Atlantique City Flourishes At Convention Center

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.

: Everything in Atlantic City is superlatives: best hotels, best casinos, greatest surfing, longest beach and boardwalk; and the antiques show and fair Atlantique City, "The Largest Indoor Antiques & Collectibles Show In The World," is no exception.

March 25-26 marked the 20th year anniversary of Atlantique City, and, although it has gone through many evolutions, it is still the "Largest Indoor Antiques & Collectibles Show In The World." Founded in 1986 as a toy, doll, train and country store advertising show, according to Norman Schaut, "The show has been attracting the 'largest' crowds ever since the first years. Then they lined up from Boardwalk Hall, where it was held, all the way down the boardwalk to the Tropicana. Today, the crowds are still coming." Norm allowed that he comes every year, noting, "I live not too far away and I just have to come and see how its going. I love this show." He is also a collector who had several bags already filled, despite the early hour Saturday morning.

Scheduled to run twice a year, Atlantique City has been purchased by the F+W group, which is actively promoting and advertising the show - to good effect, according to many of the dealers who came to the Convention Center.

This year's show was hosted by Antique Trader and also featured the 100th anniversary celebration of Planters' Mr Peanut who, in various guises, was seen walking around the show floor and driving the large Peanut Mobile. Of course the motorized vehicle that was the most popular at this show was the modified golf cart that is for rent right outside the center. With more than ten acres of space, many took advantage of the carts, as well as scooters and Razors, to navigate the large space.

This year many of the dealers were sporting gold name tags that indicated that they were 20-year veterans of the show. Bill Biggar had a 20-year tag and when asked about it he explained, "I used to come with my parents and would fall asleep under the table during the show. They had to give me a gold tag - I've been coming all my life." Bill and his wife Karen are from Atlanta and Lake Alfred, Fla., and were going from Atlantic City on to Chicago for the Coin Op show, stopping on the way to refill their truck, which was significantly emptied after Atlantique City. With their supply of advertising signs, smalls, memorabilia and other general store type of items, as well as furniture, Bill said, "This was the best Atlantique City I've ever been at. I sold across the board, from smalls to advertising to furniture."

At the booth of Richard Wright, an appraiser on the Antiques Roadshow, and also a 20-year veteran, there were, of course, hundreds of dolls. One lovely lady was an Edwardian Simon & Halbig, circa 1905, doll that had "come right out of the attic." She had a box of clothes that would put any working woman to shame, and the box, clothes and doll could be carried away for $30,000. Wright was also quick to point out a shelf with wooden dolls, both English and German, from the 1740s to 1800s, which were in amazing condition considering their age. He also had a great selection of pincushion dolls that Judy Crawford was inspecting and buying. "I bought 17 of his dolls already," she explained, "and I'm looking for more."

While not every dealer reported such record sales, Adrienne and Marco Astrologo both reported a good show. Marco, SPQR Lamps and Antiques Unlimited, Philadelphia, had Tiffany in abundance. A Tiffany desk set and several lamps were on view. One Tiffany Studios lamp had a linen fold gold doré signed shade with a signed base, circa 1910, $7,500. He reported that one lamp was broken at the show as a customer picked it up to see the base and dropped the shade - it might have been the Napoleon III mercury gold lamp with original handmade crystals, but he did not indicate which lamp it was. Adrienne mentioned she is writing a book, due out in the fall, on her specialty - vintage designer handbags. Her Ladybag International portion of the booth was overflowing with bags; some Roberta di Camerino and other designer handbags, some custom made for Anita Ekberg in 1959 when she was in Rome working on a movie, and others high fashion designs made for use in the movies.

Confirming the show's statement about being the "largest indoor antique and collectible show in the world," were booths that offered fine art to those with French and European antique furniture, such as Aimee and Greg Talbot's extra large 1,200-square-foot area; with over ten acres of floor space in the Convention Center, if a dealer requests extra space, it is available.

The Talbots travel each year to France to buy antiques, arrange shipment back to the United States and then bring the items to their home and gallery in Newberry, S.C. From a 1920s Art Deco mahogany dinning room group that included a table with six leaves and six chairs, a sideboard, hutch cupboard and cart to an oak gramophone talking machine, circa 1920s, from Belgium, their furniture was in almost pristine condition despite its travels. Their premier piece that garnered a lot of attention, and which they believe might be sold to a customer who saw it at the show, was a French armoire from the Normandy area, 1780s or 90s. It had hand hammered brass handles and hinges, and was a remarkable piece for under $10,000. Aimee reported they had a pretty good show. "We sold quite a few religious items, including an aspersorium [holy water vessel], a standing pewter crucifix and a large, 3-foot-tall, plaster sculpture of the Madonna of Lourdes, which came from a cathedral in France."

