At Kleffner, vintage crafts ‘from the heart’

The gentle chatter of shoppers and vendors mingled with the scent of vanilla soap, cloves and beeswax at last weekend’s Little Red Truck Vintage Market. Helena singer Tammie Jones’ soft voice weaved through the crowd from her spot in the back of the Kleffner Ranch barn, solidifying the lively, festive atmosphere.

As eager children queued for corndogs, parents zeroed in on the main attraction: Christmas gifts, vintage clothes, unique home decor, and more. Some attendees drove as much as two hours – from Whitehall, Great Falls, even Sheridan – to stroll the aisles and examine the goods on offer.  

“They know they don’t find these [items] in stores,” said vendor Christina Buchenau-Elliot, gesturing toward the booths around her. Buchenau-Elliot said one customer had traveled from Bozeman for her “cottage industry” pottery inspired by Victorian designs.

Founder Janie Scheben is serious about vendor curation, seeking out unique products made by deeply passionate craftspeople. “I think it can be felt by customers, when they come to a show, if everybody’s having a good time and they’re passionate about what they’re making or collecting,” Scheben said. 

One example is Rhonda Addison’s photographs of regal looking deer and horses and pastoral farm scenes captured on the Great Falls ranch property she shares with her husband, artist Brian Davi.

Many of the images are paired with a bible verse or snippet of sage advice. It may sound like a spiritual Pinterest board, but Addison’s booth attracts a steady stream of customers. 

“I call them venison,” Davi said of his wife’s photo subjects. “She calls them her dearly beloved.”

Since Addison moved in some 16 years ago, Davi seems to have begrudgingly given up some old habits. “He hasn’t hunted since I came into his life,” she said.

The Monitor pointed out that while the deer previously provided the couple with meat, now they provide a steady stream of revenue. “Exactly!” said Addison, who’s been offering her photos at Montana markets for 20 years and considers Scheben her favorite host.

Almost every customer interviewed mentions Scheben’s eclectic collection as part of the draw. Many also mention their appreciation for local artisans. “Usually the maker of whatever you’re looking at is right there, and you can talk to them,” said Emilee Royce of East Helena. “They have a whole story behind things.”

Now in its 11th year, and sixth in the Helena area, the market hosts six annual events across Montana and Wyoming, boasting a wide variety of exclusively hand-crafted and vintage goods.

At the Kleffner Ranch, on the border of Jefferson County and East Helena, customers “ooh and ahh” as they reach for a vintage dress or sniff rose and vanilla scented body scrubs. Outside, the smell of fried chicken from Papa B Fried Chicken entices many to brave the cold weather even on Friday night when temperatures neared 30 degrees. 

The festive atmosphere is precisely what Scheben hoped to create. After more than 20 years as a vendor in Montana’s many vintage markets, she began to organize the Little Red Truck Vintage  Market in 2014. 

Above all, she’s focusing on bringing a cohesive sense of community to her markets. “You can really tell the difference between a craft show-type show and one that’s curated and juried and full of chosen vendors that make up kind of an experience that you really need to feel good taking away with you,” Scheben said.

Her years working in markets probably informs her fierce loyalty to her vendors and noticeable care she offers them. She emphasizes advertising and outreach to ensure the markets are well attended. She makes sure the vendors she’s been working with for years get the first slots and cultivates new sellers by considering how they might fit in with her existing lineup. 

Scheben’s loyalty pays off. Several vendors said they joined the market in part because of her fierce dedication to them. Vendor Carrie Knauss said Scheben once allowed her to borrow a tent for the market, determined to make sure she could show her products. Knauss, a Little Red Truck  participant for eight years, sells recycled glass art that can be used as decor or to propagate herbs.

Explaining how each piece was made, she beamed with pride when talking about the joy her recycled Christmas tree portraits bring to passersby. This sort of passion is part of the attraction for customers. 

“I feel like I’m supporting a real person, not some corporation,” Rose Tomlinson from Townsend said. “It feels like it’s coming from the heart.” 

Royce attended the market on Saturday with fellow East Helena resident Mikayla Horn, who brought her giggling baby girl. Horn moved to East Helena a year ago but didn’t get out much after having her baby. Her market outing marked a foray into her new community. 

“This is our first holiday season and her first season,” Horn said, bouncing her little girl’s hands in hers. “It’s kind of been fun trying to figure out what family Christmas traditions to start.” 

The market, she added, is definitely going on the list. 

Little Red Truck Vintage Market will host its final event of the year December 5-6 at the Missoula County Fairgrounds.