2nd Annual Blue Ribbon Antiques Show

CONTOOCOOK, N.H.

:"Into everyone's life a little rain must fall," Philip Liverant said last Saturday, standing under cover in one of the buildings that housed some of the dealers at the 2nd Annual Blue Ribbon Antiques Show. It is not exactly what the dealers wanted to hear, but it was a truly accurate weather forecast for June 3 at the Hopkinton Fairgrounds.

"Last year we had almost unbearable heat, and now we are getting soaked," show manager Paul Davis, dressed from head to toe in a bright yellow slicker and pants, said as he admitted dealers onto the fairgrounds. Dealers were allowed onto the grounds at 6 am, giving them four hours to set up before the public entered at 10. The gate seemed pretty dismal at the start, but people did show and many of the dealers, especially those who were fortunate enough to be indoors, reported some nice sales.

"Actually the buildings looked rather busy," Paul Davis said, "but you have to take into consideration that most everyone was inside and not shopping outside in the rain."

The show was scheduled to include 123 exhibitors, all members of the New Hampshire Antiques Dealers Association, with 45 of them showing outside while the remainder filled several building about the fairgrounds. "About 25 of the outside dealers and only a couple of those who were to be inside did not show up," Paul said. He mentioned that he hoped to get a couple more buildings for the show next year in case of bad weather.

The show, with a definite country look, will take place again next year, on a Saturday and at about the same time frame. "It is a good show and we are going to make it work," one dealer said. We think that will happen.