THERE are items that have passed through the hands of multiple generations and we call those things antiques or collectibles.
The Rosewood Show has a section dedicated to objects handled by people who are long gone but what they made, wrote or bought remains intact.
The section is called Old Collectibles and the Chief Steward overseeing it is Karen Green.
“Our area is broken up into classes like old china, tools, clothing, hats and anything that’s old really,” she said.
“We have a lot of old photographs of Rosewood too and most of the items are at least 50 years old.
“I am a collector who lives in an old Queenslander, I’ve collected everything from the last four generations of my family … all their precious little things.”
It’s people like Karen who make this section interesting.
All kinds of artifacts, knick-knacks and other items are brought to the show to be part of the display.
“It’s a big section and one that grows bigger every year,” she said.
“People are really interested in what’s displayed, they come in and say, ‘oh, I remember mum having that’ or ‘you know, I still have mine’.”
There’s also a class that’s tantalisingly named ‘What is it?’ and that’s for something from the past with an obscure purpose.
Karen has been a part of the Rosewood Show for many years and often exhibits her quilts, but that’s a different section.
This is her first year as Chief Steward of Old Collectibles.
“I have a big collection of interesting things at home and my favourite period is the turn of the century,” she explained.
“I have many things from my family home, a property that was known as one of Queensland’s historic houses.
“I have linen, photographs, diaries, bibles and books. I am very grateful that my mother and grandmother kept all these precious things.”
The display of collectibles, antiques and vintage items is a conversation starter and makes people think about getting involved in shows.
“Memories are sparked and there is often that moment where someone is taken back to the time when they used or last saw a particular item,” Karen said.
“That’s the best part of it; reminiscing about the past and remembering the people within it.”
