The Rustic Trunk

10/30/2026

Are you on the fence about doing a holiday open house? Well, let me clear that up for you.

Here are the top reasons to do a holiday open house for a vendor booth:
​Here is why a holiday open house is so crucial for booth success:
​Creates immediate urgency. Vintage, primitive, and hand-finished holiday items are one-of-a-kind. An event brings shoppers in all at once, knowing if they pass on a special piece, it will be gone.
​Boosts foot traffic and sales. Event-based marketing draws far more shoppers than a typical weekend, giving you a strong sales spike right at the start of the season.
​Sells inventory at full value. Early holiday shoppers are eager to deck their halls and buy unique gifts. An open house lets you move your best pieces at top dollar before late-season markdowns.
​Turns shopping into an experience. People love the warmth of a festive event with holiday music, treats, and friendly faces. It turns buying into an enjoyable outing that online shopping simply cannot replicate.
​Provides visual decorating inspiration. Fully styled booth displays give customers fresh ideas for their own homes, making it easier for them to picture your items in their space and buy the look.
​Builds real customer relationships. It gives you the perfect opportunity to chat with shoppers, share styling tips, answer questions, and build a loyal local following.
​Drives great social media content. An open house gives you endless content for sneak peeks, countdowns, and photo posts that generate organic word-of-mouth buzz.
​Benefits from collective mall traffic. When all the vendors deck out their booths, the combined effort creates a major destination draw that brings in shoppers who might not normally visit.
​Clears space for incoming winter inventory. Moving a high volume of seasonal items early keeps your booth fresh and ready for new inventory after the holidays.

10/30/2026

Primitives coming soon

10/30/2026

10/30/2026

Hello everybody. Happy Friday.
​So, we have a great weekend coming up. The Old Coil Factory is open today from 11:00 to 6:00 and Sunday from 12:00 to 5:00. They are having so much Christmas moving in. Make sure you check out all the booths. I have some really sweet primitive items that I will be stocking soon. So, hop on over and enjoy your weekend in Roanoke.

10/29/2026

✨ Top 10 Most Sought-After Vintage & Mid-Century Modern Christmas Decor! ✨
​If you’re looking to add retro charm, atomic flair, or pure holiday nostalgia to your home this season, these are the top 10 vintage Christmas items collectors and buyers are hunting for right now:​
🎄 1. Vintage Aluminum Christmas Trees
​The ultimate Mid-Century Modern crown jewel! Popularized in the late 1950s and '60s (think Evergleam), these shimmering metallic trees—especially rare colored ones in pink, teal, or gold—are top-tier Holy Grails for MCM lovers.
​🌈 2. Electric Rotating Color Wheels
​You can’t have a classic aluminum tree without a motorized spotlight color wheel below it casting shifts of red, green, amber, and blue across the metallic branches.
​🔮 3. Shiny Brite Glass Ornaments & Indent Reflectors
​Nothing says mid-century tree decor like classic Shiny Brite boxed sets. Collectors look for atomic starbursts, striped finishes, teardrops, and deep center "indent" reflectors that catch tree lights.
​🌲 4. Nostalgic Lighted Ceramic Christmas Trees
​The iconic heavy ceramic trees with colourful twist lights from Atlantic Mold, Holland Mold, or Arnel’s. Large sizes with intricate scroll bases are always high on wish lists!
​🎅 5. Holt-Howard & "Winking Santa" Ceramics
​50s retro kitchenware doesn't get better than Holt-Howard! Their playful "Winking Santa" pitch-and-mug sets, salt & pepper shakers, and candy dishes bring instant whimsical charm.
​🧝 6. Knee-Hugger Elves & Pixies
​Those adorable 1950s/60s felt poseable elves with vinyl faces that sit tucked on a shelf or tucked right into tree branches. A must-have for kitschy, cozy decor!
​⛄ 7. Vintage Outdoor Plastic Blow Molds
​Illuminated plastic lawn Santas, snowmen, and reindeer from brands like Empire, General Foam, and Union Products. People love the durable, bold look of authentic 1960s neighborhood Christmas displays!
​🏘️ 8. Cardboard Putz Houses & Christmas Villages
​Charming glittered miniature cardboard houses made in Japan during the 40s, 50s, and 60s, complete with bottle brush trees and a slot in the back for C7 Christmas lights.
​🚀 9. Atomic Starburst & Sputnik Tree Toppers
​Ditch the plain star—MCM enthusiasts go crazy for brass, glass, or plastic sputnik starburst tree toppers that look like retro rockets or mid-century light fixtures!
​🕯️ 10. Bubble Lights (NOMA)
​A childhood favorite! These liquid-filled glass vials bubble up when the internal bulb warms up, creating a mesmerising, motion-filled vintage tree glow.
​💬 Which of these retro favorites is sitting in your holiday collection or on your wishlist this year? Let us know below! 👇
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10/29/2026

Hey everyone. I told you that I scored some pretty sweet primitive antique items from a private source. Those will be inventoried, cleaned, and put in my booth. So be on the lookout.
F y I there is a very large item on the bottom that would make a beautiful tabletop. Display all year round.

10/29/2026

Great idea

10/29/2026

Y’all keep an eye out for some new furniture coming in soon! I’ve been scouring the auction sites and getting right back into one of my favorite passions.
​I’ll be bringing this table over as soon as the finish completely cures! Plus, I’m going to be pulling that end table the bassett, to give it a fresh new look, so I’ll be bringing that one back over soon, too. Stay tuned!