At Farmington, Antiques & Design Ideas Draw Big Early Crowd To Polo Grounds

Farmington, Conn.

:For the 26th consecutive year, the second weekend of June filled the polo grounds of this Hartford suburb with antiques offered by dealers from throughout the Eastern half of the United States. On June 14–15, Jenkins Show Management had renewed enthusiasm with the sponsorship from Country Home magazine, offering additional activities in a special exhibit where visitors were able to get fresh ideas on decorating and design.

The magazine had many staff members there to give tips about working with antiques, including color coordination, accessorizing and simply showing the antique furnishings in the room settings of the Country Home exhibit. Karman Hotchkiss, executive editor, said she believed it was a positive extension of the magazine. "It was where the rubber meets the road, getting to the public and bringing what we offer in print to them where they could experience it," she said.

On Saturday morning, the crowds developed quickly, filling the first two parking lots with customers for the nearly 300 exhibitors. As the weather became threatening later in the afternoon, the crowds diminished earlier than the 5 pm closing, but Sunday traffic again filled the grounds.

Dealer sales were mixed among some furniture, some accessories and a good deal of antique collectibles. Bob Baker of Poverty Hollow Enterprises, Redding Ridge and Stamford, Conn., said, "Sales were good. I sold a lot of everything across the board; a sofa in leather upholstery started the show for me, but there was a table, a set of chairs and more furniture." Baker also reported many sales in small antiques, including Staffordshire, antique and art glass and several vintage garden items. Located in the first row, Baker added, "As good as my sales were for June, Labor Day Weekend is usually the better show, so I can't wait!"

Weather was a factor, for this spring it did generate some showers late Saturday afternoon, causing the visitors to depart a bit early. Even so, sales were good, with dealers commenting that the results were commensurate with the circumstances.

Bonnie Ferriss of Antiques@30B in Cambridge, N.Y., said, "Sales were better than expected." She, her husband Dave and business partners Bob and Janet Sherwood have been at the show for many years with a collection of garden antiques, early art and prints, as well as a general line of home furnishings.

Antiques for the garden have become a popular category in recent years, with several exhibiting dealers showing collections of early statues, urns and other garden paraphernalia. Antiques@30B had a gazebo made from old architectural elements. The Brewster Shop, Orleans, Mass., was showing many small novelties, including stone and concrete gnomes and animals for the garden. Nearby, another dealer had some English staddle stones, mushroomlike forms made to elevate harvested feed, keeping it from the dampness and ground vermin. Today, they are primarily for decoration, provoking thoughts of elfin characters sitting upon them, according to the dealer.

Higganum House Antiques, on the other hand, is known for traditional antiques, but all small. Pat and Neal Blodgett from nearby Higganum, Conn., collect all kinds of very small antiques, and their showcase was filled with corkscrews, a multitiered shelf system was covered with cast iron door stops in original paint, different tables were filled with candle lights, whale lights and the early fat lamps. There were toys from the Nineteenth Century, Christmas things, unusual dishes, an assortment of bells and many more collections.

Debbie and John Schlichter, Washington Court House, Ohio, were exhibiting at the twice-yearly show for the first time with an assortment of early furniture in original painted surfaces. Dennis Christiansen, Unadilla, N.Y., offered his collection of early industrial and architectural objects, along with an assortment of quilts and coverlets, furniture and art. Barry Ezrin of the Joinery Shop in Moffat, Ontario, Canada, was offering furniture. He collects both primitive and fine hardwood pieces for the shows in the United States.

Sue Hartman said, "There was a good turnout of customers, and so we had fair sales of mostly smalls." Her business, Hartman House Antiques, is from East Bridgewater, Mass., where she collects pottery and porcelain along with a large quantity of furniture for the show. Not too far away in Seekonk, Mass., Country Squire Antiques maintains a shop by appointment as most of its business is at shows. Owned by Bob and Betty Daigle, they were busy Saturday night delivering some of their sold furniture.

Sales in the tent of Susanne Martin, Greenwich, Conn., included an early English tea caddy, circa 1760, in the shape of an apple. Condition of the piece was excellent and the price was $2,500. Other sales included a pair of large iron garden urns at $300; a pair of early watercolors of flowers in period tiger maple frames priced at $350 and a tilt top candlestand, cherry from New Hampshire, for $550.

Blue band yellowware was one of Debra Ann Roberto's collections. Her business, Trade Winds Antiques from Forestville, Conn., was selling that and also other variations of early American stoneware. Antiques on the Green, Plymouth, Conn., was offering a variety of mocha ware. In fact, the dealer reported that nearly half was sold during the show.

A tool box held a collection of miniature tools that exhibiting dealer Mike Johnson from Floyd, Va., said were designed to make small furniture, miniatures themselves. Even the tool box was diminutive.

Show manager Steve Jenkins said he was pleased with the results of the show. " Country Home sponsorship clearly added more interest to the event. They had a great display showing the use of antiques collected from dealers at the show, splashing color in their six room settings," he said. "They had marketing and editorial staffers here for 'how to' discussions with the visitors. There was even a special food court presentation with special recipes for the public at the Country Home Café."

He added, " Country Home will be with us again here on Labor day weekend, August 30–31, and in Springfield, Ohio, September 19–21."

For information, 317-598-0012 or www.jenkinsshows.com .