Monday, March 1, 2021

Tales of the Traveling Tote #26: Antiquing, and Giveaway

Welcome to the Tales of the Traveling Tote #26, and Happy March! Our tales began in 2015 (go here to get the story behind it all), and here we are in 2021, still journaling our tales each quarter. You can go here for my personal travel history with my totes, Miss Luna C and Miss Charley C.

Probably the most significant trips I've made in this past quarter are two outings for the COVID vaccine. That's both me and Mr. P. pictured below (and Miss Charley C), getting our second shots in the latter part of February, almost one year since the pandemic began. BREAK OUT! We are now counting the days until we can feel a little more relaxed to eat out, shop in person, and actually travel! Let's just hope these vaccines will be effective against variants.
Most of my readers know one of my favorite pre-COVID activities was antiquing and vintage shopping. My two Panoply sisters and I have rented spaces in the South Charleston Antique Mall since July, 2008 in WV. The 3-story (+mezzanine), 18,000 square foot building (pictured below) was formerly a retail department clothing store in its heyday. Now its purpose is an antique emporium!
Since my travels during the past year have involved little more than my [mostly] weekly trips to the antique mall to restock and fluff our booth spaces, I thought it might be fun to have Miss Luna C take you along for a mini tour of our antique mall. I'll share several of our dealers' spaces, and give you a look at our current spaces as they're styled for early spring. Miss Luna C was excited for this excursion, and I hope you are too!

Our starting point on first floor is the corner of one of our spaces. We'll circle back at the end of our trip to see more of our spaces.
Still on first floor, we go to the far back and find one of our favorite dealer friend's booths. She buys a lot of big furniture, as you will see in another photo. Miss Luna C sits on an English washstand in the corner.
More of the same dealer's goods, let's see what's cooking (besides Miss Luna C in the large apple butter kettle!). Crates, curios, brass beds, large stained glass windows......
Pictured below is some of the really big furniture this dealer hauls in. Look at that massive secretary and corner cabinet. My sisters and I don't sell large furniture like this, and we never did. We now limit furniture items to what may fit in an SUV.

Moving up the stairs to the mezzanine level, this cigar store Native American is on the lookout for good deals. 
Ahh, yes, just up a few more stairs to second floor, we see a dealer who sells all things Fiesta, which is manufactured in West Virginia. 
This was late February, so he had already made green the starring color, but just around the corner of this aisle display, there was still a bit of red and white for Valentine's Day. He switches his color scheme displays monthly, and stocks more colors on the racks behind these. 
Miss Luna C wants some rock and roll. This dealer stocks an excellent variety of vintage vinyl LPs.
This dealer nearby has a vintage library with a couple chairs for customers to peruse the inventory.
A West Virginia antique mall without vintage glassware would be like a candy store without candy. Blenko, Viking, Kanawha, Rainbow, Fenton - they're all in our antique mall. Check out these fun facts on this iconic WV artistry on the state's Tourism website. We have several dealers who sell vintage glass.

On the third floor of our antique mall, we have a dealer who caters to us dish lovers! Check out that Windsor Ware harvest fruit in the cabinet! There was a beautiful china set on the table too which I hurriedly walked past without taking a photo. It had a pink rim and roses.

