The 1996 Antiques Week in New Hampshire coincided with the hottest and most humid week of this summer to date. It is a testimony to the character of the events that the weather did not influence attendance.
This year's shows were preceeded by a series of auctions by several N.H. auctioneers: Richard Withington, Jones & Horan, and Northeast Auctions to name a few. Then, on Tuesday, the first show opened.
Well-known promoter Nan Gurley led off with her Americana Celebration. This was the second year for the show held once again at the Deerfield Fairgrounds; about 20 miles from Manchester. Tuesday afternoon was for early buyers, with a strong turnout numbering 450. Strong buying was also reported by both dealers and customers on Tuesday. The show re-opened Wednesday at 9 am to a small group due to two other shows opening at 10 am in Manchester.
The 87 dealers at the "Americana" show featured some very nice merchandise. There was some great early furniture in original paint, most of which sold early; some wonderful ceramics; but the selection of textiles, hooked rugs, and period clothing was truly outstanding.
Although this show may not be as "high end" as the NHADA show, there were some wonderful pieces, and I, along with many others, found it to be a good buying show for a dealer. I was personally pleased to purchase some nice items for resale.
Many others discovered the same, with good early country painted chests sold at Deerfield making their way to several other Antiques Week shows as the week progressed, along with good early samplers and hooked rugs. One Canadian dealer, with a double booth almost empty, sold very well.
The buying frenzy among dealers at the afternoon opening, however, died away quickly as evening approached, with many dealers making a mad dash to make it to the opening of the next show that night at the Coliseum. It was unfortunate that they hurried away, for it is impossible to view a show the size of Gurley's in an hour. They missed many good pieces, which of course, was great for those of us who took our time and searched the offerings at this wonderful "country" show.
However, if you have never attended one of Gurley's shows, you don't have to wait until next year. Her next promotion, the "Extravaganza" is coming up on Sunday, August 25th at the racetrack in Cornish, ME. See her ad in this issue for details.
Even I eventually left for the "big city" to view the Antiques at the Coliseum show at the JFK Coliseum.
This show was new to Antiques Week, and several dealers reported a good crowd Tuesday night and strong buying, but just as with the Americana show, the crowd was thin on Wednesday morning due to the other two shows that opened then.
The promoter, Judith McHugh, confirmed that the Tuesday night early buyer opening was very well attended, and said she plans to repeat the show next year. This was McHugh's first show in N.H.; however, she has been a show promoter for 13 years and describes it as "a very hands-on job". She has the New York Pier show coming up in September, and Antiques Week in New York in January.
Although smaller than the Americana show, the Coliseum show did include dealers from North Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, Conn., N.J., N.Y., and Canada. It also had some fine merchandise - although the caliber varied from booth to booth.
A huge yellow ware lion mold caught my eye in the booth of Bluebird Antiques of Wisconsin along with several nice mocha pitchers.
The booth of Taggert & Taggert of N.H. exhibited an attractive pair of late Portobello lions. Kathleen Vance and Mark Amis of Virginia offered a wonderful large stepback in nice old red paint, and a great early drysink.
I arrived at the NHADA show on Thursday around 8:30 am; although the show didn't open until 10 am, the line was already spiraled around the lobby and down the corridor. I decided to take this opportunity to speak with customers about their experiences during Antiques Week.
A lady from CT said she had visited all four of the shows that had opened so far, and thought they all had quality merchandise. However, she said the individual shows should schedule their openings better so that customers had more time to spend at one show before another one opened. She mentioned that with both the Deerfield show and the show at the Coliseum having early buyers hours on Tuesday, and then with both Riverside and Mid-Week opening at 10 am on Wednesday, it was hectic trying to get to all four.
Another couple nearby agreed with this comment, one I had already heard other visitors and dealers discussing. I spoke to another couple waiting in line who said they had attended Mid-Week on Wednesday, and after attending the NHADA show, they were going home to New Jersey. They said they thought the NHADA show was still the best show, but said they had found Mid-Week to be "a quality show" and made several purchases including a cupboard in old paint, and two pieces of early pottery.
