Favorite Stories

For several years...I have been planning all my vacations around the Tailgate and Music Valley shows at Nashville...My friends and I would load up and have so much fun...Shopping and Buying...IT was certainly a big event to look forward to twice a year...Regardless of the weather...We were there..... I met Ralph and Linda Miller in 1998 //They were at the top of the stairs in the Fiddlers' Motel.. Their room was always the first one that we would head to when we got there...They always have such wonderful early painted things...They had an Early Green Painted Apothecary in their booth...I could not get away from Nashville without buying that wonderful piece...That sale between us started up a Friendship that neither time nor distance has ever seperated...Before long...they meet my husband and we were making trips to Carroll Ohio to buy from them...From the very beginning..IT was if we had known each other forever..By this time...We had already opened an Antique shop and was talking about having a show on our property...We just happened to be sitting at Linda and Ralph's dinner table and they immediately said that they wanted to be the first ones to sign up...The rest is pretty much history.. They know so much about Antiques and Primitives and have really taught us a lot..We consider them both part of our Family....BE sure and go by The Creative Arts Building Booth #31 and shop with Linda and Ralph Miller (aka )Miller House Antiques...You will be glad you did...I know that I certainly am... *Not only will you find Wonderful Antiques and Primitives at The Nashville shows but you never know who you may meet that will stay in your life forever...Long Live The Music Valley and Tailgate Shows.........

Jimmy and Ruth Rochelle
Primitive Homeplace

Holy Cow, 25 years you say. My favorite list includes selling a painted red ware candle mold to Clark Garrett, all night parties, seeing something I had sold early in the week appear at the Opryland on preview night with an extra zero on the price tag, picking lots of great things I should have kept, the night John T. Roth almost got me killed downtown Nashville, all night parties, all the dealers and friends who are no longer with us, realizing how much I did not know or understand, making some of my best sales, learning from some of the best in this business, watching Dick Robeson unpack for five days and still not get it all out, meeting David Good who I have long respected and relish as a friend and did I mention the all night parties. See you guys soon,

Michael Naylor (M T Folk Art)

I have many, many wonderful memories of the Tailgate Show because I've exhibited there for over 20 years. Lifelong friendships were formed, concerns for other dealers who were ill or unable to come with follow-up as to their condition existed and still does. We dealers know of the ongoing hard work that goes into making our show so special and we are ever appreciative. In these present economic times, we all have to remember that we are in this together and collegiality is so important from everyone. We are hoping and planning for our next show to be the very best ever!

Jo Ann Garrett

I can remember when as shoppers, we used to get paper tags to prove we had paid the admission fee for early buying. Then one year the colorful "early buying" buttons appeared. I have kept those buttons. I suppose it was a way to preserve some fond memories and to prove I had been there. Each year as February approaches I consider wearing all of those buttons on a jacket. Has anyone else kept their buttons? How many do you have? Should this be the year to wear them?

Mary DeBuhr