Gallery
GRAAFF-REINET NEWS — The inaugural Collections Fair exceeded the expectations of both the organisers and the visitors, with forty displays showcasing almost double that number of collections.
Items on display included tins, baskets, Bibles, toy cars, stamps, soldiers, cameras, rocks and minerals and beautiful lacework. Some of the more unusual items included walking sticks, white enamelware, handcrafted knives, salt and pepper sets, and a Karoo bush pharmacy.
Many of those exhibiting had fascinating stories to tell about how they started their collections.
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Local collectors Brian Hough and Johan Maarschalk had an interesting display of Royal Doulton pieces - Brian recounted an amusing tale of a customer, who was lamenting the lack of Royal Doulton in their shop, being directed to the bathroom, where the toilet bowl is genuine Doulton!
Elizabeth and Robert Vorster had a fascinating collection of tins, backed with a large quilt, displayed in memory of Christine MacKenzie Vorster and Margaret MacKenzie Biggs.
Helen Smith and her husband Daniel (Patrys) had three collections on their stand.
Daniel's small but artistically arranged collection of frogs immediately caught the eye, and he explained that the frogs always reminded him to be humble. Helen's magnificent collections of decorated eggs and bunches of grapes were acquired during their diplomatic postings overseas.
She proudly pointed out her first acquisition of Mexican stone grapes, which were given to her in 1962. Her egg collection includes a real variety of decoration, including painted, beaded, and enamelled eggs.
Another stall that attracted a great deal of attention was the Blue Bulls display set up by Tienie Fourie.
He has been a fan since he was 10-years-old and now keeps all his memorabilia in the braai area of his house.
Most of the items have been given to him by friends, who are never short of ideas for birthday presents!
Pride of place was taken by a close-to life-size blue bull, which started its life on the roof of a steakhouse in Church Street.
Susan Davis's collection of rocks and minerals was inspired by the beautiful rocks in the area where she lives, on the Middelburg road.
Her collection includes several Bushman artefacts, and a striking mosaic of an African man-made from feldspar collected in the Kendrew area.
In a small room overlooking the fields, Andries Smit enthusiastically explained the uses of the different herbs in his Karoo Bossie Apteek. He grew up with the old herbal remedies and is very knowledgeable about the benefits of drinking tea made with the various leaves and barks.
One of the largest displays was Nicolien Wentzel's doll alcove.
She has always loved dolls and has been collecting seriously for about 15 years.
A large room in her home has been converted into a "woman cave" to display her collection, which includes dolls from all over the world in many different sizes and styles.
She was unable to say exactly how many dolls she owns but estimates it to be between 2 000 and 3 000.
This beautifully displayed and varied collection earned her second prize.
Some exhibitors had travelled from far afield to share their exhibits, including Craig Pannell from Port Elizabeth who won first prize for his collection of toys from yesteryear. Third place was awarded to Bob van Loggerenberg for his fascinating model railway, with engines shuttling to and fro on the track.
A table in the main hall had been set aside for "Antiques Roadshow" - style valuations, and several people took advantage of the expertise of Dee Malkinson, who had travelled from Port Elizabeth to take on the dual role of valuer and judge.
The other judges were Marnix Boersema of the local Reformed Church and Dr Ben van Tonder of the NG Grootkerk.
On the field, 72 classic cars were parked, all polished to perfection, reflecting their owners'' pride in their vehicles.
These attracted a great deal of interest from visitors.
The oldest car on show was a 1916 Chev Coupe Roadster, and the owner who travelled the greatest distance to be at the show came all the way from Johannesburg.
The many food stalls, mostly manned by local churches, did a brisk trade, and served excellent food!
In the car park area, there were 16 participants in the car boot sale, who also reported good sales.
A wide variety of goods from painting to muffins was offered by these vendors.
The event was the brainchild of Carol-ann van Jaarsveld.
When asked what had inspired her to organise the show, a first for Graaff-Reinet, she replied that it was her husband's collection of handcrafted knives!
People were always fascinated by his collection, and they seized on the opportunity for other collectors to also share their passions with a broader audience. A great deal of work went into the promotion and organisation of the event, which was managed by Carol-ann and her committee under the auspices of the Reformed Church.
The resounding success of the event, which attracted close to 800 visitors, has left no doubt in the committee's minds that they will soon need to start planning for an even bigger and better event next year!
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