the case, the industry is ready for its closeup. These five local stalwarts are ready when you are.
Don Reinhart, who joined his family’s business in 1965, sits in the auction warehouse on Heart Lake Road. Photo by James MacDonald.
Reinhart Auctions
Don Reinhart is known beyond Headwaters for his stint as the no-nonsense auctioneer on two seasons of TV’s “Storage Wars Canada”. Read the story.
Joanne and Martin Woudenberg stand next to her sewing station amid the store’s carefully curated antiques. Photo by James MacDonald.
Orangeville Flowers & Greenhouses
Don’t let the name fool you. At Orangeville Flowers & Greenhouses cleverly curated antiques have sidelined much of the potted plant population. Read the story.
Jon Medley talks to a shopper at his large, packed-to-the-rafters heritage barn on Highway 10. Photo by James MacDonald.
Inglewood Antique Market
Don’t count on a quick drop-in when you pull into the Inglewood Antique Market on Highway 10 south of The Grange Sideroad. Read the story.
Alanna Babka, left, and Bonnie Schneider met playing baseball and opened their auction house six years ago to find homes for their eclectic offerings. Photo by James MacDonald.
Erin Auctions
With row on row of classic antiques, paraphernalia and collectors’ items, Erin Auctions is one of the top treasure troves in the hills. Read the story.
John Wright opened his new location on Spring Street in Erin this summer.Photo by James MacDonald.
The Wright Attitude Shoppe in a Shed
The latest iteration of John Wright’s patrician-yet-rustic antique shop is a fantasy space tucked into a driveshed behind his Erin home. Read the story.
