76th Annual A Hit For Maine Antique Dealers

PORTLAND, MAINE

:The 76th annual Maine Antiques Dealers Association's (MADA) show opened to a large and energetic crowd on Saturday, September 17, for the first of two action packed days. A large crowd began lining up for the show well in advance of opening, and by 10 am the line snaked its way around the large lobby of the Racket and Fitness Center, through the front door and well out into the parking area.

As buyers rushed onto the floor, many of the dealers could be seen placing red stickers and sold tags on items, writing receipts and bagging up a host of smalls.

Drizzly days certainly contributed to an increase in attendance, but not to the fact that the gate increased to almost 1,000 coming through the door on the first day alone, more than 200 than attended the entire show last year. "Attendance doubled," stated MADA president Nancy Glazer, a full parking lot and cars lined up and down both sides of the street attested to that.

The MADA show has been one that has bounced from location to location over the years trying to find a cozy niche. After tiring of the Biddeford venue, mainly due to a lack of air condition in the facility, the show moved to its current location in Portland about six years ago. The July dates, however, were kept for the first five years despite thinking amongst MADA members that the summer dates were hindering the show. For this outing, the month of September was chosen and, despite conflicts with another major Americana oriented show, the results proved to be extremely positive.

"People seemed to really respond well to the date changes," noted show manager Colleen Donovan, who furthered that "the September crowd seemed very responsive. A lot of our dealers told me that the crowd was more knowledgeable, they were interested and understood what they were looking at."

Bill Schwind has been doing the show for 30-plus years, first exhibiting in 1969 when it was a "table top glass and china show held just down the street from the current location at the Elks Club." Schwind, noting the changes that have taken place over the years, called himself the "senior" member of the show and commented that he felt it was "wonderful. This was the best looking [MADA] show that I have seen in many years. The new dates and the large crowd show us that it is going to work well as a stand alone show."

While the gate was a positive response, so too was the business that was reported around the floor. "Its one thing to have a big gate," said Ms Donovan, "but another to have people actually see the results of that gate." The promoter reported a "real variety of things selling" ranging from early American to silver and pressed glass.

While there is certainly an emphasis on early American wares, one of the trump cards for the show was the eclectic mix. Items ranged from the pressed glassware in the booth of Searsport, Maine dealer David and Phyllis Gaul, to formal furnishings presented by Pittston, Maine, dealer Kenneth Tuttle. A coup for the show this year was the addition of some of the Americana heavy-hitters in today's marketplace, such as Winter Antiques Show exhibitors Fred Giampietro, James and Nancy Glazer and newly inducted Eastside dealer David Wheatcroft.

"The show created a great deal of excitement and the way the floor plan worked, everywhere you looked there was a wonderful booth," stated Nancy Glazer. "The old-time Maine dealers add a luster to the show," she said, "and the new dealers brought an energy."

The Americana selection was particularly strong with dozens of booths filled with mouthwatering treasures. Paint decorated furniture was plentiful with numerous pieces of that uniquely flavored Maine paint seen in various booths. Perhaps the most interesting pieces displayed were in the booth of Bailey Island, Maine, dealers Jim and Nancy Glazer with a cottage pine set in bold paint on display. Consisting of a bed, a mirrored chest, commode, and stand, the pieces were painted in an ochre on brown with bold lighter colored splotchy decoration.

The dealers also offered an Empire chest with strong Maine paint, and a "State of Maine" bed also in vibrant paint. Smalls in the booth included a stunning fireman's parade hat from Philadelphia in bold original paint with an eagle perched with crossed flags and a banner emblazoned with "Washington" across the top. A selection of pottery included a rare pair of redware cats , a sgrafitto shaving bowl, and a nice straight sided early New York City jar elegantly incised "Plumbs."

Patricia Reed offered a wonderful large carved standing eagle with spread wings that was once in the collection of Dustin Hoffman. The local Damariscotta dealer also displayed a carved wood eagle plaque, a nice dough box in the original gray paint and a host of smalls including early lighting devices and some attractive stuffed animals.

David Wheatcroft, Westborough, Mass., set up a visually striking booth with standout items jumping out at buyers from every direction. Highlights of the booth included a polychromed spread winged eagle plaque, circa 1870, that had been carved by George Staph, hanging above an early ladder back armchair with bold turnings and excellent early paint that was though to be of Connecticut origin. Other highlights included a wonderful tole coffeepot with a bold form and superb original paint decoration, and a primitive portrait of a young boy holding a red book, circa 1840, by William Kennedy.

