Episode 57 | Van Side at Fishersville Antique Expo

Episode 57 | Van Side at Fishersville Antique Expo

Author: Matt Ledbetter May 25, 2026 Duration: 24:10

Fishersville was a great show this year. Friday was packed from the start, dealers were moving material early, and by Saturday morning Matt was already back at the van digging through the pile of things that he’s taking back home.


Matt pulls out a few of the buys from Fishersville and talks through them while the show is still happening around him: carved walking sticks, tramp art, Clyde Herman carvings, a dancing figure, a whirligig that nearly flies apart in the wind, and one folk art cane that immediately turns into a full blown appraisal session.


There is also an ongoing challenge throughout the episode to find somebody at Fishersville who actually knows who Benny Carter is. Matt signs a copy of the Benny Carter book in the van and walks the show trying to give it away to the right person.


This is only part of the Fishersville trip. We still have more videos coming from the field, including a full day of buying around the show with Amanda’s Mercantile.


After Fishersville, everything heads back to the auction house alongside the Liberty finds. The plan now is to unload it all, photograph everything, and start getting pieces ready for upcoming auctions at Ledbetter Folk Art Auctions.


Chapters


00:00 | Back at Fishersville Antique Expo

00:20 | Friday Was a Madhouse

00:55 | Signing the Benny Carter Book

02:04 | The Nude Grandma Whirligig

03:01 | Clyde Herman Carvings and Walking Sticks

04:09 | The Five Dollar Owl

05:00 | The Best Cane at Fishersville

08:05 | Learning to Buy Tramp Art

11:02 | Non Buyer’s Remorse

13:21 | Breaking Down the Dancing Figure

16:05 | Looking for Someone Who Knows Benny Carter

17:37 | The Folk Art Reading Lamp

17:49 | Walking the Show with the Whirligig

18:56 | Does nobody Know Benny Carter??

23:27 | Giving the Book Away and Signing Off


Do you know a folk artist or have a picking story worth sharing? Reach out to the show:


houseoffolkart@gmail.com

(919) 410-8002


Leave your name and where you are from and you might hear yourself on a future episode.


Follow @houseoffolkart for more stories, field trips, 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: 58

House of Folk Art
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