In a recent editorial for Canadian Antiques & Vintage magazine, Herb Bond wrote passionately about how collectors “derive immense satisfaction from both the experience and the stuff.” I would take that a step further to include the dealers as well as those who enjoy shopping at markets (antiques, vintage and flea), but don’t have specific collections.

The people, and their interactions, are really the heart of the shows. Whether selling or buying, their experiences are also shaped by their connections with each other. As a community, they are interesting, eclectic and a wonderfully quirky group of characters – each with their own story to tell.

And up until recently, there were not many opportunities for seasoned antique dealers, collectors and secondhand shoppers to come together in Metro Vancouver. The pandemic had a dramatic effect on several local shows, leaving many to sell and buy online. This, however, didn’t meet everyone’s needs as many still craved the in-person conversations and the ability to touch and feel the “stuff,” in real time.

“There was a vacuum,” says Kaarina Talvila, show producer for the BC Society for the Museum of Original Costume (SMOC). “We thought that maybe we could step up and fill the void.” SMOC, which was founded in 1992 to preserve fashion history in Vancouver, has been hosting a vintage market called Bizarre Bazaar since 2017 to increase its exposure and raise funds for various programs and initiatives.

The Bizarre Bazaar was well received, but limited with its reach as the focus was mostly on vintage fashion and accessories. The shows were first held in the iconic Hycroft Manor in Vancouver, but eventually moved to Heritage Hall on Main Street. However, organizers were ready to see if they could offer something bigger and with a broader focus.

“We wanted to shoot a bit higher, while maintaining the brand,” says Denise Jacques who is a past president with SMOC.  “The goal was to produce a different kind of show, one that would also attract a different kind of buyer.” And so, the “Grand Bazaar” was born and would now include a wider range of dealers selling antiques, collectibles, art, housewares, jewellery, clothing, accessories as well as a few tables for local charity organizations. They would also continue to include a special display of historical fashion curated by local fashion historian, Ivan Sayers.

With the change in focus, it meant that they would need a larger venue which proved to be quite the challenge. “I did a lot of shopping around and finally had a community centre lined up,” says Talvila, “but we would have had to bring in our own tables.” There were already so many details, and costs, adding in renting tables was more than what they wanted to take on. As a completely volunteer run organization (including Talvila’s position), they had to take all issues and extra costs into careful consideration which pushed back their initial launch date for the new show.

Fortunately, Jacques suggested they think outside of the “venue” box and consider Van Dusen Botanical Gardens. Not known for hosting vintage or antique shows, it ended up being the perfect central location on Vancouver’s West Side. “It’s a gorgeous setting, with lots of accessible and free parking that also made loading in and taking down the booths fairly easy for the vendors,” says Talvila. The one compromise, however, was that they had to host the show in two separate buildings which did add a level of logistical complexity.

Ultimately, the organizers were quite pleased with the show’s overall success. According to Talvila, “We were able to have more vendors, increased the number of people who attended the show and doubled our profit from previous shows.” As for future shows, they will be able to work out some of the logistical issues by increasing the number of volunteers and having more signage between the two buildings.

But more importantly, the vendors and attendees were all happy as the Grand Bazaar ended up being “quite a fun and social show,” according to Talvila. Lively conversations could be heard throughout the day, starting as vendors arrived and then carried over as they took time from setting up their booths to chat with shoppers in the long line up before the doors opened.

SMOC’s next Fall Grand Bazaar is on September 13, 2025 at VanDusen Botanical Gardens.

Reprinted with permission from Canadian Antiques & Vintage magazine. For subscription information to Canada’s only national antiques and vintage publication, please call toll-free 1.866.333.3397