Stella’s Country Living Antiques Show Draws Huge Crowds

Columbus, Ohio

:Ohio Historical Museum was again the site for the very successful Stella Show Mgmt Co-produced Country Living Fair, September 18–20. The numbers of visitors each day exceeded totals of each of the prior three years of the annual event, with a total of more than 20,000 admissions sold during the three days. Each ticket was good for reentry for the following days, adding many of Friday's 8,200 attendees on Saturday and Sunday.

"We were so very pleased with the public response to the weekend, and it has been getting better each year," according to the promoter's founder, Irene Stella. She added, "This facility was well equipped to handle the great attendance, with good free parking, food service and other visitor accommodations. The exhibitors were generally pleased with sales, and while furniture was not the biggest seller, there were good sales of the small antiques, home decorations and accessories and crafts."

Old House Antiques from East Lansing, Mich., was enjoying sales sufficient for Mark Talirico to say, "The show was one of our best in a long time." Talirico's collection for this show was primarily Nineteenth Century furnishings, ready for the home.

Sales to antiques collectors drove Keystone Antiques' totals. A country work table with early blue painted base and scrubbed top and some early iron home appliances, including an Eighteenth Century toaster, were among this Chagrin Falls, Ohio, exhibitor's sales.

Sharing one tent were Tim Harr and Carolyn Eippert of Sandusky, Ohio. Their collections were Nineteenth Century furniture in pine and oak, including several earlier grain painted pieces. Their inventory emphasized the utility of many of the antiques.

Painted country furniture and accessories were selling well, according to Debbie and Dan Schrum of Grandville, Ohio. In fact, on Sunday morning shortly before the opening of the third day, Debbie said, "Sales are great so far, including furniture, baskets and quilts — a lot of quilts."

The Rogers, Fran and Walt, from Middletown, Ohio, were there to sell furniture. Their large corner cupboard in cherry and a step back hutch in pine and poplar were the biggest pieces, both from Ohio, circa 1800. There was also a walnut blanket chest with one drawer that was probably from that area as well. Another Ohio dealer, Buggy Seat Antiques, did not have a buggy seat for sale, but there were a great many wall boxes available. This Canal Winchester, Ohio, dealer also offered early painted pine primitive furniture.

From St Louis, Mo., Quintessential Antiques and Furniture Co. was making progress with buyers who had spent a fair amount of time during the weekend considering their purchases. The owners, Jo Ellen and Lou Culbertson, were able to send furniture to new homes.

Country Living magazine created the fair, according to their advance promotions, to bring the pages of the magazine to life. This gave them the opportunity to offer vendors with a great many other trades or topics for the visiting public.

For example, there were at least two Windsor chair makers on the field. Jim Rantala from Cedar, Mich., makes the old Shaker corn stalk brooms on the Nineteenth Century machines. William C. Wood offers hand crafted work, flowers and floral arrangements in copper, painted to simulate the real McCoy. Toys from Times Past is Donald Shurlow's business from Rhodes, Mich. His toys are all made from wood, cut or carved and joined by him.

Irene Stella said Country Living was very pleased with the weekend's results and is already working on preliminary plans for the next such event. Stella's next big show, the Piers Antiques Show, is set for November 14–15. For information, 973 808 5015 or www.stellashows.com .