This booth has a nice set of chairs hanging on the wall. That's a trick we often use (and are currently doing in one of our spaces!). Those barrister bookcases like the one on the floor below the chairs are consistently hot commodities at auction, estate sales and even antique malls. It won't last long here.
Coming back downstairs to first floor, we'll make one more stop, right next to my sisters' and my booth. This dealer specializes in postcards. Miss Luna C is propped up on the section of travel postcards.
I promised a few photos of our booths as they are currently styled, so the rest of the photos you will see are of mine and my sisters' rented spaces. This first space is what we refer to as our main booth. It's directly beside the dealer with the postcards.
Not pictured in the photo above, but barely visible on the right are one, double-sided rack of our vintage linens.
Directly behind the right side louvered dividers of our main booth is our mall's service elevator, and the aisle turns right. If you think of the floor layout as shaped like a U, we would be situated at the base of that U. You'll perhaps have a better idea of that as I show the additional spaces. We have a space directly beside the elevator. We refer to this section as our "mantiques". The guys (and gals, too) gravitate toward it.
Directly across the aisle from mantiques is yet another space. This space is sort of a mixture of vintage  country/farmhouse/primitive items, seen below. Through the shelf and louvered shutter divider at center, you can see the staircase that leads to the mall's upper floors.
See the backside of the lamps on the right? Here's the front of that table (picture below), which is on that aisle that turned right from the service elevator I mentioned earlier. 
Lastly, we end up where we started this mini antiquing adventure, at our space on the corner of another aisle, at the foot of the staircase. From here, you can look back all the way to our mantiques section. It's one continuum, with a left turn at mantiques taking you to our main booth. 
Behind the repurposed chifferobe pictured on the corner above, we have the space behind it also. The wall is pictured below. There's that chair I mentioned we hung on the wall. We work around space restrictions such as the HVAC system ductwork, and optimize what space we have.
I know that was a whirlwind tour, particularly of Panoply's own spaces, but I want you to now read about our giveaway and take some time to visit my tote tribe sisters! I'll try to show our antique booth spaces in more product detail in a future post. We have a lot of fun inventory, both vintage and antique.

NOW, ONTO THE GIVEAWAY!
(Update March 8, 2021: Barb at the Sewing Knit Loft was randomly chosen as our winner by Jackie Williamson. Thank you to all who left comment entries!)

The Traveling Totes Tribe is offering another giveaway and Jackie at Purple Chocolat Home is our giveaway sponsor this time. One lucky reader who leaves a comment on Jackie's post today will have their name thrown into the hat for an opportunity to win this MacKenzie-Childs Tulip Tea Kettle Dish Towel. This is a perfect accessory for welcoming spring in your kitchen! 

Be sure to check out my other traveling sisters' posts to see what they've been up to during these past few winter months.
Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths
Emily with Miss Courtney Childs@ The French Hutch
Patti with Miss Kenzie and Miss Taylor @ Pandora's Box
Jenna with Miss Coquille @ The Painted Apron
Linda P with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda
Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply (you are here!)
Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul
Jackie with Miss Madi K @ Purple Chocolat Home
Ricki Jill and Countess de Monet @The Sketchy Reader

Join us again on June 1, 2021 for another edition of the Tales of the Traveling Tote. I'm dreaming of a real vacation!
Thanks so much for your visit. I love reading your comments, and be sure to leave one on Jackie's blog for a chance at our token gift. Stay safe, and Happy March!

35 comments:

  1. Oh I’m so happy you took me antiquing! My inner dishaholic made a beeline to that wonderful Windsor Ware and I’d love to peruse those vintage postcards for some holiday-themed ones. And Eureka, a European watering can from your booth...one can never have too many. :) I would think keeping your linens tidy would be a constant battle. I still dream about refolding and restacking sweaters from my early women’s apparel days...*shudder*. Congratulations on your vaccines, what a relief! NC’s roll out is painfully slow. My hubby and I are in Group 5 and they’re still working on Groups 1 & 2. Happy March to you!

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  2. Oh I have missed my fun days out when I would make a day of antiquing. I enjoyed my tour of your antique mall. I could easily spend a couple of days there. Miss Luna C made some very photogenic pics. I can see how space is so valuable in these booths. Hanging items on the wall surly helps solve that problem. So happy you and Mr. P got your vaccine. Happy March Rita.........

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  3. Thank you for the wonderful tour of your antique mall Rita, I feel like I've been shopping! I love the mantique section, I can see why shoppers are drawn there, it looks like a treasure trove of fun stuff. I'm glad you've been able to keep your spaces open, but I know you miss your trips with your sisters to find goodies for your booths. I'm glad you have gotten your vaccines, I'm on a waiting list. I hope Spring is beginning to show in your area, I know warmer weather will make us all feel better!
    Jenna

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  4. Rita, such a lovely tour of your antique mall. I could spend hours there. I am afraid I would definitely come home with more dishes...LOL. I think it is fabulous you and your sisters do this together. I love seeing miss Luna C sitting on vintage furniture and of course my favorite is the wall hung chair. How we love to play. So glad you and the Mr got your vaccines. Happy March.

