Farmington Antiques Labor Day Weekend: 26 Years On A Polo Field

FARMINGTON, CONN.

:Jenkins Management, a national antiques show management operation, completed its 2005 second edition of Farmington Antiques Weekend, September 3-4, on the polo grounds. Each summer for the past 26 years the polo field has become a magnet for antiques dealers and a mecca for antiques shoppers. Decorators, collectors and just people furnishing their homes come to admire the offerings and upgrade their collections.

Jenkins Management bought the long established event before the June 2001 show and has continued its tradition of offering as much of the best as this family-operated business can find. New dealers have been coming to the show from the South and Midwest following Jenkins' other shows in Nashville, Tenn., and Springfield, Ohio.

With more than 20 years experience in antiques show management and about 20 years as dealers before that, Steve and Barbara Jenkins have a reputation as hard workers with an understanding of what dealers need and customers want in a successful show. On this Labor Day weekend that reputation and hard work seemed to be realized as the crowds came in good numbers. Steve said, "We had a pretty good show, good gate [visitors], did pretty good for the dealers and sales seemed good. In fact the attendance was the second highest since we've had the show. The gas prices and hurricane problems seemed to have little effect on our activities."

Dealers reported sales were satisfactory in most categories of antiques with furniture from the Nineteenth Century leading the activity. Oak furniture such as Larkin and the popular Stickley Mission was selling very well, according to several dealers. Styles from early Nineteenth Century were also "doing good at the cash register," according to a New York dealer. "Buyers seem to be younger and their tastes are different," he added, "and they can buy this later furniture for much less than say a Duncan Phyfe piece." This comment seemed to echo that of another promoter, Irene Stella, who has started some shows with the later styles.

A new dealer to the show, Dan Christenson from Warwick, N.Y., was pleased with his sales, which included a primitive work cupboard for just under a $1,000. Peter Winjum is a dealer of fine art who does the show regularly. At this most recent meeting he offered wall hangings and also a large variety of small carved art objects.

Wappingers Falls, N.Y., dealers Steve and Lisa Fisch had an exhibit consisting mainly of early Nineteenth Century furniture. They have a second business called The Finishing Touch for restoring and refinishing furniture so all the pieces offered at the show were in excellent condition; good advertising for the business. Tom Nagy's Chelsea Hill Antiques is similar to the Fisches' with the difference that Nagy offers late Eighteenth Century and very early Nineteenth Century styles along with fine art in his oversized tent.

Early American or what is often called Americana - those objects that were made in the early stages of the country's development for use or decoration - has long been a staple for this show. Dealers who trade in it come from the Midwest with Hoosier kitchen cupboards, nanny dolls from North Carolina, saddles from Texas and wooden sap buckets from Vermont.

Mapleside Antiques from Titusville, Penn., carries furniture that is primitive in some cases and stylish craftsman-built hardwood pieces in others. For this show they had a Sheraton-style cherry chest of drawers from Pennsylvania circa 1820-1830 along with a large collection of small antique accessories. Rick and Dawn Mabrey came up from Raleigh, N.C., with a stack of blanket chests all in early paint.

Scottsburg, Ind., is home for Period Antiques and its collection for the weekend included an assortment of primitive containers in early paint. Tom Cheap and Rose Reynolds also had numerous hooked rugs and mats and furniture from early Nineteenth Century and before.

A nearby dealer specialized in some interesting inventions. Jim Delphia, Canton, Conn., was there with an assortment of coffee grinders - from a small one that could have been a home model to some very large store models - all of which were in excellent condition. He also had several dozen mechanical apple peelers. Mad River Antiques, North Granby, Conn., brought a large part of its collection of American stoneware, crocks and jugs with decoration, for display and sale.

Miller House is the business of Linda Miller, who is aided by her husband, Ralph. Their collection reflects a taste for country and primitives. She had several cupboards and benches that were painted in a bright color of early milk paint. Miller also likes small antiques from the same general time, from about 1750 through 1850, and had a large assortment of boxes, stands and more that she brought from her Carroll, Ohio, home and shop. Edgewood Antiques, Greenville, S.C., evinced similar tastes and was a complement to the Millers. Sales for both dealers were good, they said on Sunday morning, with the hope that there might be more sales later in the day.

Jenkins Management felt the weekend was good overall and is eagerly anticipating its next two shows in Nashville shows in October.

Farmington does not happen again until the second weekend of June, next year, but more information is available at 317-598-0012 or check the calendar on page 66 of Antiques and The Arts Weekly.