At this point I went in to speak to the show's dealers and take some photos before the show opened. As always, it was most impressive. In its 39th year, it has a reputation for excellence to maintain, and this year's offerings only added luster to their existing reputation.
Rustic furniture was once again well represented in the booth of Bert Savage of Larch Lodge in Ctr. Strafford, N.H. He had several fine pieces including a three drawer chest and bookcases, c. 1935, from the Rangeley, ME area.
Savage was the chairman of the NHADA show this year, and later reported, "The show was a great financial success, not only for NHADA, but for the dealers exhibiting."
NHADA also made more money from this year's show than last year, and attendance was up 50% on Friday, with excellent Friday sales as well. "Overall attendance at this year's show was up a couple of hundred people over last year," he said, "and there were incredible sales."
Another choice exhibit was the booth of Suzanne Courier & Robert Wilkins. A fine Canterbury, N.H. bracket base chest of drawers with surmounting double door cupboard captured my eye. This booth also had some other very nice Shaker pieces.
At 10 am, I peeked out the door at the still growing crowd, and then positioned myself for a photo of the first customers through the door - being very careful to keep safely out of their path.
I learned later the first customer, from the mid-West, had arrived at 4:30 am, determined to be first in line. I certainly hope he obtained the piece he wanted, for I was unable to locate him later. As the first hour progressed, I again spoke with customers about their impressions and purchases.
One woman told me she enjoyed all the shows, and usually sets up herself. She felt that the entrance of more shows drew more people to the area, and particularly liked the fact that the shows had different levels of merchandise.
A couple vacationing in Vermont said they visited Mid-Week, Riverside and now, the NHADA show. They said they loved them all, and saw a lot of wonderful items, but the items that really interested them were all out of their price range.
Another couple from Vermont who collect high-end folk art said they believed the Mid-Week show was the equal of the NHADA show. "We've attended Antiques Week every year," they said, "and we think Mid-Week has improved each year."
I approached a woman who was leaning against a wall, avidly clutching a large wooden bowl in old red paint. From Lincoln, MA, she described herself as a part-time dealer and collector. "Don't even ask how many years I've been coming here," she said. "I come for the paint."
Another group of ladies that I approached said they'd been near the end of the line and everything they would like to have purchased had already sold!
Indeed, this was a common observation - particularly at this show. Of course, it pays to be early for any show, but it seems especially important for this show. The NHADA show has no early buying period as do many shows today, but things sell fast, and within minutes the best stuff is "red tagged."
This was certainly true of Paul and Cheryl Scott's booth, which 45 minutes into the show sported red flags like the Fourth of July.
The NHADA show was one of three that offered an on-site shipper this year, and I asked Jeff Ballantyne of "The Parcel Room" of Portsmouth what customers were arranging to have shipped.
Ballantyne said he'd shipped an 8 foot country table to California, along with two corner cupboards and two rugs. He also had a list of paintings, weathervanes, and other items, and this was only one hour into the show.
I was almost glad to escape the bustle of the crowds at the NHADA show, but as I left, I encountered a man just outside the side door packing a last piece of furniture into his Caravan, so I approached. He said he was originally from Alabama, but now called Pennsylvania home.
He explained he was a dealer, but said he only did two shows a year - The Heart of Country shows at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN.
So how many of the twenty or so odd pieces he'd crammed into his vehicle, from a cupboard to sap buckets, all in old paint, were destined for resale?
"Well," he said, "quite a few actually, but I know what will happen when I get home. My wife will want to keep most of the stuff."
Pointing to the large three-story Bank of New Hampshire building across from us, he said, "I've got a large stone house, about the size of that bank over there, and it's about full."
I realized I wasn't talking to just your plain ol' ordinary dealer, so I asked him to elaborate, which he was more than willing to do.
He explained that he'd spent the week visiting all the shows, but primarily bought at the NHADA show. "First I delivered a large apothecary cupboard to Vermont," he added, "then I made my way over here. But right about now, I'm out of money - and out of room!"