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  5. What a fabulous emporium! I would be there for hours (probably a lot of those hours spent at the postcard booth and at yours, which looks terrific. It is inspiring me to spring up my house and bring my Hall china up from the basement (which of the patterns to choose? There's the rub!) and freshen up the winter linens to spring. I know if I was headed to Charleston, your place would be my first stop! Beautiful, Rita. I'm delighted it's feeling kind of normal in that way. And well done with the vaccine!

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  6. Miss Luna C has been very busy shopping! I want to go shopping with her, especially to the Fiestaware store...I love it, and if I didn't collect MacKenzie-Childs, I'd probably collect it because I love all the fun shapes and colors. The Cigar Store Ole Kowaliga wants to shop with Miss Luna C, too. You'd better be careful: He might keep her, lol. I'm ready for herd immunity and May travels!!!

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  7. Rita, it sure is fun to get a virtual antique shopping excursion. How I miss just being out and about four a leisure time like that! Glad you and Will are fully vaccinated! I received my second last Thursday. My second day was not pleasant, but feeling fine again now. I smiled at your vaccine photo. There were signs posted everywhere at our hubs, No Photos Allowed! I found that really strange. Glad you documented this event for the family archives! Thinking our COVID vaccine cards should be saved. 😂😂😂 Prayers for all in harms way with your flooding conditions.

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  8. Rita, I have so missed my antiquing around our city, but thanks to you I feel as if I have been on a wonderful antiquing excursion. I would love shopping your booths and the entire mall. Maybe one day RM and I will head that way. We get our second shot Wednesday, I so hope it will mean feeling safe to be out and about more. Happy March!

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  9. I so enjoyed shopping virtually with you, Rita! I so wish I could be there in person, but still I loved seeing all the wonderful treasures. Thank you for taking me me along on this fun tour.

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  10. Oh, Rita, I want to spend hours here shopping and looking for treasures. These places often make me feel so nostalgic, finding things that remind me of my grandparents, or my childhood. I am going back to zoom in on some of your photos! Thanks for the tour of this fabulous building!

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  11. I love seeing your booth and would enjoy seeing it in person. We also received our second vaccine with only mild symptoms and next Wednesday it will be two weeks so we will feel more free to at least travel to our daughters.
    I'm thinking of your area with flood warnings.

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  12. I really needed this antiquing trip today, Rita! What a fabulous store that I'm sure I could spend hours in. I love how Miss Luna found such fun perches for her photo ops. I haven't been on a shopping trip in forever! I'm a vintage postcard lover so right there would be and hour or two. Glad to see you guys getting the vaccine. My hubby had his first one, but I'm going to have to wait for mine until I get a diagnosis on my further autoimmune issues. I'd love to have a night out for dinner!!

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  13. Looks like your spaces are just stuffed and brimming with treasures. Glad to see it is open during all of this craziness. I would love browsing through everyone’s shops!

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  14. Rita, what an inviting emporium! I love looking at postcards! Miss Luna looks amazing in every view you have shown, including your vaccine. Cheers to traveling soon!

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  15. Rita, I enjoyed our antiquing trip! I found several interesting things. ☺️ I love the way the sun shines thru the vintage glass. Your booths have so many nice items. Congratulations on your immunization! We're not even close to receiving ours but it will get better now that the CDC, state, and the entire process has been handed over to a different department. We're ready for a trip too. Have a wonderful week! Clara ❤️

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  16. I enjoyed my outing! I get my next vaccine in about a week. Katie's group will be called soon.

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  17. Hi Rita,
    What a great tour you took us on. I love those four chairs that Miss Luna was sitting on the wall. I see lots of fun in this place. Glad you and Mr. P got your vaccines. I cannot wait to be eligible for mine. It's fun to dream of strolling antique malls and shops again. Have a great week. xoxo Kris

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  18. Well, this was a treat today! And that booth with the large furniture got my heart racing. We shifted a doorway in our kitchen remodel to make room for a huge old store cabinet we have--and that means there's now a larger wall in the hall, too! Hmmm... Glad to hear you got your vaccine!

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  19. Good morning, Rita. I so enjoy my antiquing adventure today. I do miss being out and about. We used to have a few great places here, but no longer. There are some wonderful treasures I spotted on this trip. We got our 1st vaccine dose on Friday and the next one in 21 days. We feel like a black cloud has been lifted. Spring will help us all.