Reflecting the depth of variety at the show, nearby at Scott's Antiques, Atlanta, Carolyn and Michael Eversole were considering a large, pressed paper candy container made in Germany in the 1920s, while their friend, Janet Jones from Atlantic City, was captivated by Lance Hoyt's doll molds and stencil heads that he had brought from near Syracuse, N.Y., where they came out of a doll factory. All in copper, he had molds, face plates (40-00) and some finished products, which closely resembled fine sculpture.

Art in many guises could be seen the show. At Larry Dalton Antiques, Bella Dalton showed a magical bird box that was one of several she said she collects herself. Made in Germany in the 1940s, it was a sterling silver windup music box about 4 inches in length, priced at $2,800. As it played, a small lid popped open and a bird emerged singing an incredible song. She said it reminded her of a wonderful dream, and that's why they collect surprise pieces.

Art Deco was attracting buyers and shoppers alike at Frank Mahlick's booth where paintings in the style of Tamara de Lempicka were his specialty. Big with bold colors and what appeared to many as "modern" in style, Frank's Specialties is from St Cloud, Minn., where, he acknowledged, Art Deco paintings are not particularly popular. Not surprisingly, the works were attracting a lot of attention in Atlantic City.

Surprising to one who thought this show was mainly smalls and dolls and advertising were some of the Oriental items being shown. James Dorph says he has been coming for three or four years from Durham, N.H., and while this year was not his best, he sold some Satsuma and other Japanese and Chinese antiques. For the serious collector, he had a 19 1/2-inch Cloisonné charger circa 1850, featuring a three-toed Japanese dragon.

Other wonderful Japanese items were on view at Paul Haig's booth. A longtime exhibitor, Haig brought a Sugido single piece set of cedar doors painted with a lovely design; they were inner doors and, he happily reported, he didn't have to pack them to return to Rochester, Mich., as they were sold. He was also showing a Chinese court robe, Kossu, made of slit woven tapestry circa 1880s, and a Japanese priest robe from the late 1700s or early 1800s that had a pair of dragons woven into it, which symbolized the emperor and empress, indicating this robe was worn by a priest in the royal court.

Many dealers had long trips to come to southern New Jersey, and from Wells, Maine, the Lord family has made the trek for many years. Their booth held an eclectic mixture of advertising signs, telephones from hand crank design to "modern" phones you might have seen in "Mayberry RFD," to a collections of Coca Cola advertising and country store items.

Also coming a long way, Dale Wright drove up from Winter Haven, Fla., with sports memorabilia as well as signed and custom framed guitars from some memorable bands. He had a guitar signed by all four Beatles and one signed by The Who members, including Keith Moon. Selling for $90,000 and $20,000 respectively, Dale said, "If I sell one of them, I am going home to be with my wife, Kay, who has had to have some surgery so she couldn't come with me this year." As of our last conversation, Dale was going on to another show after Atlantic City, but he said the show was good for him, "even if I didn't sell those guitars."

Dierdre and George McLeon, Elegant Reflections, Chicago, had several objects d'art such as a Nineteenth Century French bronze sculpture with a lovely patina by artist Emile Picault, with the foundry mark, selling for $15,000, and an Italian turn of the century painting by Guiseppe Ponga, titled "The Serenade."

Looking for toys at Atlantique City required no effort - there were booths with Nineteenth Century toys to ones with early 1950s examples like North River Auction Co., which had a monkey organ grinder that was tempting customers to enter the booth. Also available from the Saugerties, N.Y., auctioneer was a pair of signed Oscar Bach lamps, circa 1910, and a 1915 Arts and Craft writing desk. Also sold early in the show was a large Black Forest hall tree, which "made the show for us."

Showing almost exclusively Black Forest, John Orban and his son Steven, from Cadiz, Ohio, brought some rare and remarkable pieces including a single piece mother dog with her pups, Swiss made, that could be purchased for $20,000; or, for the sports fan, a Black Forest bear with a seat that came from the collection of Marge Schott, former owner of the Cincinnati Reds. Made in the 1880s, you could sit on the cushion seat and watch the games for $30,000.

At George Sahady's a large, swell front inlaid armoire, circa 1920s, was remarkable for its size and intricately inlaid wooden decoration that was carried throughout the piece, even into the interior. Sahady was fortunate that he did not have to take the piece home to Bridgeport, W.Va., as he reported it sold.

Ken Sheldon was showing some beautiful pieces and one that he was particularly happy about was an opal necklace from the 1860s. It was silver on the front of the piece with yellow gold on the back. The center stone was an opal cut in the shape of a woman with high dressed hair with pave diamonds as her collar and pearl drops at the bottom and sides. Ken said he had been coming to the show since 1994 and finds it interesting and rewarding to come from Lebanon, Penn.

For information 800-526-2724 or www.atlantiquecity.com. The fall show is scheduled for October 14-15.