Sharon Griffith-Hopkinson

A pragmatic and community-minded woman, Sharon Griffith-Hopkinson has mastered the art of going with the flow. The Hidden Treasure Chest Flea Market in Campbellford, a business she owns with her partner, Alan Hopkinson, has steadily evolved since it launched three years ago.

Sharon and Al leased the building when the former tenant relocated. “It was in pretty good shape,” she says. “But we still had a lot of work to do to get it ready.” The facility is 10,000 square feet, divided into two large rooms. They initially opened one half to the public, and subsequently expanded to half of the other half. Before long, the entire place was full of vendors. “It happened very quickly in a very short period of time.”

Carvings by Paul Barron

Their vendors offer antiques and handcrafted creations as well as practical items like books, jewellery and clothing. One of their first vendors was cannabis activist Wayne Matheson of Cannadaze, who subsequently left the market in May 2016 to open a permanent storefront on Bridge Street in Campbellford. Wayne’s booth specialized in cannabis-related paraphernalia and information. “There was some negative feedback from families,” Sharon recalls, “mostly folks who had concerns about exposing kids to the type of merchandise Wayne sold. I just told them everything was legal. You can find a lot of these items in corner stores these days. The booth brought a lot of people in to the market and being here helped to give his business some exposure.”

The couple share a love of antique and vintage things and both admit to a particular passion for classic cars. A flea market seemed to be the perfect solution to accommodate all of their tastes. “I’ve always loved flea markets and I’ve always been in retail,” Sharon says. “I owned two stores in my hometown of Haliburton. One, called Hidden Treasures, was right in the main village, selling antiques and art.” The other store catered to outdoor adventurists with bait and tackle. “We also rented movies and sold ice cream,” she says. “I was authorized to issue hunting and boating licenses too.”

Santa and Sharon 2017

Sharon and Al turned their attention to creating a destination at the market, a social and community hub as well as a place to shop. They offer Halloween events, visits with Santa during the festive season and an egg hunt for the kids at Easter. Sharon loves holiday decorating. “I’m starting on my Christmas lights,” she posted on social media. “Look out Griswolds, here I come!”

They erected an outdoor stage on the property and have organized numerous musical performances during the warmer months, some of them in partnership with the local community radio station, CKOL. Other events have become annual traditions, including a vintage car show in June and a day devoted entirely to an outdoor market featuring antique toys. They hosted the Great Canadian Road Show on the premises in November 2017, an organization founded in 2010 by a group of knowledgeable collectors who tour the world in search of rare items and offer on-site appraisals of family heirlooms and thrift store finds when they appear at events.

The couple decided to go a step further with their business when they launched a live auction format in 2017. "Al has always wanted to do that," Sharon grins. Al Hopkinson completed a 10-week training course, the first in a series to earn full accreditation as an auctioneer, in Kansas, Missouri. “You don’t need to be certified to work as an auctioneer in Ontario,” he explains, “but you need it everywhere else.” Family friend and colleague Bruce Gerow, who has been a certified auctioneer since 1980, also works on the auction end of the operation as well as managing his popular book outlet at the market.

Although it required downsizing the flea market vendor space, half of the building was turned into an auction hall. Some of the auctions cater exclusively to a specialty market, antique car collectors for one, but most offer a wide variety of antique and vintage items from furniture and collectibles to tools and musical instruments. Auctions run there every Thursday night at 6 pm.

Sharon had her own debut as an auctioneer at the 62nd annual Donnybrook Auction in Warkworth. One of the fundraising initiatives run by the Warkworth Community Service Club, auction proceeds provide financial assistance to local youth organizations and other community support initiatives. She pronounced the experience “nerve-wracking”.

The pair have been major supporters of the local food banks from the beginning. They have incorporated a food drive into the auction side of the business by offering patrons an auction ticket in exchange for the donation of non-perishable goods. Sharon was thrilled that Hidden Treasure Chest was nominated for the Community Impact Award last year in the annual Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce Celebration of Business Excellence. She is serving on the Chamber of Commerce board for the first time herself this year.

Brittany Griffin

Raised in Haliburton, Sharon moved to Trent Hills seven years ago. Her daughter, Brittany, who still calls Haliburton her home, is an avid horsewoman who works with the Hands on Horses Program. “She is my rock,” Sharon says.
Her mom lives with them in Campbellford.

Sharon and her mom, 2014

Sharon and Al were married in Peterborough in August 2012. The couple share many interests in addition to their passion for antiques. They make at least one trip to Toronto annually to attend a hockey game and enjoy World Wrestling Entertainment events like Smackdown. They are staunch Maple Leaf fans. Al is also quite a music afficionado and enjoys all genres. Although travelling is another passion, they have had less time to enjoy it since opening a weekend business.

Their last out-of-country trip took place in 2010 when they toured the Mayan ruins and beaches of Mexico. Since then, their journeys have remained closer to home. They spent some enjoyable sight-seeing time in the Kingston area last summer. They loved touring the Mackenzie Printery in Kingston, formerly the home of rebel publisher William Lyon Mackenzie, and now a museum housing 500 years of printing technology including operational antique presses and linotype. Sharon and Al also had a great and educational time taking in the Kingston Penetentiary Tour last August. “It was an experience, I highly recommend it,” she says. “It really gives you the feeling of what a prisoner’s life is like.”

As well as managing their flea market and auction service, the couple are busy through the week. Sharon has worked for Classic Cleaners in Campbellford for the past six years although she switched from full to part-time status last year. Al, a handyman with over 20 years of experience in trades, does drywalling and other home renovation projects for homeowners in the area.

Sharon Griffith-Hopkinson is in a good place right now. Their business venture has done well and continues to thrive. She acquired the car of her dreams last year, a 1967 Jaguar, although it's waiting for a part and she's yet to get it out on the road. Christmas isn't far away and she not only gets to bedazzle her home in all-out Griswold style, but she has a 10,000 square foot building to decorate as well.