Episode 55 | Riding Out to Liberty with Matt Ledbetter

Matt Ledbetter sits down before heading out to Liberty, North Carolina to set up Wade's tent for the last Liberty Antique show.

Held twice a year in Randolph County, the Liberty Antiques Festival has long been one of the best known antique shows in the region. Dealers from more than 25 states set up across a large farm setting, with everything from pottery, furniture, and quilts to decoys, folk art, glass, and country Americana. The show has built its reputation around original antiques and collectibles rather than crafts or reproductions.

For Matt and his family, Liberty has been a major part of life for years. In this episode, he looks back on some of the pieces he found there over the past decade, tells the stories behind them, and talks through why Liberty has meant so much to him as a dealer, picker, and collector. As setup day approaches, the conversation becomes a mix of memories, strategy, and anticipation for what might still turn up.

Matt starts with one of his most memorable pottery finds, a Chester Webster school jug he spotted at a yard sale just outside the show grounds. From there, he moves through a group of past Liberty finds including a carved walking stick, a painted stand, a painted basket, Benny Carter paintings, and a Ward Brothers decoy, using each one to explain what caught his eye and why some things stay in the collection while others go back into the market.

If you are interested in antiques, folk art, Southern pottery, or just want to hear how a longtime picker thinks before a big show, this episode gives a clear look at what Liberty means to the people who have spent years setting up, buying, and coming back every season.

Chapters
00:00 | Van Side Before the Final Liberty Antiques Festival
02:53 | The Webster School Jug Story
09:45 | A Walking Stick from Liberty
11:39 | The Painted Stand and Basket
15:39 | Benny Carter Paintings and Liberty Memories
20:44 | A Ward Brothers Decoy and Learning New Categories
26:31 | Should We Buy Every Decoy Tomorrow?
30:53 | What Matt Hopes to Find at Liberty
42:14 | Looking Ahead to Fishersville
44:36 | Packing Up and Heading to Liberty
45:25 | Picking Up Ethan and Driving to Set Up
46:38 | Arriving at Liberty and Finding the Webster Jug Yard Sale
47:50 | Wrapping the Day Before the Show

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

[email protected]
(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.

Next week, we’ll release the full Liberty walkthrough, showing the setup, the hunt, and what turns up once the show gets going.