This year’s Antiques Week in New Hampshire saw the demise of one of the original shows, a major scheduling change for another, and a major milestone for the venerable New Hampshire Antique Dealers Show.
  Promoter Linda Turner’s decision to end the Riverside show caused a change in the week’s line up when Frank Gaglio of Barn Star’s Productions switched the Bedford Pickers Market from Friday to Monday. Galgio explained by moving to the day directly after Northeast Auctions three day August 3-5 event he hoped to increase his gate with some of those auction goers. This also made the overnight breakdown and set-up of his two formerly back-to-back shows less hectic for his dealers.
  In a brief interview late Thursday Gaglio reported that this strategy paid off and he was very pleased with the new schedule. The new schedule was also well received by the Pickers Market dealers, and several Midweek dealers commented on Wednesday that their set-up was much easier.  However, some Midweek dealers said that it seemed slower than usual on Thursday due to the fact that people weren’t staying until Friday without the Pickers opening to look forward to.
   When The Picker’s Market first started the name was quite apt. It truly was a Picker’s Marker. One can still find some great buys at this show, but over the years the caliber of the merchandise has improved and it has evolved into more of a higher end show.  This year I heard so many positive comments about the quality of this show, including that many of its dealers bring merchandise that is of equal quality to that at Midweek.
    The climax of the week this year was the Golden Anniversary of the New Hampshire Antiques Show. Since the show’s beginning in 1957 the New Hampshire Antique Dealers Association (NHADA) has worked hard to make this show the success it is today, and over the last fifty years it has built a reputation for excellence.  This year only one of the original dealers is still exhibiting, and that is Howard Oedel. This year Howard shared his booth with Northeast’s Ron Bourgeault. Ron used to exhibit at this show, and returned this year to share in the celebration.  There are many other long time dealers doing the show as well as a few new faces each year, and they all share a commitment to bringing the very finest antiques to the show.

What follows is a review of Northeast’s blow out 3 day extravaganza auction.

  Northeast Auction’s Ron Bourgeault kicked off Antiques Week in New Hampshire with a three-day auction at the Center of New Hampshire, Manchester. The Saturday, August 4th session of Northeast’s summer Americana auction kicked off with the Dinah and Stephen Lefkowitz collection. The collection which has been about twenty years in the making included some wonderful paint decorated furniture, and along with examples of colorful textiles, baskets, pottery, game boards and other great pieces of Americana. It was a large and important collection and had its own separate catalog.
   One of the highlights of this sale was a rare New England embroidered and appliqued wool and silk table cover with foliate motifs, c. 1850, which sold for $55,000. (Prices do not include buyer’s premium, which is 15% up to, and including $100,000 and 10% for the balance over that.) This beautiful and very finely worked piece was illustrated on both the front and back interior covers of the catalog.  Some of the other textiles sold included a Pennsylvania hooked rug, by Magdalina Briner, c.1885, depicting horses and red winged birds on a multicolored ground, which went for $32,000, and a American yarn sewn, shirred and crewel embroidered wool table rug, c. 1800 with flowers and exotic birds for $25,000.
  Windsor chairs were also hot at this sale as the collection consisted of some very fine examples.  A Rhode Island continuous arm Windsor in blue paint, and exceptional form, c. 1790 brought $55,000.  A few minutes later another very similar Rhode Island continuous arm Windsor in mustard-yellow paint also c. 1790 sold for considerably less at $15,000. A pair of New England continuous arm Windsors in black with yellow seats sold for $90,000. Ron said this was his favorite lot of the sale, and pointed out that reason the seats were painted like that was to make them look as through they had upholstered seats. An exceptionally fine example of a New England comb-back Windsor armchair in red and green paint, probably Rhode Island, c. 1780 fetched $40,000.
   A wonderful Pennsylvania splay-leg tavern table in blue paint over salmon with circular scrubbed top over a deep flaring square apron on turned legs with flatted ball feet, c. 1750 sold in the room for $45,500.  Another outstanding piece was a Connecticut yellow painted walnut hanging cupboard, c. 1760 with a heart-and-crown crest above a secret hinged compartment on the top, and a projecting cornice molding with dentil details over a case with fluted and chamfered corners and raised panel doors. This little gem was hammered down for $42,500. Paint continued to be hot at this sale, and an exuberantly painted hanging candle box with carved fan, and  oversized lollipop hanger in shades of mustard, taupe, and dark-green, Maine, c. 1840 fetched $30,000.
  A two-drawer New England painted and decorated pine blanket box with arched cut out feet and stylized tree of life motif reached $34,000. and a exceptional  Queen Anne blanket chest in dark-green paint with white swirl decorations, with drawer and  bootjack feet,  probably Rhode Island, early 1800’s sold for $35,000. A wonderful New England floral and geometric painted and decorated dome-top document box, thought to be from Vermont, c. 1825 went for $22,000.
   Among some of the smaller items at this sale were a Merganser hen decoy with leather tail and crest by George R. Huey (1866-1947), Friendship, Maine sold for $9,500 and a oversized Merganser drake decoy by Captain Samuel Collins, Sr., Essex.Ct, 1840 went for $12,000. A rare blue-green gourd-form splint basket with swing handle went for $9,000, a Gonic, NH olive-green, manganese and yellow bulbous redware jug dating from the first half of the 19th century sold for $7000, and a green-glazed Maine harvest jug, c.1840 went for $7,500.  One of the most surprising sales was that of a lot of 12 red, white, and blue painted iron architectural stars described possibly being carnival targets that went for an amazing $5,200.
  Immediately following the Lefkowitz collection the sale of items from the main Saturday and Sunday catalog started. This catalog consisted of the property of various owners.
  One of the highlights was a nest of 12 shaker oval boxes in various colors from a Texas collector. The bright red box had a shaker gift inscription on paper fit to the base, which began: "Heaven, my soul enraptured with this blessed view the charms of earth my soul shall…." This important stack of boxes was estimated to sell for $70-90,000, but sold well over estimate for $185,000.
  A late nineteenth century American carved and painted theatrical cigar store Indian maiden sold for $77,500 well above the $30,000-50,000 estimate. Another important lot was a oil on canvas of a mid-nineteenth century New England seaport town with lighthouse. It sold slightly over estimate at $48,000. The painting’s provenance included the collection of Isobel and Harvey Kahn; John Bihler and Henry Coger; Oliver E. Williams, Rockport, Ma. It was sold by Dick Withington in 1966 at his on-site at the Williams homestead.
  This sale was well attended, prices strong and good painted pieces were selling well, which just goes to show if you have "good stuff" they will come and they will buy!