gardenmonkey: Renningers Antiques in Mount Dora

A row of permanent shops at Renningers

Sunday morning, Mike, Stephen and I headed up to Renningers Twin Markets in Mount Dora. It's about a thirty minute ride northwest from Colonialtown and a favorite weekend getaway. One of the things that make it unique is that it has a flea market on one side and a first class antique market on the other.
For another," the flea market is the real deal, not a bunch of inferior trash brought in from the orient last week and guaranteed to break the next. Ninety percent of the merchandise is recycled or fresh grown (including the miniature goats and African geese). The vendors are as unique as the merchandise, and as we got there very early, they provided the best people watching.

Collectible comic book characters and cartoon figurines.

Miniature goat about the size of a small dog

African goose dreaming of the un-caged days

Actually the most intriguing thing was people" imagining". I was really intrigued by the big space that had no people in it but had a few dozen empty beer cans, an empty quart of Jim Beam and a couple of drained wine bottles. Judging by the displays everywhere, including the Santa Claus head mobile and the twenty foot long plank with a hundred pairs of toy dinosaurs glued to it in solemn procession, I think those empties might be the remnants of a bipolar person in full blown mania seeking to self-medicate. At least in this environment they would not stick out like a sore thumb. The only thing that would look strange here would be a "normal" person. I know we all felt right at home.

Lost City, possibly home to a Bipolar man, definitely home to the last remaining dinosaurs

The last remaining dinosaurs on a mission

A beer can mobile

On the Antique side there was the charming dealer who used to be in Palm Beach. He has exquisite taste and I fancied a pair of dolphin planters that he had copied by a Cuban craftsman from Miami. He says these are the last ones and I believe him. We've never regretted a purchase from him yet. There is a custom jeweler here as well who fashions classic pieces that could only be equalled by fin de siecle masters.

Fine antique jewelery at Renningers

There are over 150 dealers with permanent displays and I'll have to feature some of my other favorites in future posts. In addition to the weekly wonders, there are monthly fairs that bring in 200 more dealers, and four times a year, the Extravaganzas bring in over a thousand. It's no wonder that this place is the antique center par excellence in the whole state of Florida. Best of all, it;s in Orlando's backyard.