Country Peddlers Antiques

Madelyn Mings started an antique shop in her home in the early 1980s. Her father had been an auctioneer and owner of a resale business in Missouri, and she often can be heard saying that antiquing and junkin’ is in her blood.

She, her son Danny, and daughter-in-law Lois, bought a building in Rek Hill near Fayetteville in 1988 and opened, Country Peddler Antiques, which is currently open Thursdays through Sundays. Lois shared that primitives have always been their best seller, especially locally handmade furniture.

The Mings and three other dealers began setting up in Warrenton in Renck’s front yard in the early 1980’s. In those years, they did not have tents to protect their wares. If it rained, vendors scrambled to cover up all of their merchandise and when the rain stopped, they hurriedly removed the tarps to resume their selling.

They stayed open from dawn to dusk and the repeat customers often were waiting in the dark early mornings for them to open.

Now currently they set up twice a year at the Blue House (Das Blaue Haus) in downtown Warrenton and have been for the past 25+ years. Their booth can be found set up in the garage and side yard. They enjoy visiting with customers who return to the shows each year and have become friends. Mings told Show Daily Magazine, “Each show, shoppers are asking for and buying different things, but the “top sellers” this past year were crock pottery, farm collectibles, yard furniture, and concrete items. As with each show the hot sellers are always different, and we can’t foresee what the “IT” items will be. We just go with our hearts and sell what we have”

The Mings usually take two or three buying trips a year going up north, stopping along the way in Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois. They stop at as many auctions, estate sales, antique shops and antique malls as they can.

What will be their “best sellers” when they set up for the next antique show, no one knows yet, but I will keep you posted.