Antiques In The Church Yard Attracts 3,000 On July 4

SOUTH SALEM, N.Y.

: The large yard of Stevens Memorial United Methodist Church was the scene again this year for a capacity crowd of 120 exhibiting antiques dealers and more than 3,000 visitors in the rain-shortened one day antiques show. Held on July 4, for the 14th consecutive year the show has been a startling success for Cord Shows Ltd, the show's manager. Vivien Cord and her associate, Ed McClure, have built this into one of the strongest one-day affairs with a full capacity of dealers offering antiques and some vintage collectables to a growing audience of appreciative customers.

Clyde Gatlin from nearby Southbury, Conn., was offering a large collection of early Staffordshire dishes but he also found something special to bring. He acquired in a recent estate sale an American Chippendale side chair that he said was made in Newtown, Conn., in the late Eighteenth Century. The condition was excellent and he was prepared to show books with other examples from the same town; the price was $1,000.

Marika Petryni is a dealer from Tampa, Fla., who does few shows in the North. She offered her inventory of late Nineteenth Century photo frames in various metals including brass, pewter with gilt and also other materials including wood. She does her shopping in France and collects some other small antiques and collectables.

Dee Connolly brought her stock of Nineteenth Century transfer ware dishes, mostly English, with complicated scenery of the countryside, villages and people. This Baltimore Md., dealer has been at the show for many years and she remained north to do a few others after the holiday.

Cast iron doorstops, that is most of what Efram Berger had to offer. This Monroe N.Y., collector/ dealer had some other things but the focus of his antiques was the old doorstops in very good condition and original paint. Diane and Doug McElwain, Goldsboro, N.C., are recent additions to the show and their stock is sporting collectables and some associated paraphernalia. They offer a variety of objects that have been used in sports and sporting activities but they also bring some items for the sports fan to use in decorating. Among their sales was a set of bar stools, which had as their seat covers the bases from a baseball field and bats as the legs.

A selection of early Vermont and other New England household items is how Annette Coletti, Stowe, Vt., and Richard Fuller, Randolph Vt., filled their tent. They are partial to early painted furniture and primitive accessories. Among their pieces was an iron chandelier for six candles.

White painted or repainted outdoor furniture and some white painted household furniture was Albert Joseph Antiques inventory. This Woodbury, Conn., dealer had a truck filled with this and also some other earlier antiques in original surfaces. Steve and Lisa Fisch of Wappingers Falls, N.Y., were offering Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century furniture. Steve Fisch has a second business of restoring early furniture so his furniture is in excellent condition.

Dealers had many other specialties. Anne and Mark Hall are from Sturbridge, Mass., with antique prints, either framed or ready to frame. Vicki Turbeville lives in New York City but her collection is jewelry and clothing accessories, which are Native American including several showcases of belts and jewel festooned with turquoise.

Three of the dealers make this a family affair with parents and children trading. Red Sleigh Antiques is Bill and Joan Pirozzoli of Easton, Conn., offering some early furniture and accessories. Sales were "mostly refinished country style furniture." Next to them was son Tom Pirozzoli from Goshen, N.H., with "great sales of early furniture." Finally just down the row was another son, Rick Pirozzoli together with his wife Candy, also selling furniture. Rick and Candy, trading as Sport Hill Antiques, sold among other things a cast iron horse's head that was probably used to tie up a horse while the rider was visiting. All the family will be setting up at New London, N.H., and some other summer shows.

Albert Barrows is the owner of Highfields Antiques of St Albans, Maine. A brief visit with him near the end of the show was filled with discussion about all the sales he had including a 20-drawer apothecary chest, a country sideboard, a couple of weathervanes and more. He was a happy man for the day.

More furniture sold from Jim Emele of Dublin Penn., a newcomer to the show. Dennis Christanson, Warwick, N.Y., was offering a collection of Nineteenth Century furniture. Later furniture and some early New England pieces were the mix from Indian Pipe Antiques of Portland Maine. Slocum and Schaffner, West Tisbury, Mass., a town on Martha's Vineyard, was there with very high quality early American furniture. With a collection of both hardwood and country pieces, Ware House Antiques, Boylston, Mass., came offering a diverse collection for the first time.

The show has in just 14 years become a tradition for many as to how they spend their Fourth of July holiday, dealers and collectors alike. Unfortunately the show ended early this year with heavy rainstorms including lightning around 3 pm. Even so, most dealers had a good day with their sales to the large audience of mostly Westchester County, N.Y., and Fairfield County, Conn., visitors. The early pancake breakfast for about $5 per person starting at 8:30 am and open to all was another part of the tradition of the show.

If you missed it this year, try not to next year, just remember July 4 in South Salem, and follow the crowds. For information, www.cordshows.com or call Ed McClure or Vivien Cord at 914-273-4667.