43. 2011 Philippine Annual Antique Show at Greenhills

The  Philippine Annual Antique Show at Greenhills, San Juan is a must for anyone with a passion for antiques and collecting.  You should check out this event that was organized by PATEPCO.  The fair is held every year in the months of September and October.

It was a great shopping experience, and the depth and breadth of goods on offer is simply amazing.  Here are where devoted collectors go to find that special item or the final elusive part of a collection that they've been looking for.  

 Antiques and collectibles being offered by dealers

The fair offers visitors a fantastic opportunity to view and purchase a huge variety of items ranging from the antique furniture, santos, ephemera, coins, banknotes, stamps , China, pottery, crystal, glassware, books, metal, art, silver, fabrics, linen, dolls, vinyl records, toys, tins and so much more. There was a dealer who has a lot of Marcos and Imelda medals, so if you were born during the martial law days, this type of collectibles is for you. Another dealer has vintage tin toys that were still made in Japan. Japanese toys were considered cheap during the 50s but now, they are highly in demand and treasured by toy collectors.  You can also find beautiful reproduction photos of old Manila during its golden age, which was free from traffic and garbage back then. If you are a bottle collector, one can find a vintage green San Miguel beer bottle from the 1910 and Coca Cola bottle with barnacles still attached that was sea salvaged from a sunken barge in Cebu during the war.  A friend dealer is selling a bunch of original sketches and watercolor artworks made by Filipino masters – Fernando Amorsolo, Galo Ocampo, Ceasar Legaspi,  Romulo Olazo, Onib Olmedo for bargain prices compared to art galleries inside the malls.

Interested buyer examining an old coin

I was able to buy old Philippine medals, coins, and ephemera. There are so many items to buy but be aware - that dealers always expect you to ask for a discount and make sure you always haggle.

view of the antique fair

National Arts and Antiques Festival at Greenhills Advertisement
by M E T R O F I L E   09/21/2011

 old and new soda bottles

old coins and medals

The biggest 24-day National Trade Fair and Exhibition showcasing the country’s best antique and art products is now on going at the exhibition hall of the Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan City. Considered as the biggest arts and antiques trade exhibition 2011, the show offers the rarest antique and art items by some 1,500 participating SMEs consisting of local manufacturers, exporters and importers of ancestral, tribal furniture and furnishings, home decors, artworks, paintings, sculptural pieces, lamps, chandeliers, jars, ceramics, woodcrafts, handicrafts, precious and semi precious gemstones, jewelry, wrought iron, wooden and ivory Christian icons and collectibles. “Greenhills SMEs hail The Aquino Administration for its continued support for the growth and development of micro, small and medium scale businesses in the country,” sponsoring Patepco president Henry Babiera said. Also on display and sale are SME products such as garments, RTWs, toys and gifts, corporate giveaways, novelty items, housewares, modern, turn-of-the-century European and American inspired furniture and furnishings, fine jewelry, cellular phones and accessories, footwears, ornamental plants, bags and luggage, crafts, novelty items, fashion accessories, sporting goods, food sweets and delicacies. Shoppers and bargain hunters continue to come in droves who take advantage of the first few days of the trade exhibit where items they could bring home for personal and family use are sold at very low prices. The trade fair ends October 10.

Philippine banknotes

old books and ephemera

collectible Coca Cola bottles

old China wares and brass Buddha

old carnival and heirloom glasses

view of the antique fair

antique cash register and  collectible die cast toys

curious customers looking at the displays

old brass wares, cameras and other heirloom pieces.

old and new items clash on this table