Prairie Cabin | TVM Spotlight

Randy & Dianne Perkins and Dennis & Maryann Peerenboom have been friends since their teens and are the vendor group that operates under the name of Prairie Cabin. Their ever-changing seasonal booth greets everyone as they come into the Topeka Vendors Market. They have staged their booth as a pergola, tiki hut, general store, haunted house, and Santa's workshop. Prairie Cabin is behind so many of the successful events at Topeka Vendors Market, including Oktoberfest, BINGO, and our Scavenger Hunts. Randy gave us a peek behind the cabin door. He says they “have fun and have met many nice people through TVM. We love hanging out with all the creative people there.”

Q. Why did you decide to call your business Prairie Cabin and when did you open?
We (Dianne and Randy) started the business when I retired in 2015. Dianne was still working at the time, and I was experimenting with glass etching and doing business and data consulting. We wanted a name that would work for these activities and still pay homage to our location. The cabin could be a think tank or a workshop. In November 2020 we expanded, decided to work with our friends Dennis and Maryann and open a retail outlet at TVM.

Q. Do you have other marketplaces or is Prairie Cabin a TVM exclusive?
Customers can only find us in our two TVM booths. They keep us very busy.

We have a lot of seasonally focused merchandise that we acquire from just about everywhere. It is all priced to sell. We travel a lot, and we love stopping at shops and sales in other states.

Q. What can we find in your booth that we cannot find anywhere else?
Each of us has a different niche. Dianne loves antique furniture and creating crafts out of wood. Maryann is an expert floral arranger who creates awesome wreaths and unique craft items. Dennis is a sports trivia and memorabilia expert, so you will always find bobbleheads and other sports items in our booths. I (Randy) love making things out of rusty-dusty items like old doors and gas cans. That means there is always something different in our booth.

Q. Tell us a little about your business partnership? Two couples, right?
Since middle school, we have been friends, so it made sense for us to work together. If you can get through middle school and remain friends, well, this is easy.

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