Holiday village pieces given ‘second chance” at Crest Hill bookstore

This year, The Book Market in Crest Hill is selling hand-painted, vintage holiday village pieces along with her vast stock of used and rare books.

Janet Staley, the store’s owner, isn’t expanding her inventory to include gifts and collectibles. One of Staley’s customers, who is also a caregiver, brought the village pieces to Staley shortly before Thanksgiving and asked if Staley could help, Staley said.

Three years after Janet Staley moved her used book store across the street to a new location on Plainfield Road, she still hears that statement from customers who walk into her store.

"No, we just moved across the street," Staley said she tells them.

In addition to selling used – and a limited amount of new – books, people can donate books to
The Book Market and receive credit toward the purchase of books from the store, Staley said. She doesn't want books ending up "in some landfill."

"They're too precious," Staley said. — The Book Market in Crest Hill is selling vintage, hand-painted, holiday village pieces on consignment for the artist, who is currently on hospice. Items are on sale now and will be available into ealry January 2022. Janet Staley, owner, said the pieces are too beautiful not to wind up with someone who loves them.

“The woman who had painted them is now on hospice,” Staley said. “And basically, they had converted her [the customer] from caregiving to help emptying the house so her children could sell the house. So she brought the pieces in … I told her I would sell them on consignment.”

Staley estimates she has about 50 pieces on display, with additional, non-holiday themed pieces in the back room that she’s storing for now. Staley has sold some of the holiday pieces and given a few as gifts, she said.

“I looked them up on eBay and Amazon and found them to be from the late 20th century and fairly rare,” Staley said.

The Book Market in Crest Hill is selling vintage, hand-painted, holiday village pieces on consignment for the artist, who is currently on hospice. Items are on sale now and will be available into ealry January 2022. (Denise Unland)

Most of the buildings sell for $28.99 each. The three-piece train pieces with the depot and two people costs $99.99. The other “people” pieces, including “some, really cute Dickens-like people” are $8.99, Staley said. The trees cost $4.99.

Of course, if people wanted the entire village, they could buy all the pieces at once, Staley said. However, the set is not complete. Staley has sold some individual pieces and given a few as gifts, she said.

The buildings have a place for a cord and nightlight but only one piece is actually fitted with one, Staley said. Or people could place a battery-operated tealight underneath them, if they wanted the pieces lit, she said.

“I really want them to go to people who want them,” Staley said. “They’re too beautiful…can you imagine the patience in painting them? Incredible.”

What if all the pieces don’t sell? Staley will pack them up until next November and “give them a second chance next year,” she said.

“They just can’t be thrown away,” Staley said. “She put too much work into them.”

The Book Market Sales and Trading Center is located at 2365 Plainfield Road in Crest Hill. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

For information, call 815-744-4240 or visit bookmarketjoliet.com.

Holiday village pieces given ‘second chance” at Crest Hill bookstore

Staley: ‘They just can’t be thrown away. She put too much work into them.’