: Heart of Country Antiques Show was greeted by large,
free-spending crowds at its most recent gathering, February
23-26. Hosted by the Kramer family this was the first show since
the co-founder of the show, Elizabeth Kramer, passed away last
fall. Filling the void were her daughters, Susan Hunkins and
Maryanne Haskins, and several grandchildren. Elizabeth's husband,
Richard, was in his usual leadership role and son-in-law Steven
Hunkins was the floor manager. They were performing in their
typically efficient manner to create a smooth show for the
visitors and dealers.
This winter show had "157 dealers on the floor with doubling up
and all," according to Kramer, who added, "We were very tight on
space so there were several booths where dealers worked out their
own arrangements together. We had the floor full so we couldn't
take any more than we had." The show was very successful he said.
"One of our best ever; the dealers were selling well. I think the
spending per visitor was definitely up, according to what several
dealers told me."
Bill Powell Antiques, Franklin, Tenn.
Dealers were indeed upbeat about the show. Roswell, Ga.,
dealer Greg Latham of New England South said his sales "were good,
and I had a Georgian era highboy that sold just after the show."
Bill Kelly from Limington, Maine, told Kramer he had a great show
with some furniture and small antiques finding new homes.
From nearby Franklin, Tenn., Bill Powell brought a collection of
Nineteenth Century and early folk art. His exhibit included
several life-size mannequins of campy figures - caricatures of a
cowboy and a clown - all with substantial prices. Sales included
decorative iron and some art and furniture.
Dealer Dennis Raleigh spoke for many when he gave his opinion
about the show. Noting he had an excellent show, he said, "Sales
were good and it was refreshing; it seemed most did well or even
very well and the atmosphere was very upbeat. I sold five pieces
of furniture, two weathervanes including the setter dog, and a
fancy primitive wall shelf unit." Raleigh does his shopping over
a wide area of the country; he has a winter home in Michigan and
from May to October lives in Wiscasset, Maine, where he keeps a
shop open for the summer. He expounded on how his shopping is
primarily at private homes by invitation from the occupants where
he can find the best quality antiques at the most reasonable
prices.
Steven Still, Art and Antiques, Elizabethtown, Penn.
Stephen-Douglas Antiques, Rockingham, Vt., came to Nashville
with an American flag that had been made during the Civil War. The
flag was made by the wife of a Union soldier who was originally
from a southern state, and the soldier carried the flag with him in
various battles throughout the war. After the war it remained in
the family until dealers bought it last year. Condition of the
piece was good, not perfect, of course, as it is 145 years old. The
price was $60,000.
Some dealers offer a very specialized look or line of goods at
this show. Mary de Buhr is from Downers Grove, Ill., and the look
and style of her collection is primitive with, as she says,
"original surface" such as milk painted or even bare wood with a
couple hundred years of handling. Her sales included the wall
paneling that had created the back drop of her exhibit, a chimney
cupboard in original bare surface, and a variety of small
accessories and textiles.
Sporting antiques and accessories are Julie Harris's area of
specialization. She hails from Kansas City, Mo., where she
collects and offers Olympic sporting apparatus from the 1920s
along with furniture and uniforms that would be right at home as
the décor of the local sporting club.
The scene was like a country store overflowing with merchandise
at the Orwigs', Don and Marta, of Corunna, Ind. Don likes to find
things that were used as sales props or, in the modern
vernacular, point of sale advertising pieces, which were in use a
hundred or more years ago. Signs, statues, weathervanes and also
those oversized creations of small objects that told the people
wandering by what was to be found in the store. These are
examples of what Don finds and offers: there was a stork in
cement, an ice cream cone - about three feet tall made from
plywood - and a pacifier, those sucking devices used by parents
to placate the infant while waiting for the next feeding, but
this one was bigger than any infant.
White and White, Skaneateles, N.Y.
Deboraelizabeth Schaffer came from Wiscasset, Maine, but she
was teased about not bringing enough merchandise. Within an hour of
the preview she had so many sold signs in her space there was
little left for her to do for the rest of the weekend but chat or
read a book. Sales included a pair of chairs, more furniture and a
great many accessories.
Martha Perkins and Barrett Menson, Ashby, Mass., were very
pleased with this, their first time to set up at the Heart show
together. Barrett said sales included a farm table at $695 and a
green cupboard at $2,800, which they delivered to Waynesboro,
Va., on their way home. He added they sold some art and textiles
as well. Country Treasures, the Meekinses of Preston, Md., always
do well and at this show and George Meekins said their sales were
off to an excellent beginning at the time of the preview party
with several pieces of painted furniture sold.
The success was apparently widespread in the show with most
dealers very satisfied with their results.
Last spring the Kramers changed the format so that their fall
show will be September 27-30 at the Gaylord Texan Hotel in
Grapevine, Texas. The dates for next year's early spring Heart of
the Country Show in Nashville are now listed as March 1-3.
For more information, www.heartofcountry.com, or 800-862-1090.
