Episode 43 | Liberty Antiques Recap: Pottery, Paintings, and a Benny Carter Birdhouse

Episode 43 | Liberty Antiques Recap: Pottery, Paintings, and a Benny Carter Birdhouse

Author: Matt Ledbetter November 10, 2025 Duration: 51:39

Matt and Kyle sit down after two full days of picking at the Liberty Antiques Festival in Liberty, North Carolina. Surrounded by their finds, they go through the haul piece by piece, from rare signed North Carolina pottery and 19th-century paintings to a pristine Benny Carter saw.

The conversation dives into the stories behind the buys, the lessons learned from years on the road, and the excitement that comes with finding something special in a sea of booths. From showcase surprises to pottery discoveries, this episode captures the rhythm and reward of a good show weekend.

Chapters
00:00 | Let’s get ready to go through the Liberty haul
04:54 | Matt reflects on first trips to Liberty and twenty years of picking
07:17 | The showcase buy and how to think through bulk deals
09:10 | Pottery finds at Liberty
14:41 | The mini painted basket
16:37 | 19th-century gilt frame paintings
19:37 | The $90 oval portrait
29:48 | Benny Carter painted saw and birdhouse
34:35 | Back to the showcase treasures and collecting small finds
48:28 | Reflections on Liberty and looking ahead
50:47 | Send in your folky stories

As the conversation wraps, Matt and Kyle look ahead to the next round of shows and auctions, reflecting on what makes Liberty so unique. From pottery and paintings to showcase treasures, the episode reminds us that every object has a story and every picker has a tale worth telling.

Watch the Dealer Setup Day vlog titled “Day 1 at Liberty Antique Festival | Quilts, Baskets, and a Ghost Table” now on the House of Folk Art channel. 

The second Liberty vlog will be released next Monday and will feature many of the items discussed in this episode.

Do you know a folk artist? Send in your folky stories:
📧 houseoffolkart@gmail.com
📞 (919) 410-8002

Leave your name and where you’re from, and you might get a shoutout on the next podcast.

Follow @houseoffolkart for more behind-the-scenes stories and upcoming auction dates at LedbetterAuctions.com.


Matt Ledbetter lives in a world of vibrant paint, carved wood, and compelling stories. In House of Folk Art, this Gibsonville, North Carolina auctioneer and collector pulls up a chair to share that world, drawing directly from his deep connections within the Southern folk art community. His perspective is unique; because he organizes renowned quarterly auctions, Matt often knows the artists personally and has handled their work firsthand. This isn't a distant academic lecture. Instead, each episode feels like a conversation about the objects and the people who make them, exploring the intricate history behind the creations and the profound, often very personal, motivations that drive the artists. You’ll hear about intimate encounters and the small details that give this art its soul, from the choice of reclaimed materials to the narratives etched into the surface. Tuning into this podcast means getting a backstage pass to a living tradition, where every whirligig, portrait, or memory jug carries a fragment of cultural history. Matt’s guidance helps unravel the rich tapestry of this creative landscape, making the stories behind Southern folk art accessible and deeply engaging for anyone curious about the visual heritage of the region. The House of Folk Art podcast builds, piece by piece, a vivid understanding of why these works resonate so powerfully.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

House of Folk Art
Podcast Episodes
Episode 34 | Inside the Auction House: Matt & Sully’s Folk Art Finds [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:54
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt and Sully take on a challenge inside the gallery: pick 5 folk art pieces each and analyze them for viewers. But this isn’t just show and tell. You’ll get insight into how both b…
Episode 33 | Back at the Auction House: Baskets, Jugs & Big Surprises [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:48
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt and Kyle are back at the Folk Art Auction House in Gibsonville, sifting through the spring haul from shows across North Carolina and Virginia. With the van finally unloaded and…
Episode 32 | Van‐Side Collector’s Guide to Fishersville [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:25
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt, Kyle, and Sully squeeze into the back of the van just as the Fishersville Antique Expo winds down, surrounded by every treasure they scored that weekend. What starts with Matt…
Episode 31 | The Best Basket You’ll Ever See [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:48
Chapters00:00 – Intro00:14 – Baskets 101: The Feel Test01:01 – Machine Cuts vs. Drawing Knife Splits03:18 – Why Smaller Baskets Matter04:16 – The Basket That Makes You Say Oh05:11 – Dating Old Baskets by Feel and Wear07:…
Episode 30 | The Ones That Got Away: Wade Ledbetter’s Wildest Picks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:58
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Wade Ledbetter returns to share more stories from his life as a full-time antique picker. A life spent on back roads, knocking on doors, and hauling everything from sugar chests to h…
Episode 26 | Are You Going To Hickory? We Are! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:56
In this episode of House of Folk Art, host Matt Ledbetter sits down with his wife, Jennie Ledbetter, to talk about their first experience at the Catawba Valley Pottery Festival in Hickory, North Carolina. This festival i…
Episode 25 | The Legend of Wade Ledbetter: King of the Pickers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:16
In this episode of House of Folk Art, host Matt Ledbetter sits down with his father, Wade Ledbetter, a seasoned picker who has spent decades knocking on doors, digging through old attics, and uncovering forgotten pieces…