Joshua Lowenfels, New York City
:In days of old, Stella Show Mgmt Co.'s Pier Antiques Show at the Passenger Ship Terminals boasted three piers filled to the brim with antiques and dubbed, accordingly, the Triple Pier Antiques Show. One Pier was filled with classical and decorative antiques, ranging from Tiffany lamps and bronzes to Orientalia. Another, the Americana Pier, was filled with everything country, and the third Pier was overflowing with Twentieth Century Modern.
Today the show is compressed into a single pier — other than that — little has changed. Show promoter Irene Stella touts this event as "New York City's largest and most comprehensive antiques show!" With "all styles and eras!" Who can argue?
The popular event, March 13 and 14, drew shoppers of all ages and with interests in all styles imaginable. Want pre-Columbian stuff? They've got it. Want Victorian? They've got it. Want primitives? They've got it. Want Modern, Bakelite, French country, industrial, garden or couture? Oy Vey, do they ever have it…
Victor Weinblatt, South Hadley, Mass.
Merchandise is segregated in the "T" shaped facility with Modern to the right, classical to the left, Americana straight down the middle, and the newest addition to the group, Fashion Alley, appearing at the furthermost reaches of the Pier.
The change in format is permanent, and now a few years old, is due to the goings-on at the facility with pier management working diligently to fulfill their original goals and purpose, increased passenger ship traffic. Add to the mix the fact that the city of New York leased the sole remaining pier to a single firm that sublets space for events such as the Pier Antiques Show, art shows and home shows.
While the rain fell steadily over the weekend, sometimes in torrents, the crowds followed suit inside of the pier, torrents for the opening and steady throughout the weekend. A huge crowd was on hand for the opening, with the line extending out of the lobby and into the parking area more than an hour prior to opening. The crowd was so large and the wind-driven rains so fierce, that Stella created a holding pen within the pier and moved the vast majority of the crowd indoors. At 10 am, the anxious buyers rushed inside and sales were noted throughout the vast buying area.
Rago Arts and Auction Center, Lambertville, N.J.
The weather certainly worked in Stella's favor throughout the weekend as Manhattan shoppers looked for centralized shopping opportunities and opted to shop the show instead of jumping puddles. The promoter commented that more than 4,000 people made their way through the show on Saturday alone.
"We were amazed" said Stella Show Mgmt Co.'s principal Irene Stella. "The show went so well for so many of the dealers." Stella noted several trends that are either emerging or continuing to be popular with Manhattan buyers, one is the continued popularity of the industrial look, and another is the "Nakashima-style" organic look.
"There is definitely a new trend in the market and the dealers that are following those trends are selling," said Stella. Management commented that once people got into the show, it was hard getting them to leave, even after the event had closed for the evening.
The promoter commented that one double-edged sword was the fact that they could not keep the ATM machine filled with cash. "We normally go through about $100,000," said the promoter, "but this time around we just couldn't keep enough money in it, even though we replenished it with all of our gate money and even monies from the caterer."
Philip Chasen, Oyster Bay, N.Y.
"Things are good," commented Lambertville, N.J., auctioneer/dealer David Rago shortly after the show's doors opened to the public. The dealer, whose booth was right in front of the main entrance into the facility, commented that there had been a lot of activity in his stand. A smattering of Twentieth Century furniture was offered along with Rago's traditional stellar selection of art pottery.
Twentieth Century items seemed to be doing well across the board with a wide range of materials sporting sold tags.
Fashion Alley was probably the most popular and crowded spot on the show's floor, and business there was brisk. Many of the dealers were seen writing up sales slips and assisting customers as they attempted to try items on. Stella split the Fashion Alley dealers out of the mainstream show about eight years ago, concentrating them at the rear of the hall. "We did that so that the younger crowd that comes strictly for the clothing would be exposed to antiques and collectibles as they made their way to the clothing section," she said.
"Big Red,” a chair designed by Ron Arad, was featured at Pre-View, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Traditional formal-style early American furnishings have seemingly fallen from vogue at the show, with more than one dealer reporting disappointing results. Although traditional classical antiques such as leaded glass lamps and bronzes seemed to be doing well.
When does something actually become an antique was a question being asked the horrified crowd that witnessed a 40-something mother explaining the concept of the rotary telephone to her son. The vibrant pink wall mounted phone was displayed at Depression Obsessions, Lancaster, Penn., one of several offered in a variety of colors and shapes. The real kick in the teeth came when the youth asked about the "curly cord" attached to the receiver.
Stella's next show will be the Chicago Botanical Garden Antiques and Garden Fair, April 16–18. The Stella Show Mgmt Co. will return to the Pier on November 13 and 14. For information, 973-808-6806 or
www.stellashows.com
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