DC Big Flea At Ten Years

Chantilly, Va.

:Two buildings, exhibition halls with more than 2,500 booth spaces, were sold out for the weekend of January 12–13 for the DC Big Flea Antiques & Collectibles Market.

D'Amore Promotions began the event in January 1998 at the Dulles Expo Center with only one building. The crowds at that first show were so large, they had to be admitted early to clear the driving lanes in the parking area. Over time and the ups and downs of the antiques market, this show remained strong, quickly moving into the second building and thereby doubling the offerings to the public.

This most recent assembly again drew huge crowds, and the majority of the dealers reported good sales.

Karen Stewart, a Wakefield, R.I., dealer of furniture, for example, said she sold nearly everything in her three-booth setup. Her comments — "I did great! Recession? What recession? I did far above my expectations." — were echoed by many exhibiting dealers. Stewart, in fact, had only one negative comment, and that was about having to drive back to Rhode Island Sunday night in a snow and ice storm.

Arthur Tarbell was selling at the show, as well, with his best sales in Native American jewelry and artifacts. This Clinton, Md., dealer offered early American furniture, pottery and silver, with sales in all categories, but the most popular objects were the pieces made by Native Americans for the tourist trade in the time between the World Wars.

Vintage fashion and vintage jewelry were the best sellers for Suzanne Schwartz, who hails from Long Island, N.Y., in the summer and New Smyrna Beach, Fla., in the winter. Her sales were especially good in the jewelry from midcentury and Edwardian periods.

Furniture and household items were selling well for many exhibitors. Mary Finnegan, Alexandria, Va., said she "did very well. I sold a kitchen cupboard, a church pew from the Nineteenth Century, an early confectionary box, a sewing stand and a mustard painted chimney cupboard." Her sales were so good that she had to restock from her storage facility during the show.

DC Big Flea is a marketplace for antiques and collectibles, but with some controls in place to ensure that the offerings remain consistent with home décor. One dealer, Linda Shepherd, trading as Sweet Evelina's, filled her exhibit with valuable coffee and tea cups. The age of her collection was from contemporary time to the early Nineteenth Century. A local dealer from Centerville, Va., she has been exhibiting since the show started in 1998.

Lynn Lombardo, Greensboro, N.C., was selling a large collection of midcentury designer furniture. There was a very large collection of head vases in the items offered by Ellen Grove and Jeff Bradford of Harrisonburg, Va.

Jerry Wilmert and Lawrence Newell, doing business as Wilmert-Newell, decided to exhibit at the show while on their way to Florida. As might be expected for a couple of Maine dealers, they have a shop in Yarmouth; their centerpiece was a very well executed hooked rug of a dog. Jeanne Kauffmann, Flint Hill, Va., offered a mixture of small antiques and furniture. Her taste and collection runs to early American country, with several quilts and coverlets displayed on the furniture she was selling. Cob Web Antiques, Chantilly, Va., was selling early silver.

Another exhibitor who sold silver well was Mike Biggers of Cary, N.C. His weekend activities included selling several pieces of Virginia coin silver, some Pratt ware, a creamware coffee pot and more porcelain. Biggers only offers fine early small antiques, so with these sales, "I did extremely well."

The father and son team of Richard and Kevin Timme from Killingworth, Conn., was selling Nineteenth Century silver and early furniture. They started doing D'Amore shows in Richmond more than ten years ago and now make the D'Amore event a regular stop on their annual tour of shows

Furniture from many areas, periods and styles was offered. Deb Gott was offering a primitive New England step back hutch for $1,200. Shown in old milk paint, the piece had been acquired by her near her home in Amesbury, Mass. Gott and her partner, Ken March, trade as Interiors with Provenance, usually offering a collection of fine early Persian rugs. Barbara Null of Buck and Barb's Oak Cupboard from Cape May, N.J., was selling Nineteenth Century oak furniture with some additions. Offering some early industrial and country items, Dennis Christenson, Unadilla, N.Y., has been a regular at the show for several years.

D'Amore Promotions produces a dozen markets a year, with 11 of them in Virginia. Coming up in the near future will be Fredericksburg February 2–3 and Virginia Beach May 23–25. The DC Big Flea will return March 1–2, and again July 19–20. For information, www.damorepromotions.com or 757-430-4735.