Come Friday, May 6, through Sunday, May 8, Scottsdale’s WestWorld will be magically converting junk to gems in the form of the Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market. The flood gates will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday and by the end of the market on Sunday afternoon, over 25,000 “junkers” will have scoured the grounds for their gems.
The market’s creators Lindsey Holt and Coley Arnold are self-proclaimed lifelong “junkers.” They both grew up loving antiques, finding great joy in hunting far and wide for the perfect treasure. After meeting at a church class nearly eight years ago, Holt and Arnold immediately connected over their love for vintage items and joked about creating an event for fellow “junkers” to shop. That joke didn’t last for long and soon because a reality. Holt and Arnold held their first vintage market in 2011 in a friend’s backyard, not knowing what to expect. They certainly were blown away to find that their market attracted over 600 people. “We knew then that something special had started,” says Holt.
The market continued to grow and grow and in 2012, Holt and Arnold moved the event to WestWorld - the only place that could accommodate the massive three-day wave of antique lovers. “It’s a 150,000-sq.-ft. Super Bowl of vintage shopping with everyone looking for the same prize, except it’s different for every person - that one item they cannot go home without. It’s a thrill,” says Holt of the event. In order to make their vintage market stand out from others, Holt and Arnold have a theme for each market and bring in local musicians to play the theme music for the shopping experience. Arnold states that: “Our goal is to inspire people to embrace a vintage lifestyle and that is reflected in every area of our market.”
This year they have added another market in San Diego, as they see the love for their vendors’ curated vintage items spreading far beyond the Valley. “We’ll continue to expand as long as people continue to embrace the vintage lifestyle!” exclaims Holt. These ladies are no amateur junkers, and they are thrilled at the idea of inspiring junkers in other parts of the country.
With pro junkers like Holt and Arnold, they have this skill mastered. For first-time or amateur junkers, they offer some advice: “Come to the market with plenty of time to meander and an open mind. Have measurements from your home ready - blank wall spaces, how much room you have for a nightstand, etc. Take photos of rooms that need a little extra something . . . It’s important to know your own space and what will work - and come ready for anything.” Tickets are $8 to $65.
