Heart Of Country: Nashville Tradition Takes Its Last Fall Stand

NASHVILLE, TENN.

:Heart of Country had its last fall show in this city October 13-15, with nearly 100 dealers in Gaylord's Opryland USA Resort. It was the last because, although show manager Elizabeth Kramer will continue with a spring show here, the second show of each year will be moved to Dallas, starting with September 21-23.

This year, collectors, dealers and decorators were all showing the anxiety of the recent Gulf Coast hurricanes, but those concerns it seems were unfounded. Customer numbers were "virtually the same as last year," according to the promoters, and dealers reported that sales were good.

Country Treasures, Preston, Md., has been exhibiting in Nashville for many years, but in one of the other shows. According to Robert Meekins the firm will continue with the Heart show in the future based upon its sales results at this most recent event. He and his parents had good sales, including a Georgia hunt board and a good quantity of small antiques.

Another dealer new to the Heart show was Silver Hill Antiques from El Dorado, Kan. Lynette and Gordon Harrison, the proprietors, said their sales included two pieces of furniture and some smaller household items. Their experience in this show is fresh to them, as they recently moved from Montana and also lived in Wyoming, so to them, Nashville was an experience in the east. Look for them to find their way the rest of the way east in the next year as Gordon Harrison clearly has a penchant for early New England furniture in his business and personal collection.

Terry and Brenda Daniels have been at Heart for about 15 years and consider it one of their most important shows of the year. "October is usually the slower of the two, but we do okay," they said. "This one seemed to show some effects from the gas [prices] and weather, but we pulled it out."

"We only do four shows a year and this is one, with Heart in February another, and we'll be there with bells on" said Charles Warren. He and his wife, Judy, are Stonecrop Antiques from Mt Crawford, Va., and he added that at this edition of Heart he sold no furniture, "but we did sell smalls."

This response was echoed in the Antiques Under $200 booth as well. Kramer instituted this feature in the show many years ago. As the show was gaining its reputation for excellent American country-style antiques, the prices of the offerings were becoming higher. She decided to counter that trend by having a booth filled to overflowing with antiques that would be offered for less than $200 and would be consigned to the booth by the exhibiting dealers. For most visitors to the show, it is a not-to-be missed feature, for they feel there is usually something to be found for their collection or inventory.

There were numerous unusual and unique items at this fall's show. The Gift Center, New York City, had a necklace worn by Joan Crawford as its centerpiece, priced at $6,800. Wiscasset, Maine, dealer Debraelizabeth Schaffer offered a group of theorems made between 1830 and 1930. There was an entire family room of furniture from Buckingham Antiques. The Burleson, Texas, dealer even had the painted and upholstered pieces color coordinated to be a complete ensemble. Terry and Brenda Daniels had driven from Newville, Penn., for about the last ten years, but recently moved to their hometown, Athens, Ala., where now this show is only two hours away. Their stock included early furniture and advertising.

The show has also had a theme booth or special exhibit near the opening. In recent times, it was sugar chests, pie safes and weathervanes at the various gatherings. This time the special exhibit featured baseball and the paraphernalia associated with the national pastime. There were balls from the dozens of makers all with their original boxes, bats going back 150 years, gloves from the beginning and much of the other gear used from 1850 to the present. Additionally, there were fan items that had been made for the home, such as stools made from bats, light fixtures and advertising props associated with the game.

Heart of Country will continue at Gaylord's Opryland USA once each year, and the next meeting will be February 24-25, with the traditional preview party on Thursday, February 23 at 6 pm. There is an offering for out-of-town visitors given through the Kramers, which includes a special rate at Opryland and tickets for the preview and a guided tour of the show. For information, www.heartofcountry.com or 800-862-1090.