: Tailgate Antiques Show at Fiddlers Inn was a big success
according to the promoter, Steve Jenkins. Held from Wednesday
through Saturday, February 22-25, there were 195 dealers
exhibiting in the rooms and on the grounds of the Fiddlers Inn
Motel across the street from Gaylord's Opryland Resort and
Conference Center. This show has been a satellite to the Heart of
Country Antiques Show for more than 20 years with dealers
offering early American and country antiques from the East and
Middle America.
This most recent show had statistics, according to Jenkins, which
were "the best since the late 1990s." He added, "We had all the
rooms sold and about 15 outside dealers. Early buying and regular
admissions were all at new highs."
Dealers were echoing his comments, including a Maryland dealer of
sporting antiques who said it was the "best show here in years. I
had to go back to the trailer for more stuff and I wasn't going
home, I have another show and I don't have enough stuff!" A
Connecticut dealer sold several very valuable small antiques
including a Delaware Valley child's chair and some early
porcelain.
Baltimore's American Stars specializes in early American
woodenware such as firkins, pails and butter churns. One churn
was from about 1775-1800 and in excellent original condition with
some of its original paint still visible.
Marilyn Draper Carr, Barrington Ill., trades as Thistle and
offers ordinary objects shown for their art value; a granite mill
wheel showing its variegated shades of gray and white; the
cutting wheels and fork tines of a cultivating harrow. She had a
winnowing basket, used to thrash the kernels of wheat from the
stalks and a collage of ferns framed into a full wall of natural
art.
Monkton Mill Antiques is from Hillsboro, Md., and finds early
furniture from its Eastern Shore home area and from the
Shenandoah Valley. At this show furniture was selling very well,
including a blanket chest with highly detailed chip and knife
carved decorations painted as was typical for the early
Pennsylvania pieces.
Linda Rubley, Limington, Maine
Furniture was selling very well throughout the show. Steve
Jenkins was a dealer long before he was this show's promoter and he
still puts on a display for the week. This time his offerings
included a Tennessee hunt board with three drawers in its original
surface, a French footed Hepplewhite small bachelor's chest and a
pie safe. He also sold a variety of small antique accessories.
Boylston, Mass., dealers Ken Ware and Kathy Hanlon, Ware House
Antiques were offering a large collection as well. There was a
corner cupboard in pine, a maple high boy, a small hutch table and
chairs for it. They also brought a collection of primitive pieces.
"Fiddlers," as the show is known, has a reputation as the show
where dealers buy. They come in on the set up day and as early
buyers for premium entry fees just to peruse the inventories of
exhibiting dealers. Exhibitors frequently make arrangements to
have an extra person with them just so that they can unload, sell
and shop simultaneously. An antique furniture dealer from New
England said he "bought four pieces in the first 20 minutes of
the set up day and sold two of them while at the show. It was
good that I did for I was really full coming in, but not to
worry, I sold plenty enough to get home." A California couple who
are dealers come to the show twice each year just to shop, not to
exhibit; another from Spotsylvania County, Va., does the same.
Both said they more than paid for the trip in the first hour with
their purchases.
From Fitzwilliam, N.H., Dennis Berard, Dennis and Dad, has been
doing the show for so many years he has regular customers for his
early dishes, mostly English porcelain. Laura Schoene and Robert
Trites, Red Rock, N.Y., sold a good deal of furniture. Even so,
they bought so much here and then they agreed to help a friend
haul back some things that Trites said he expected to rent a
trailer in addition to their box truck for the ride home.
When asked, Dee Wilhelm from Grand Blanc, Mich., could not
remember how long she and her husband had been doing the show.
She collects many small boxes, early lighting and small furniture
pieces.
Dee Wilhelm, Grand Blanc, Mich.
Not all the dealers have been doing the show for so many
years. Linda Rubley from Limington, Maine, and Gerry Slack, Dublin,
N.H., were there for the first time. From a second floor exhibit
they were selling country furniture and early porcelain and
stoneware. Illinoisan Jack Vye was selling some muzzle loading
guns; Linda and Ralph Miller brought a large vanload of primitive
furniture. Deborah Fisher, Lebanon, Ohio, was there with a
collection of furniture and folk art. Her prized piece was an early
hobbyhorse in very good condition, painted with rockers for a small
child.
Dealers were quite pleased with their results for the week, both
selling and buying. Their only displeasure was that on Friday
night's dealer dinner Steve Jenkins announced somewhat
apologetically that dates for the show next winter would be the
last week of January. As this show is a tailgate to the Heart
show at Opryland USA Hotel and Resort across the street, he said
he "did not control the dates but had to follow whatever that
show did."
Within the week, however, Jenkins changed that announcement as
the Heart show was able to get dates more acceptable to everyone.
The dates for next winter's show will be Wednesday through
Sunday, February 28-March 3.
This date problem has come up before and there were conflicting
notices about this fall's shows; Fiddlers will be October 25-28.
Bookings from the dealers are coming in quickly as there will not
be a show at Opryland at that time. Interested dealers should
contact the promoter at 317-598-0012. More information is
available on the website, www.jenkinsshows.com.
