Antiques In Armonk Sees Wide Mix Of Sales

ARMONK, N.Y.

:The Last Detail Antiques Shows, Ltd produced the 2006 Armonk Antiques Show April 22-23 at Byram Hills High School. Show manager Martin Greenstein gathered more than 50 dealers for the weekend event, which was sponsored by the North Castle Historical Society. The show also served as a fundraising activity for its work in the town.

Greenstein has been managing the show for several years now, and he said he believed that with the dealers invited to participate and the numbers of visitors, this year's show was the best yet. Even with heavy rains on both days, he said, "dealers were generally reporting good sales. We saw some big furniture going out, some fine art and jewelry, a pretty wide mix of sales."

Arlene Komyathy of Glenbrook Antiques in Hudson, N.Y., echoed Greenstein's comments. Primarily dealing in early hardwood furniture, she sold a Duncan Phyfe-style dining table, which had been tagged at $6,900, and some fine art for, as she put it, "a good weekend and a good show." Another dealer of antique furniture, Slocum and Schaffner brought an early Massachusetts highboy made of maple with other under woods. The price was $14,500, and it found a new home over the weekend, making this West Tisbury, Mass., dealer very happy.

Small antiques were selling well for Louis Beauchamp of Witchtree Antiques. This Woodbury, Conn., dealer said he had a very good show, selling the small articles he buys on several trips to England each year, shopping the Newark and Swinderby fairs and many shops in that area, which he considers his favorites. David Salkin, a Philadelphia dealer, was offering a collection of fine Asian art, antiques and furniture.

Jaffe and Thurston have an ambitious schedule of shows, and for this one offered fine art and furniture. Susan Vatell is primarily a dealer of fine heirloom and antique jewelry, trading as Fine Arts Ltd of Greenwich, Conn. Silver was selling well for Arline Kimerling of Chappaqua, N.Y.

Brad Reh, Southampton, N.Y., also deals in jewelry, but to such an extent that an armored truck brings the inventory to the show where it is kept in a rented safe for the weekend. He is the second generation in the business and now collects and trades in special heirloom jewelry, one-of-a-kind pieces.

Mark's Time is all clocks and watches. The owner, Mark Reichbach, was trained in watch repair some 20 years ago at Bulova Watch Company's factory in Long Island and then he opened his own repair shop. That business has grown to a full-time watch and clock shop, repairing and selling, as well as exhibiting at some shows. Here he had an extensive display and his sales were good.

There were many exhibitors at the show with a highly specialized collection for sale. The Frame Lady had a vast collection of frames; most were from the Nineteenth Century and made from a variety of materials. The dealer, Nancy Kaplan, of Mount Sinai, N.Y., offered them to be used for photographs with antiques in decorating. Connie Brown is a dealer of vintage textiles from Norwalk, Conn. Her exhibit featured a bedroom setting with a colorful collection of handmade quilts and home spun coverlets. For this show, her best sales were of small textiles, such as antique towels, bed linens and even handkerchiefs.

Akin Antiques and Lighting from Boston was offering a full line of home furnishings and furniture, as well as the lighting that is its specialty. Included in the lighting gear were early candle wall sconces, early silver and crystal electric fixtures and floor and table lamps. Susan Alexander, Powderhouse Antiques in New York City, was offering a variety of pottery and porcelain, including some majolica. She said, "I find a great deal of my collection in France and Brussels." In addition, she offered some household antiques and early advertising for the decorators.

Early American woodenware is the specialty for Baltimore, Md., dealer Don Cruise. His collection at the show included two very early butter churns and a stack of Nineteenth Century firkins. Also in his collection there were several pairs of Old Sheffield Plate candlesticks, treenware and some textiles, including a quilt of sunflowers, which found a new home during the show.

Art dealers were here as well. Ars Longa is the gallery of Peter Marciniak, open by appointment only in Hillsborough, N.H. His collection was a mix of styles from the last two centuries and his sales seemed to be fairly good, judging by the blank spots on the walls at the end of the show. Peter Winjum was there from Fairfield, Conn., and Dynan Fine Art came from Kennebunk, Maine. Early Sunday morning Celeste Dynan said, "We had a good day yesterday with art sales and some of our other things as well." Rhode Island dealer Tradewinds Fine Art was also offering a collection of paintings.

Many dealers of antique furniture were there, including Steve and Lisa Fisch from Wappingers Falls, N.Y., and Albert Joseph Antiques from Woodbury, Conn. Melissa Bourque was offering a collection of early American primitive furniture from her collection in Garrison, N.Y.

As a part of its fundraising activities, the North Castle Historic Society even had a booth offering donations of small antiques filling several tables in the hall.

The show has become a fixture in the early spring and Greenstein expects to have the information for the next year's dates soon. His next show will be in the fall at Bedford, N.Y. For information, email mgkisko@aol.com or 914-572-4132.