Wondering about the Nashville show, I trotted over to Riverside, which had opened the day before and now was over the early "feeding frenzy".
Riverside is promoted by Apple Hill Promotions of Manchester, NH and is in its third year. The show is well laid out and has a nice refreshment area which was a plus for hot, tired customers.
Sporting a good mix of quality smalls, furniture, folk art, my interest was engaged by a display of yellow ware and mocha, which I collect. I also soon spotted several nice pieces of furniture in great paint which I would have loved to buy for myself.
My favorite piece in the show was an early sign in the booth of "Comfort Fish" of Springfield, MA. This old trade sign advertised the business of one Moses Bailey, a blacksmith, and had wonderful lettering.
The on-site shipper for this show was "1 Stop Mail Services" of Goffstown. I asked shipper Joe LeMay what type of merchandise people were shipping. He said a lot of furniture and large heavy items - much of it to California and Texas. He expressed amazement at the prices of things such as "country" furniture.
"Yesterday I shipped a table that had sold for $4000 that I wouldn't have given a plug nickel for," he said. "And an old cupboard in crummy old paint," he added, "just like one in my cellar - only mine is bigger!"
I spoke to a young couple waiting to arrange shipping of their purchases. They said it was their second year at Antiques Week and they'd enjoyed Riverside, but found the line at the NHADA show "disorganized and people rude."
We all know what long lines can do to flare tempers, but I guess they are one of the things you have to cope with if you want to get there early.
Another woman I spoke with at Riverside, a dealer from R.I., had attended all five shows and felt the NHADA show and Mid-Week were both wonderful shows and exciting to look at, but added she felt Riverside combined quality merchandise with "more buyable prices".
I also spoke with a group of ladies who had been shopping earlier at the NHADA show.. They also had attended all five shows. One woman who collected old textiles said she'd purchased a quilt at Nan Gurley's Deerfield show on Tuesday, but hadn't purchased anything since.
Another woman in the group said she'd found a nice gathering basket at Mid-Week on Wednesday; a wall box at the NHADA show that morning, and was trying to make up her mind about a piece at the Riverside show. The third woman in the group laughed and said so far she'd bought lunch.
I spoke to a dealer from Florida who was waiting with some purchases at the edge of the parking lot for her truck to drive around. This was her first time at Antiques Week, and she'd stopped on her way up to the Union, ME show. She said she felt prices were steep, but it was possible to buy for resale if discriminating. She confided that she had only one complaint - the hot weather!
I spoke next with a collector from southwestern Pennsylvania. Mocha was on her mind and she confided she was able to buy at Riverside for her collection. She also had attended all five shows and thought scheduling between shows could be better coordinated.
She added she found the Mid-Week show to have "the most eye catching displays." As we spoke, her husband was struggling to fit a table in blue paint into the trunk of their car. "A table we didn't need!" she said.
>From Riverside, I headed to the Wayfarer Inn in Bedford, the site for the last three years of Barn Star Productions' Mid-Week in Manchester show. Frank Gaglio, promoter of this event, has put on a quality show from the first year, and this year was no exception.
The tent entrance was flanked by a pair of carved marble sphinx, thought to be of French provenance, and priced at $18,500 for the pair.
Another piece I found interesting was a political wheelbarrow in the booth of Autumn Pond Antiques of CT. In old red with gold lettering which proclaimed the slogan: "Majorities Must Rule", it was identified by tag as the slogan of President-elect R.B. Hayes between his Nov., 1876 election and his inauguration as President.
A William Prior portrait of James Copeland in the booth of David A. Schorsh caught my eye, and I stopped to snap a photo of the engaging portrait of a little boy in a white dress with a little whip. Circa 1860, the painting was priced at $75,000.
As I worked my way through the exhibits, I came to the booth of Lisa and Barry McAllister who specialize in ceramics. Lisa is the author, along with John Michel, of "Collecting Yellow Ware", and has a second book coming out next month. As a collector, I stopped to examine the pieces in this booth carefully. Lisa pointed out a very fine fish mold - which was very tempting.
