In 2014, friends Rina Belanger and Angela Guzzardo began a passion project that would soon become their primary business. Both women had unrelenting passion when it came to hunting for and selling unique, vintage, and handmade pieces that can’t be found in mainstream retail stores. Rina and Angela transformed their obsession into an event, The Vintage Market.
The Toledo City Paper caught up with the ladies behind the event to chat about their upcoming event in September. Let’s just say, they had us at the mere mention of “Glamping”.
You mentioned you quit your jobs to start The Vintage Market. How did you eventually turn what you loved into a full-time career?
Angela and I have been running this Market for over 3 years now. When we first started the event, it was just a fun outlet for us to share our passions – which is furniture and home decor. There weren’t any events like it in the area, so we decided to create one ourselves. Eventually, the Market grew to be so big that we were able to quit our jobs. We both run the Market full time now and it’s been a really fun and exciting experience!
As seasoned vintage and modern huntresses, what do you look for when you select vendors and products to sell their wares at your shows?
We look for vintage, vintage inspired, and upscale handmade-quality goods. We look for items that will bring something unique to our event. We also look for vendors who have an eye for staging and a knack for curating a beautiful space. We want our vendors to bring something special to our Market. We want to create a whimsical and beautiful place for shoppers – an event unlike any other in the area.
What has surprised you most about planning and facilitating the Market? What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned along the way?
I think we would say the support has surprised us the most! The amount of people from surrounding communities and states who come out to support all of these small businesses is incredible. We appreciate it all from the bottom of our hearts. The biggest lesson we’ve learned is that we need to keep evolving. We like to pick a theme for each Market so that each one is special. Our Fall Market theme is “Let’s Go Glamping” – we will have little mobile camper shops, The Mitten Kittens Glamping Village, and other fun surprises. We like to give shoppers a reason to come back to every single event we plan.
What can attendees expect to find at this fall’s Vintage Market?
Our Fall Market will be our best show yet! Shoppers can expect to find vintage furniture, home decor, clothing, jewelry, accessories, barn salvage, bohemian goods and couture, farmhouse finds, kitchen wares, rustic treasures, garden decor, art, upscale handmade items, delicious local food, lots of food trucks, wonderful live music, beer and wine, and so much more! There definitely is something for everyone!
What’s coming up for The Vintage Market in the future?
We have our events planned through 2017! We are so excited about the Markets we have planned for the future. They are as follows:
- December 4th – Christmas at the Cottage
- June 11th – Down on the Farm
- October 8th – Hocus Pocus
- December 17th – Home for the Holidays
Follow the Vintage Market on Social Media
www.facebook.com/VintageMarketDownriver | @VintageMarketDownriver
Visit The Vintage Market’s website
