Over 30-year-old Ontario vintage and antique market makes triumphant return

The Sunday Antique Market returns to Ontario next month, bringing together generations of collectors, independent vendors and curious newcomers who share a passion for the past. 

For more than three decades, the Sunday Antique Market has been a part of its customers' and vendors' lives. In the same vein, the customers, history and antique items have been a part of the Sunday Antique Market.

There's something beautiful about finding the perfect object at an antique market; as silly as it may sound, something as quotidian as a silver spoon can carry an entire life's worth of history, connection, and story that has existed long before it fell into your hands.  

Returning this November to the historic Small Arms Inspection Building in Mississauga after its summer hiatus, The Sunday Antique Market carries this spirit at heart. And for a growing community of vintage enthusiasts, that's precisely the appeal: not just shopping but discovering something meaningful. 

Marlene Cook, founder and organizer of The Sunday Antique Market, started her journey back in 1993.

 "My fascination with antiques began when I was just 14 years old, much to the dismay of my family, who had absolutely no appreciation for old things," Cook tells blogTO. 

As she grew older, the fascination remained. Drawn to the beauty, craftsmanship and design of objects from the past, Cook's passion grew stronger until she eventually turned her passion hobby into a passion project, which ultimately ended up being her life's work.

"Since its beginnings, The Sunday Antique Market has grown into one of Canada's most recognized antique markets, attracting generations of collectors, decorators, vendors, tourists and people who simply love antiques and vintage," Cook proclaims.

"Over the years, the market became much more than a place to buy and sell antiques and collectibles. It became a meeting place, a Sunday ritual and a community of people who share a genuine enthusiasm for the past."

Partaking in the soon-to-return market is vintage and antique collector Jonah Zalken, Owner of Abandoned Love Vintage. Describing the market as a place where people from different generations, cultures and backgrounds come together through the excitement of searching and discovering, he reminisces on the reasons why he started his business only a year ago.

The exchange of knowledge is equally important to Jonah. As a lifelong collector with an interest in film, music and objects from the past, Jonah approaches vintage selling through storytelling. 

"To me, the story makes it more than an object. It contextualizes it, adds value, and adds another dimension," Zalken explains.

His research has led him down some unexpected paths, including uncovering the history of a 1922 fashion illustration by Canadian artist Ronald McCray, who became an influential figure in Toronto's theatre scene during the 1920s and 1930s.

To Zalken, his discoveries demonstrate how vintage objects can open a variety of pathways to much larger stories about local history. A large part of this adds to his belief that vendors also have the opportunity to educate as much as they do to sell. 
That's where the building itself comes in. 

Obviously not up for sale at the market, but opening its doors to share its beauty is The Small Arms Inspection Building, a former Second World War munitions inspection facility that calls Mississauga home. Industrial architecture, expansive windows and skylights offer a bright, open setting for vendors and visitors. 

Zalken puts strong emphasis on the importance of the building, which he believes makes it especially fitting for a market centred around preserving and appreciating the past. 

Something he often explores in his storytelling is the connection between place, object and history. This is something he hopes to bring to the new generation of vintage and antique lovers on the rise. 

Speaking of the new generation, Zalken is a huge fan of the younger generation of shoppers and vendors entering the vintage industry. "It's economical to shop secondhand. And now it's fashionable. So I think that's a win-win," Zalken says with no hesitation.

In a generation that longs for nostalgia, uniqueness and originality, Zalken is not shocked or shaken by their natural gravitation towards vintage; he strongly encourages it: "There's nothing cooler than seeing someone walk down the street and they look as though they've been plucked from a different generation, and it's amazing to be a small part of that person's story," tells Zalken. 

Both Cook and Zalken are just two members of a large community of vintage and antique market lovers and participants who have knowledge and joy to share. 
Walking into the Market today, more than 80 carefully selected vendors from Ontario and Quebec unite under one roof, offering an eclectic mix of antiques, vintage finds, and collectibles. 

"There are very few shopping experiences where you can spend an entire afternoon surrounded by history, speak directly with knowledgeable vendors and perhaps discover something truly extraordinary and fun," Cook tells blogTO.

With visitors able to discover anything from mid-century modern furniture, silver jewelry, vinyl records, artworks, antique books, photographs, pottery or decorative objets, maybe the most important thing they'll leave with is the curiosity to learn something new and a connection that's worth discovering. 

The Sunday Antique Market returns to the historic Small Arms Inspection Building at 1352 Lakeshore Rd. E. in Mississauga on Sunday, November 1, 15, and 29, open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free admission.