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  20. What a beautiful way to start my mid-morning! I'd love to visit your Mall and I see a few things I'd certainly love, and what a gorgeous building. All so inviting and displayed so well. In your booth, the tulip set...mixing bowls, grease container etc...are the salt & pepper shakers priced separately? I'm interested if so. And I'd love to look through your linens. Someday....a road trip is in order! Congratulations on the vaccines. We are not getting them for the time being as we both have had covid and are producing our own antibodies. Stay healthy!

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  21. Loved the tour around the antique mall. I miss my "junking", thrifting and antiquing days. I haven't been since the pandemic started. I hope to get back to it this spring/summer. Your booths look like they have some great stuff. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Lynda, thanks so much for coming along browsing the mall with me! Happy March!

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  22. I miss shopping or even just exploring shops. There is a town here in Oregon called Aurora so filled with shops.

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    1. Thank you, Rose. We are all so anxious to feel a sense of normalcy again. Happy March to you!

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  23. So happy you and Mr. P are now both fully immunized. Mr. Buzz and I are just a few years shy of qualifying and so we wait... But, was it ever a treat to go antiquing with you Rita! I especially loved the peeks of vintage hats in your booth. Love those. And, did I spot a white stoneware rabbit covered basket weave casserole? I've been wanting one to go with my pig and rooster covered ones. Too bad we don't live closer!

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  24. Such fun to go antiquing even if only virtually, Rita. Thank you for the stroll around the different booths. I can see that American Indian astride his Appaloosa pony, with Miss Luna C safely secured as a saddle bag! Love all that antique coloured glass; but I fear I would spend much too much time at your linens. Oh, and I am afraid I would make a terrible mess sifting through it all. I could happily stay at 'your' Antique Mall forever. I must say Miss Charley C contributed a spot of colour and whimsy to the vaccination booth.

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  25. Rita, I absolutely loved your tour of the antique mall. How I miss antiquing. I loved going with my sister whenever we could get a chance. It is hard to do anything of the sort online. I would love to visit it in person. I am such a big fan of vintage linens and other collections. Because of the pandemic, I am on the hunt for a Hawkeye vintage picnic basket. We will be having more picnics until the virus is under control or we are vaccinated. I use to go with my daughter before she moved to Colorado. It is so much fun since many items take me down "memory lane." Thank you for lifting my spirits and "getting me out of the house" even if it was virtually. All the best with your booth.

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  26. I was so excited to see this post in my inbox this morning! I can't even remember the last time I went antiquing. I read this with my coffee this morning and I came back to look at the pictures again and tell you what a wonderful place you have! I was also so excited to see you and your hubby getting your vaccines too. We are waiting for our call to get ours which should be any day now. I simply cannot wait. I don't think I'll be rushing out to the mall or anything but I know I will feel such relief! Thanks so much for brightening my day with your tour. This post was exactly what I needed today. Have a wonderful week.

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  27. I so enjoyed the grand tour and seeing your booths! So glad you both have had your vaccines! We're in the next group to come--'bout the ONLY time I wished to be a bit OLDER!

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    1. Kathy, thank you. Lol, I get the part about wanting to be older for the vaccine! Our state has now lowered the age level to 50! Thanks for visiting!

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  28. Rita, I love that you included your vaccine in the post, and your longer hair looks lovely! I wish our Texas leadership was handling the vaccine rollout and protocol well as West Virginia--don't get me started! I always enjoy seeing your charming booths! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm!

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  29. Hi Rita,
    First of all I am so glad you both received your vaccine. Hubby and I just received our first and go back in a couple of weeks for the second. I will be glad when they are all completed.
    Your post has so much "eye candy" I find myself going back and forth thru your pics. I know there is so much hard work that goes into arranging your booths, but they look fabulous! I'm so fortunate that you and Kris and I connected so long ago! Stay safe my friend.
    Kathleen

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  30. Looks like the kind of antique mall I would love to spend time in!

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  31. Rita, I've missed visiting the vintage and antique shops. A multi floored shop like yours would send me over the edge of happiness. Do you find it difficult to part with the things you find for selling? Now with the vaccines you can venture further afield and not worry so much about that pandemic thang!
    Thanks for sharing this and all the posts at the Friday with Friends link party.
    RR

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  32. Due to covid, I am unable to shop this treasure. I love reading your post. Thankyou for sharing such a captivating post.

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