Royal Oak Antique and Garage Sale

Hundreds of people will be lined up outside the citys Lafayette Avenue parking structure, eager to shop at the Royal Oak Antique & Garage Sale, which continues through 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 19.
Admission to the 34th annual event is $2. Food and beverage vendors will sell hot dogs, sausages, soft drinks, smoothies, lemonade and sandwiches. Merchants elsewhere in downtown Royal Oak will offer sidewalk sales and seasonal specialties.
Collectors, frugal fashionistas, young people outfitting their first apartment and savvy interior designers with an eye for period detail will find what theyre looking for among the 300 vendors, as will shoppers who dont know what they need until they see it. And theres plenty to see.
Noteworthy among the collectibles dealers is Robert Buptee of Warren, who will sell musical instruments and LP records. The latter are gaining in popularity among younger listeners, who collect them for the cover art and the sound, said to be warmer than CDs. Pre-1990 pop, rock and hip hop music are popular, as is vintage jazz, much of which has never been released on CD, Buptee said.
Collectors of sports memorabilia will also find sports memories. On Sunday from noon to 3 p.m., author author Kurt David will sign copies of his book "From Glory Days," which chronicles what happened to 20 former Detroit Pistons, Tigers, Red Wings and Lions when their playing careers ended. On Saturday hell be joined by one of the featured athletes in his book: Detroit Pistons TV broadcaster Greg Kelser, who played basketball on Michigan States 1979 national championship team and went on to a career in the NBA. Kelser will be signing copies of his book, "Greg Kelser's Tales from Michigan State Basketball."
Frugal fashionistas have always known that a good eye and smart shopping trump brand names. At Pop Art Boutique, Linda Isrow of Marine City retails a wide range of handbags, including some made from auto fenders and those by Nicole Lee.
What can you find at the Antique & Garage Sale to outfit that first apartment? A 1950s-era formica-topped kitchen table and matching chairs? Check. Drinking glasses featuring favorite cartoon characters? Check. Indian bedspreads, incense holders, wind chimes? Check, check and check.
Those with slightly more refined taste will find Machine Age Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern furnishings at Xaviers 20th Century. Owner James X. Slade will bring a Warren Platner leather and steel lounge chair and a pair of Milo Baughman chairs. Hell offer Fiesta kitchenware and Pyrex dishes.
It seems like people just go crazy over the Pyrex each year, he said. I want everyone to be able to find something in my booth. I hope to jog the childhood memories of everyone who comes into my booth.
The Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce helps its nearly 700 members market their businesses and grow them through educational programs, discounts and networking. It held 51 public and member events in 2008. The organization promotes Royal Oak as a destination for visitors and residents and advocates for business-friendly policies in the city.