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Though "haakrik" means different washed up (but still usable) "things", usually came from some shipwreck and found on the seashore, Haakrik fair is the place for real "haakrik" as well as for any other kind of antiques and collectibles. So we hope to see on fair a rare wardrobe, once owned by Louis XIV, ship's compasses, soviet porcelain figures, interesting coin collections or anything else.
Haakrik fair is also thinking about our environment - instead of throwing something away (and increase the amount of trash), it's surely better way to find a person who's in need of that object. Green thinking.
Fair is always a meeting point too and there's not many places where antique dealers in Estonia can meet. Why not use this fair!
Exactly that had happened on Haakrik fair 1998, where many antique dealers from Kuressaare, Tallinn, Pärnu, Valga and other Estonian cities had a nice possibility to find new contacts, talk about similar problems, have a friendly chat and make a business of course.
It was a really good selection of old postal cards, rare books, coins, medals, ship-models, beer bottles, chandeliers and many other items to offer in Kuressaare that year. Also people's level of interest was surprisingly high, which caused that sellers had a busy day. 1998 was a landmark for Haakrik fair as a truly international one because of many tourists who were active visitors of the fair. Here was even a British family who came to Kuressaare especially for that antique event...
As every good fair, Haakrik fair had a live performances through the day, food and drinks were available and to finish the day properly, the owners of genuine haakrik were awarded with certificates of honour, plus the winner of first place (Jaanus Idla from Tallinn, for his ship's lantern, he ironically bought few years ago from Kuressaare) received a beer mug with logo of Kuressaare's Maritime Days. Second prize was given by jury (members of which were fair's manager and antique dealer, mr. Kristjan Kirss, Deputy Mayor of Kuressaare, mr. Jaanis Prii and the President of Estonian Shipowners Union, mr. Enn Kreem) for porcelain service with fish-paintings by Kuznetsoff and third prize for miniature steam-engine.

Certificate of honour for the winner of 1st place.
1999 we treated even more guests than ever expected, so were here antique dealers from all over Estonia: Kuressaare, Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Viljandi, Valga, Võru, Haapsalu... Also the number of visitors was big, in addition to the people of Saaremaa many collectors from mainland and neighbour countries came to the island especially for this event.
The result of co-operation with "Estonian Telephone Company" is officially overprinted phonecard, dedicated to Haakrik Fair 1999. The number of print of this card is only 89 copies:
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(For more information about this phone card please click on image.) |
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Fair's view 1 (NB! Clickable image.) |
Fair's view 2 (NB! Clickable image.) |
As a addition to antique and collectibles we had also an united team of Estonian publishing companies on the Haakrik fair 1999, offering a wide selection of books during all three Maritime days. Thanks to the very reasonable prices (much cheaper than in shops) and our people's extremely big interest, these were very busy days for booksellers, from dawn to sunset.
Again the looking for genuine and most interesting "haakrik" took place. And again the winner was Jaanus Idla from Tallinn (for his nicely painted sailor's chest he bought few days before from neighbour island of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa), second prize goes to Leo Dolenko from Võru (earned by very old bicycle, once owned by some captain's kid's, as he gave later an ironical comment) and third place was again mr. Idla's, this time for unique weathercock. The winners were awarded with certificates of honour, souvenirs, Haakrik fair's phone cards and large amount of beer from our surprise-sponsor, Saku. Another sponsor, Enn Kreem, added another prize, an "Estonian Navigation 1999, The Yearbook".
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Fair's view 3, on the background book-publisher's tent, on front the bicycle which earned to his owner second prize. (NB! Clickable image.) |
The winners: Jaanus Idla (left) and Leo Dolenko, on front sailor's chest (1st prize) and in it weathercock (3rd prize). (NB! Clickable image.) |
It is natural that every good fair should have a good entertainment, so was it on Haakrik fair 1999 too. Different local collectives were performing during the day of fair.
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A moment from fair's entertaining program. (NB! Clickable image.) |
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Fair's view 4. (NB! Clickable image.) |
Making conclusions of Haakrik fairs through the years, both organizers and visitors of the fair were always satisfied and impressed about excellent event. Manager of fair have received a lot of thankyous, including a letters of thanks from Lord Mayor of Kuressaare, mr. Jaanus Tamkivi.
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