Nestled in a 7,000 square foot warehouse in the heart of downtown Olympia, the Olympia Weekend Market is establishing quite a name in town. Not to be confused with a flea market (though, they’re okay with the comparison), this family-run business was originally created as a way to get rid of some extra collectibles lying around the house.
Catrina Reynolds, along with father Bill Reynolds and brother Scott Reynolds, said the Olympia Weekend Market has been a family venture—something for all of them to do together. After running a haunted house in Tumwater for five years, the family tossed around ideas of what to do next.
“My dad likes to collect a lot of stuff, and they were trying to move out of their house, so we came up with this to try to get rid of some of his antiques and collectibles,” Catrina said.
Originally, the family wanted to open up a small shop for all of Bill’s items, but it evolved to something bigger. After learning that the South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity moved its warehouse, the family became interested in the vacant building. They realized that in this spot, they could rent out spaces for other people to do the same thing.
The warehouse has been home to the Olympia Weekend Market since December 4, 2010, and it boasts floor room for up to 39 vendors. Most recently, the market worked in collaboration with Arts Walk and saw 37 of those spots filled. Typically, there are 15 or more vendors.
There is a wide variety of items sold in the market on any given weekend, though Catrina said the most success seems to come with antiques and collectibles, since many people come to their market looking for things they won’t typically find at the malls or farmer’s markets.
Items range from Avon products, to jewelry, to clothing, to photography and more, and there is no shortage of originality. Along with great selection, many of the vendors come with great stories.
Christina Guel sells antiques and collectibles in the market, and she has been there since the opening weekend. Guel is new to this type of business, but says it’s fun for everyone.
“It’s more unconventional—there are things here you won’t find in a mall,” she said.
A true statement, judging from the ornate wall hangings, vintage furniture and distinctive glassware she had for sale.
The Olympia Weekend Market is also home to a collection unlike any others: thousands of unique, unworn vintage jewelry pieces. The “new, old” jewelry is sold by Darrel and Nancy Dolge, and is the only collection of its kind. The Dolges happed upon hundreds of boxes of jewelry in the early 1990s that was untouched since 1969.
A warehouse located in the Tacoma area was abandoned by its owner—full of brand new jewelry just waiting to be sold—and had not churned up until the owners death. The family purchased the goldmine, and has only recently put it on the market. Their collection features hundreds of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, pendants, charms and more—all rare 60s-era jewelry that look just as it was meant to be seen in the 1960s.
Keeping with the tradition of family business, Darcy Dolge also has set up shop at the market. Darcy sells her personal photography—most of which was taken with a 35mm camera. Her photos are from a wide variety of places, such as Wales, Spain, England, Germany, Ireland, Hungary, Austria and more. All of her prints are framed using upcycled products—this is the process of converting waste materials into a new product.
Another vintage and collectible reseller at the market, Brett, said that selling things there has been his way of supporting his own habit. Brett, who collects vintage items, is able to upgrade his personal stock and turn around and sell his unwanted items to interested shoppers.
It’s a win-win situation for everyone. In addition to creating a vibrant atmosphere and a fun shopping environment, the Olympia Weekend Market also reaches out to the community at large. During Arts Walk, the Crisis Clinic set up a booth in the market, displayed their artwork and handed out flyers to raise awareness on their organization and its services. The market also works with area high schools to help seniors achieve their community service hours needed for graduation, and they are broaching ideas for working with other community organizations in the coming months.
Be sure to stop by the Olympia Weekend Market on any Saturday or Sunday to discover the rest of Olympia’s hidden treasures!
Olympia Weekend Market
210 Thurston Ave NE
Olympia, WA 98501
360-888-3400
Hours of Operation
Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sundays: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