Nathan Tuttle of Ken Tuttle Antiques, Pittston, Maine, reported a "wonderful show." Nathan and the late Ken Tuttle started doing the show "five or six years ago" and the firm has been happily returning every year. "This was the best looking one I have seen in quite a while," said Nathan Tuttle, "it was really wonderful and we had a great show." The big sale of the weekend revolved around an extremely rare Aaron Willard banjo clock with mahogany case and a rare striking movement that the dealer sold to a local buyer. "It was a totally original clock that is pictured in Robert Foley's new book. A local contractor came in and saw it and just fell in love with it." The dealer, who also bought well at the show, reported a couple call-backs, some involving six-figure case-pieces.

Fred Giampietro was doing the show for the first time and he was optimistic as the show opened. "Great looking show," commented the dealer whose booth was filled with extraordinary items that certainly raised the quality bar a notch or two. In the forefront of his booth was an apothecary cupboard with an open shelf top in a dry robin's egg blue paint. The circa 1790 piece had an unusual highly cut-out base with scalloped skirt and a lower shelf. On a flanking wall was a folky hooked rug with a wonderful stylized locomotive and passenger cars steaming its way across the bottom while the top proclaimed "Away To The Pacific - Good Luck To You."

One booth that offered an extremely eclectic mix of merchandise was Richard Suydam, Lahaska, Penn., with items ranging from early country furnishings to Orientalia. A little bit of everything was sold by the dealer who called the show and "outstanding event for a show in Maine. The quality is way up there," he said, although he countered with a chuckle that prices may have been a "a little frightening for some Mainers who are not used to seeing five and six figure tags." Suydam's booth featured a nice chair table in a wonderful green paint that didn't last long after the show opened, and the dealer commented that he is still negotiating a sale of a set of cast iron lawn chairs. The dealer also reported other sales including several pieces of Orientalia along with numerous pieces of silver and jewelry.

Arrowsic, Maine, dealer James Arsenault was doing the show for the first time and he commented that he was "pleased with the results." Dealing in historical Americana, rare books and fine art, he was somewhat out of the mainstream, yet he still reported good activity. Among the sales reported was a rare reverse painting on glass based on an English mezzotint from 1774. The painting titled "The Bostonians Paying the Excise-Man or Tarring and Feathering" depicted a group of Colonials expressing their disdain. The dealer also sold a nice Impressionistic autumn landscape by Joseph Greenwood.

"I was really impressed with the show," commented Charles Berdan of Jewett and Berdan, Newcastle, Maine, "The new dates revitalized it, they put new life back in the show." Having done the show for the past eight years, they were particularly pleased with the look, "It had a lot more potential than it did last year and the crowd really appreciated it," he said. The dealers reported numerous sales including a large banner weathervane, a chintz bedcover, an apothecary chest, a couple of Windsor chairs and an architectural eagle fragment.

Chris Considine, Falmouth, Mass., commented "Things went great for me. I am a furniture guy, but at the show I sold four paintings." The dealer shared the sentiments with many others stating that it was an "interested and educated crowd that made their way through the show. I really have to give the management credit. They targeted the historic homes people throughout the Portland area and those people turned out and bought."

Among the other sales for Considine was a large knot board that the dealer had found locally, a nice mirror and a monumental stone carved pear that "all the other dealers loved, but they couldn't stand the price. As soon as the show opened, bam, it sold retail. I loved it. It was all positive for me," he said.

Local Portland dealer Don Heller was another to have a very good show, also reporting sales across the spectrum of his inventory. The dealer sold furniture, paintings and accessories. A nice painting of the two-masted schooner Frank B. Colton by Maine artist John A. Knight was attracting quite a bit of attention from the booth and it wasn't long after opening on Saturday morning that the piece was sporting a sold tag.

A nice Hathaway, Maine, landscape was another piece to go from Heller's booth, as was a sailor made chest, a chart book and a bottle chest. A squat cupboard with compartmentalized interior for ship's signal flags was also an early seller. Made for a schooner and covered in gray painted canvas, each of the compartments had the name of the burgee listed, and the interior side of the door was decorated with each flag and its meaning.

Portsmouth, N.H., dealer Ed Weissman was "impressed" with the show and he reported "good sales across the boards. We sold three pieces of furniture, three pieces of brass, three paintings and have had one sale after with a call-back." The dealer reported selling a nice "high-style country" transitional inlaid Hepplewhite chest, a dry sink and a candlestand. "The long and the short of it was that it was a good show," he said.

MADA's attempt to get their show out from the shadows of other New England events can easily be considered a successful one. "Everyone felt we accomplished something here," stated Nancy Glazer. "There was this confluence of wonderful dealers putting on their best face, and in doing that we established ourselves as a fall show and a destination."