You all may or may not have read how Mes Amis/Noel began. We began after needing to close down the Roseville Antique Market which my former partner and I began in the spring of 2009. Back then, there were no shows, no big fancy vintage events, no beautiful sales of any the kind in this area to inspire and bring together talented vendors and discerning customers. When the name and change to Mes Amis began in 2011, it was a show that was relevant, exciting, and important to the vintage loving community. It was an important venue because the recession began and many of the best vendors out there who worked hard at hunting, gathering, and selling great merchandise needed an outlet after the closure of stores and malls. At the same time, the dollars were limited, but customers saved up their pennies and waited until the show – supporting the small business each vendor created in their booth. Brewing in the background, vintage became popular to the mass market with “flipping” shows, recycling shows, and picking shows. In addition, items that were once hand crafted by vendors began showing up in commercial environments, Pinterest hit the scene, blogging communication faded to things like Facebook and now Instagram. For the customer, options grew. For the vendor, hunting was still hunting but more markets sprang up. By 2014, our best vendors were tired of the sun and rain and we began exploring indoor options – hoping ultimately to bring in more and diverse vendors while keeping our motto – Happy Vendors, Happy Customers! We knew that if the vendors continued to bring their best of the best to Mes Amis/Noel, the customers would know it and care about supporting and shopping.
However, things change and as they do and we need to adjust. We are very thankful that the economy has recovered. Many show vendors have turned to become brick and mortar shops again; we support and applaud their successes as this is a tough market with vintage being so popular and so much more commercialized. Many vendors have changed their business models, are moving into different directions (new careers, new product lines), or they may no longer be with us.
Our customers have changed as well. We understand that to get the look, they can now paint it, get a reproduction or repurpose a cheaper item to make it their own. Many of my own friends are telling me they are downsizing while talking about how the customers are not buying like they used to. A new type of buyer in vintage has emerged and vendors need to support all types of customers the best they can with the business model they have – even if it is costing them. Last year, we decided to rebrand the show to a new name and we became Revelry. The goal was to begin marketing, but we did not realize it was going to begin a new transition to the entire model of the show. This spring, the changes became evident with the feedback we continued to request – things in the vintage show community need to change.
We have not changed with the changing community – we have tried to keep what was a relevant show 9 years ago in the same model. It is not working. We know the customers love what we do – but there are less of them. We know the vendors appreciate who we are – but there are less of them. We need to cancel the show and start something new and not continue our old model with our new name.
We know that there are so many of you that believe as we do that there is a place for real vintage items – true authentic chippy paint, real primitives, authentic glass, real linen, hard earned unique pieces, buried rust, one of a kind art, and really great artists that are the best in their creative fields. The kind of items and artistry that would only will appear in your home and displayed in a really cool way. But there are new makers, new trends and new visions. That was how it all began….thats how the new show will begin. But it cannot begin right away. We are committed to continuing shows but only if it becomes important to do so. There are many options out there for the customer right now – we want to be a quality show, a proper exchange of inspiration between vendor and customer, different, and unlike anything out there. We are going to take some time to research, develop and see what may be out there. It will be under the Revelry name. And it will be special once again. In the meantime, all of our 2018 fairground shows will be cancelled – Spring (April) and Holiday (November). We will still work with the Sierra College Patrons to develop their show in Rocklin – you will find information at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/sierra-college-vintage-marketplace
Our family is committed to bringing quality vintage in a show environment. We believe that it is important to do so and bring the best of the best that we meet along the way to the Placer County community – and we appreciate you allowing us to take the time to research how best to do that. If you want to provide us any feedback, please do so and email me at theoliveandrose@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Sandy Bryan and Family

Categories: Blog, Follow, Mes Amis Vintage Antique Show, Noel, The Olive and Rose