Antique treasure trove
Published 4:27 pm Monday, July 26, 2010
Growing up, I vacationed in Panama City at least once a year. While my father was deep-sea fishing, my mother took me to the beach.
If it rained during the night, we got me up early to go beachcombing. Sea shells, sand dollars, starfish and driftwood are treasures the ocean gave up after the storm.
I still enjoy finding treasures and knew I found one the day I stopped at The Farmhouse Antique Market on U.S. 31 in north Calera.
Tanya Yeager fell in love with the 100-year-old Farris home and opened an antique market there in January.
Yeager shared her passion for antiques as I toured the charming Victorian-style home.
“From the time I could walk, my mother and aunt pulled me through one antique shop after another. My mother owned an antique shop in Leeds, so I suppose it’s only natural for me to own one,” Yeager said.
The wonderful, nostalgic aroma transported me back in time to my grandparents’ arts and crafts-style bungalow in Birmingham.
I sat on a Rococo settee while Yeager talked about collectibles, artwork glassware and other antiques offered to customers.
“You won’t find reproductions or overseas market pieces here,” she said.
Yeager and her consignee vendors offer a mixture of Asian, Duncan Phyfe, Americana and modern furnishings.
“Furniture from the ’70s and ’80s will appeal to buyers looking for a more modern look,” Yeager said as she showed me a dresser that had been refinished. “It’s not particle board and laminate like furniture manufactured today.”
Karen Simmons, a vendor, has loved antiques all of her life.
“I decided to follow my passion after retiring a few years ago,” Simmons said. “I love working with Tanya. She’s like a sister.”
If you do not find what you are looking for, Yeager will try to find it for you.
My treasure was hanging on a wall — a handmade plaque with a small mirror and inscription that reads, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, I am my mother after all.”
My husband agrees with the plaque.
Though flea market items are not sold inside the home, Traders Village, outbuildings on the property, are leased to vendors selling those type items.
Interested vendors can contact Yeager at 621-5663 or tanyayeager@att.net.
Store hours are Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and by appointment. Visit online at Farmhouseantiques.net.