Something that I really liked about this show was the containers of ice water stationed all over the tent, and the great many large standing fans - many more than last year. Several people had told me last year they'd found the pavilion unbearable, and I had dreaded it, but this year I didn't find it uncomfortable.
As I walked around, I continued to talk to customers. A woman who'd set up at the Deerfield show earlier in the week said she'd shopped all of the shows. She said she'd found the NHADA show beautiful as always. However, she said that trying to shop all five shows made for a "hard week". Then she expressed a desire: "The promoters should get together to work out a better schedule - better for the customers and the dealers," she said.
As I continued on I ran into two of my favorite customers, a young couple devoted to country antiques who have purchased some wonderful pieces from me in the past, so of course I asked them their opinion.
Pushing two strollers with their small daughters seated inside, they said this was their first year for Antiques Week, and Mid-Week was the only show they were going to visit. A dealer they buy from was exhibiting they explained and had urged them to attend. They were very impressed by the excellence of the offerings; although they had not yet purchased anything.
I went over to speak to the shipper, Karin Cooke of "From Here to There" located in Exeter, N.H. Karin told me she was shipping a lot of country furniture, tables, cupboards, and folk art. Flipping through her notebook she said most was being shipped to California, Washington State, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
She added that she was a dealer herself and believed this gave her an advantage as she knows how to pack items correctly to protect old surfaces. She mentioned that she ships for a lot of auction firms in the area that take phone bids and need to ship to absentee bidders.
As I left I spoke to one more customer. A gentleman from N.Y., he'd attended both the NHADA and Mid-Week shows. He'd been coming to the NHADA show "for over ten years and it is a superb production," he said. He was also very impressed with Mid-Week and found it comparable.
Thanks to the courtesy of Sharon Kace, one half of one of the two couples who make up Apple Hill Promotions, the promoters of the Riverside Antiques Show, I was able to gather more customer comments by phone after the shows were finished.
A gentleman from Hampton, NH told me he had only attended the NHADA show in previous years. When he attended this year, he found it to be the same as in the last couple of years, with an emphasis on primitives. He attended the Riverside show for the first time this year and found it had more merchandise in the field he collects - early English china. Unfortunately, he found nothing for his collection, but said he enjoyed looking. He also said that while he attends a lot of shows, he found five in one week too much for him.
I was also able to speak to another dealer who had attended some of the shows. She said that she thought the Americana show in Deerfield had good mid-range merchandise, and added she made several purchases there during early buying on Tuesday, including some items for resale. However, she said she thought the show's location was too far from the other shows.
She was impressed with Mid-Week and found it to have good color and impressive dealer offerings. She also liked the extended evening hours on Thursday at Mid-Week which made it easier to attend if you worked during the day.
This woman said she'd expected to see larger crowds at the shows. I told her if she wanted to see crowds stand in line to attend the NHADA opening next year.
One point this N.H. dealer brought up was that she'd seen very few local dealers viewing or shopping the shows with the exception of the hard-core group who never miss any area shows. I had noticed this myself and thought she had a valid point. We both were rather surprised because one would think that both dealers and collectors would jump at the chance to attend shows of this quality even if the merchandise was too pricey for them. How often do you get the chance to view and examine such fine antiques without having to travel? It is a rich educational opportunity, and it is a shame more local dealers and collectors don't avail themselves of it.
**************
We'd like to hear from you on this subject. If you set-up or attended the shows during Antiques Week, drop me a line and let me know what you thought, and did or did not buy or sell. Please include your name, town and state, but if you want me to withhold your name from my future article, let me know and I will do so. If you are a shopowner, let me know if your shop saw increased business during Antiques Week, and what were they buying. The Gavel has already heard from one shop that did a booming business that week. If you did not participate at all, I really want to hear from you. Why didn't you go to any of the shows? What kept you away? To all of you, please feel free to let me know what you think. Write to: Cheryl York-Cail, 17 Circlefield Drive, Nashua, N.H. 03062