: The Greater Boston Antiques Festival was conducted on November
19-20, at the Shriner's Auditorium.
Show producer Marvin Getman has been at this a long time - he
produced his first show 26 years ago in Boston at the Park Plaza
Castle on New Year's Day in 1981. Getman brings an interesting
perspective to the show promotion business. With a background in
marketing and promotion, he was not an antiques dealer, the
direction from which many show promoters have come. Getman events
are heavily publicized, with an easy-to-use website, which
provides links to some of the dealers' own websites. His shows
are also reasonably priced from the exhibitors' point of view.
Getman draws a crowd from the opening bell to the final moments
of his show. There is a steady stream of customers, who know they
will find good quality period American and European furniture,
art pottery, antique quilts, fine American art, folk art, hooked
rugs, Moderne design furniture and accessories.
This dramatic mask in the center of the booth of Boston Antique
Cooperative, Boston, was part of an eclectic and upscale booth,
whose proprietors said they were "quite happy" with the show.
The Greater Boston Antiques Festival is a big show, with more
than 160 dealers from 11 states. The spacious facility where it
takes place is in a business park, and there is lots of parking,
making it easy for both the customers and the dealers.
In a postshow interview, Getman commented that, as is his
practice, he had done a survey of the dealers. "Of the 60 percent
of the dealers who responded, 55 percent did 'good' or
'excellent' in terms of sales," said Getman. "Smalls were selling
better than furniture. If someone came with good smalls or good
collectibles, they did well. Quilts were selling at this show.
Lin's Quilt Source from Bristol, Conn., did well on both days.
Bob Frishman, the veteran clock dealer from Bell Time Clocks in
Andover, Mass., sold eight clocks during the two-day show. Fine
art dealers Roy and Sheila Mennell, who handle mostly Nineteenth
Century and Twentieth Century Cape Cod art, sold on both days of
the show."
Crone Collectibles was set up at the front of the show and had a
booth of fine quality art pottery. Meg Chalmers and Judy Young,
principals of the firm, have written a book on Saturday Evening
Girls pottery, which they were proudly displaying in their booth.
They were pretty pleased with the two-day show. Pat Reece and
John Rice from Portsmouth, N.H., were set up with their folky
collection of painted furniture, Indian material and period
hooked rugs.
Matt King and Camille Buda from Kingston, Mass., were very
pleased with the show, and Beverly Bernson of Altschuler, Berson,
Waban, Mass, had a wonderful selection of American and English
Nineteenth and Twentieth Century smalls. She was set up with R.C.
Bowen from Maine. The pair said they had "a fabulous show."
Scanlon Family Antiques from South Burlington, Vt., sold five
case pieces of furniture.
Bob Frishman of Bell Time Clocks from Andover, Mass., found new
homes for eight clocks at this show. "It's part of our clock
adoption service," quipped Frishman.
There is a lot of variety at this antiques event. One could
find a large and very good selection of period tramp art shown by
Sholl Antiques. There were several examples of African art,
American Indian material, lots of good china and vintage glass.
There were framed botanical prints shown by Mark Brady and Anne
Hall, Sturbridge, Mass., and a terrific mask from the Congo shown
by Boston Antique Co-op, Charles Street, Boston. Stylish period
woodblock prints sold well, especially in the booth of Ingeborg
Antiques, which reported "We have had an excellent show." John
White and Warren Brown from Center Chimney Antiques in Bristol,
R.I., had a good looking booth with several pieces of formal
American furniture and lots of good quality accessories.
Hartmann House from East Bridgewater, Mass., showed this still
life with flowers.
A pleased Getman said, "Our gate was within ten of last year.
As an industry, promoters and dealers need to reach out to new
customers." It is clear that Getman is doing just that,
aggressively reaching out to attract people. All the dealers
interviewed commented on how Getman brings in the gate. It is a
winning formula that keeps both the retail customers and the
dealers coming back for more.
The next Greater Boston Antiques Festival will bring 162 dealers
from 13 states to the Shriner's Auditorium on January 21-22.
For information, 781-862-4038 or www.neantiqueshows.com.
