Tent Sale time again!
Fiesta Tableware Company celebrated its 90th anniversary this year, and with it, they released the Lavender color of dinnerware, its 58th unique and distinct color. On this occasion, the Fiesta Fanatics, my bestie and dear friend Kissy decided to go to the tent sale this year. Prepping for the tent sale is no trivial matter; you have to review your dish inventory, create your wishlist of current color items, create your wishlist of retired color items, and plan your dish packing and transport strategy carefully!
We traveled to Newell, WV, beginning our journey in Milwaukee. We made stops in Chicago and at an antique mall in Maumee, OH, along the way. We got there on Thursday evening, although the sale officially started on Thursday morning. The Fiesta company replenishes the tent with seconds as the bins are emptied, so we were confident we wouldn't miss out on anything!
We got to the parking lot (and the line to enter) at 6:30 am on Friday morning; the sale starts at 8:30 am. Upon arrival, you join the line and receive a ticket with a number indicating your position; we were numbers 60, 61, and 62. People are allowed into the sale in groups of 50, and we were in the second group. We planned our approach to the tent and had each other's wish lists. We were prepared! Standing in line is fun, meeting people and learning where they are from, if there was their first sale, what they were hoping to find.
The plant, on the banks of the Ohio River between West Virginia and Ohio, was decorated and ready for the sale and the 90th-anniversary celebration. There were actually two lines in the parking lot: one for the 90th celebration and one for the tent sale. We wanted the tent sale!
Here's a picture of my bestie's cart. I was so focused on shopping that I forgot to take any photos! After the sale, you can visit the official factory store, where some items are offered at a discount. I adore the variety of colors available in Fiesta! There are currently 13 active colors, along with all the beautiful decals they add to the dishes.
As part of the 90th anniversary, they had set up all 58 colors in a place setting and complementary serving pieces. What an amazing exhibit! The variety of hues is just incredible.
There were too many favorites for me to chose just one, although if I had to, Persimmon is still my absolute favorite color.
Whenever we leave town, we make a point to visit Pottery City Galleries located across the river in East Liverpool, Ohio. Bestie made the purchase of the trip: three Lilac dinner plates for $8 each! Lilac was produced for only two years and is highly sought after. This "mall" used to be a department store and features four floors of antiques, including many dishes, plenty of Fiesta, and various other decorative items. We always find great bargains!
On our drive back to Chicago, we took a detour to Shipshewana, Indiana, to have lunch in Indiana's Amish country.
We stopped at the Blue Gate Restaurant which had incredible fried chicken, Kissy and Bestie took some home for their hubbies.
We did a bit of shopping, there are some really cute shops and headed home. I saw this sign in one of the shops and it perfectly captures the three of us!
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