: The 25th annual Maine Antiques Festival was a success for the
customers, the dealers and the promoter, Paul Davis, on August
12-14 in this tiny hamlet 20 miles inland from Camden and
Rockport, Maine. The village was a small center for farmers
founded in about 1774 and, except for the annual antiques
festival and a blueberry festival the following week, not too
much happens there.
Davis began the show with a partner as an outlet for Maine
dealers to gather together, sell to the public and amongst
themselves at the Union Fairgrounds. The idea of the show was
immediately popular with the dealers with about 100 the first
year and quickly growing to the maximum capacity of 400 in the
mid-90s. At that point, Davis decided it was getting too big for
the facility and cut back on the exhibit area somewhat to a
capacity now of just over 300.
Martin Ferrick, Addison Maine
Visitors arrived in large numbers even though the weather
forecasts included rain, which only happened during Friday night.
In fact, early buyers during the Friday setup were somewhat greater
in number than last year, according to Davis. To that he added,
"The dealers seemed to enjoy the greater sales due in part to the
early buyers coming in good numbers and buying the best they [the
dealers] had to offer. The quality of the offerings was definitely
up; no flea market dealers were present."
LooLoo Design, Portsmouth, R.I., has been showing in many of the
major shows throughout the east with its unusual line of early
exotic plumbing fixtures and hardware. Web Wilson, co-owner with
his wife Jill, is the author of the book on antique hardware,
Antique Hardware Price Guide, published by Krause
Publications in 1999. Their sales were not bad at the show with a
variety of products for those restoring homes and redecorating.
| Highfield's Antiques, St
Albans, Maine
|
There were still many Maine dealers exhibiting
at the show. Magoon Bros is the South Paris dealer who comes up
with mainly Maine things including moose heads and early canoes.
Country Squire Antiques, the business of Gorham residents Jane and
Ed Carr, offered a variety of restored furniture from the
Nineteenth Century and hooked rugs. The Carrs reported "pretty good
sales and, while not up to last year, we had a good show."
"Good show, a really good one," said Albert Burrows from St
Albans Maine, as he sold a half dozen pieces of furniture and
some art work.
Not all the dealers were from Maine as the show's growth has made
it a place for many dealers to exhibit and sell. Michael
McNaughton came from Franklin, Conn., with several pond boats
both old and not so old. Blue Dog Antiques, Stafford Springs,
Conn., and Marian Atten of Antiques at Hillwood Farm, Pecatonia,
Ill., were set up together in one of the shed buildings with
their collections of primitive American home furnishings. Atten
was using the show as an opportunity not only to sell but also to
restock.
Ware House Antiques, Boylston, Mass.
Firehouse Antiques, Galena, Md., said the show was great with
the sale of a 12-piece set of snowshoe furniture, priced at $2,950,
hooked rugs and a good deal more. A Connecticut dealer sold a
six-board blanket chest, numerous oriental rugs, some early English
porcelain and a pair of early plank seat chairs.
It seemed in interviews on Sunday and post-show that most dealers
were pleased with their results. Davis said he received "positive
feedback from dealers especially on Friday and also from
customers who went out of their way to say 'good show.' Maybe
this is the turnaround for I have a lot of shows in the fall."
Davis' upcoming shows include Manchester Vermont during Antiques
Week at the Equinox Hotel, and the Hampton shows. Union will
repeat on the second weekend of August again next year.
For information, 207-563-1013 or www.maineantiquefest.com.
