Ayr’s popular antique and vintage fair is back with a bang this Saturday.
Under new owners Alistair and Joanne Coates, Ayr Antique, Vintage & Collectors Fair returns to the Citadel Leisure Centre this weekend, following a hiatus due to the Covid pandemic.
Citadel’s main hall will become awash with dealers selling an eclectic mix of antiques, ceramics, silver, jewellery, toys, pictures, paintings, collectors items and much more.
And a cafe is also set to feature in the coming weeks.
Alistair and Joanne, from Ayr, had been due to reopen the fair in March 2020 when the first national lockdown was imposed.
Alistair said: “The fair in Ayr and Glasgow used to be run by another company and they retired when the pandemic hit.
“We’d got all the advertising ready and then two weeks before the fair we had the first lockdown.
“But we weren’t deterred; we knew we could get it going again eventually.
“We used to sell at the fairs anyway, and then when Scotfairs retired, it left a hole and there was no one going to be taking it on.
“We thought about the opportunity for us, the opportunity for the town and there was maybe 50 dealers who haven’t got another outlet to sell.”
Joanne continued: “The stall holders have been put on hold for long as we have and it’s just so good to get people back and earning again.
“There’s so much closing down in the town and we just need something to get people back out and about.
“You walk down the High Street and it’s not a pretty sight.
“We just want to bring something positive back to the town.”
The couple hope to appeal to all ages with the stalls on offer, including a younger demographic whose attendance at vintage fairs seem to be on the rise as they look to give pre-loved items a new lease of life.
Joanne said: “We’ve still got the traditional antiques that people look for but we’re looking to a younger demographic.
“In Glasgow, we get a lot of students and young families.
“What they say now is, ‘your grandma bought it, your mum threw it away and the granddaughters are buying it back’.
“Selling antiques is the original recycling.”
Alistair added: “There’s a big upcycling trend at the minute in the industry.
“Especially with the climate at the minute, with the pandemic and the cost of everything; people are reusing and upcycling.”
• Ayr Antique, Vintage & Collectors Fair returns on Saturday, February 26 from 10am to 4pm (held monthly thereafter), with £1 admission.
Don't miss the latest Ayrshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter here
