By Callum Ludwig
Avid collectors and gatherers can potentially look forward to a new attraction coming to Warburton, with a Small Antiques and Collectibles Fair event gaining traction.
Benno Poeder is seeking expressions of interest from potential stallholders who may like to join the event, with a tentative date of March 2025 at the Warburton Waterwheel set.
Mr Poeder said he had a bookstore in Warburton dealing in antiquarian books and photographs, which he has been doing since he was at university in the ‘90s.
“I had an email from someone who asked if we’re interested in old vinyl and I said ‘Yeah of course’, some vinyls are highly collectible especially if it’s popular music from say the 50s, 60s and 70s,” he said.
“I’ve got a guy that’s coming in, he’s a volunteer here and he used to have antique or vintage collectible figurines for soldiers, little things from Star Wars and so on which are again, highly collected,”
“I also have a lady here who’s been a photographer as well and she collects old photographs, we were in Brussels and in Paris and people buy photographs, especially old photographs, as well antique postcards and stuff like that.”
The fair would be held both in the Warburton Waterwheel Gallery and on the patio outside, catering to small antiques and collectibles, rather than larger items like furniture. Clothing items may be accepted, depending on the condition and significance.
Mr Poeder said he has six or seven stall holders locked in, has the capacity for 23 stalls and probably needs at least 15 for the event to be viable.
“I want people to not simply come here for a coffee or a pizza, there’s plenty of places to buy coffee and pizza, but I’d really like people to come here and think ‘Oh well, we can go to Warburton while they have the antique fair there’ and it’s worthwhile coming,” he said.
“It’s a multicultural town now, especially on weekends, so I’m hoping that that will continue and actually grow,”
“The minute I said I wanted to have an antiques fair, a lot of people jumped up and said ‘I’ve got all this old stuff at home, I’ve got these old books, I’ve got these old pictures and I’ve got all this old stuff that my great -grandma left me but put in an expression of interest, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to be in.”
There will be 13 spots available inside and 10 spots available outside for the fair, while Mr Poeder is also interested to hear from any local artists who might like to exhibit (hopefully for free, pending grant funding support for the fair) on any available wall space in the gallery as well as any food providers who would like to set up at the event.
Anyone wishing to put in an expression of interest can contact Mr Poeder at bennopoeder@gmail.com or on Messenger by contacting ‘Benno Poeder’.
