: For the second consecutive show, Heart of Country founders Dick
and Libby Kramer were not on the floor for their signature event
due to health problems. But, thanks to a crew of extended family
members and will undoubtedly fly again soon in the East. Friday
had big enthusiastic crowds, and one dealer remarked that many
collectors were returning to pick up things they had spotted the
night before. headed by daughters Marianne and Susan, the party
started right on time with a huge crush of opening-night buyers
at the Valentine preview on February 5.
Outsider art, Native American material, garden ornaments and
architectural items have made an appearance on the floor, but the
emphasis after 23 energetic years is still on the furniture,
accessories, folk art and classic country Americana. The 220-plus
exhibitors show it and they sell it.
On Friday morning, Newburgh, N.Y., dealer Daniel Olson said, "We
had 13 sales last night including furniture and folk, and we sold
more furniture today." In fact, a handsome carved eagle from New
York state sold to a major folk art dealer
Another eagle took wing from the display of Pat and Rich
Garthoeffner of Lititz, Penn. This has always been an excellent
show for the couple, so Rich Garthoeffner expanded, "I sold a
great American eagle with a big wide wingspan, which came out of
a camp in Maine. It had a lot of personality. I could have sold
it three times. I also sold these shelves, sampler, basket, two
chests, toys and hooked rugs. We've sold all across the board -
smalls, furniture, textiles. One of the chests was a nice early
1780s-1790s red-painted blanket chest, and the other was a
decorated Pennsylvania chest. We moved things around in the booth
several times because we rearrange it after we sell."
Mark Morris, Dayton, Ohio, place a hand-painted mechanical
counter from Berks County, dated 1915, on top of a Pennsylvania
cherry corner cupboard of unusual configuration, $9,500.
Since one of the main points of this event's central location
in Tennessee is its convention-like atmosphere, drawing dealers and
collectors from all over. Where do the buyers seem to be coming
from? "Some of the buyers were from the Midwest, some were from the
East," Garthoeffner continued. "I sold several things to eastern
dealers and other pieces to New York decorators. And my little
eagle, I sold that to a lady from Texas. It was a good cross
section of the country from New York decorators to collectors in
the Midwest to collectors in Texas, and we're shipping some things
to the Seattle area."
Ask Chuck White of Mercer, Penn., "Are you happy?" and he
answers, "Oh my, yes. I sold a lot of stuff last night, and I
rearranged the whole booth this morning. And I had a pretty good
setup, too. You get a little cranky when you're loading up and
you think, why am I going all the way down there? But it always
works. I always have fun."
While many dealers try to stay more or less in the same spots,
the Opryland Hotel Convention Center is tricky, so this year's
show had very wide rows that seemed to extend miles from the
center. Woodbury, Conn., dealer Harold Cole is always up front by
the main door, but Michigan's Ragman, with his cases of tiny
fascinating objects, prefers his lower right corner regular
space, and Mark Morris of Dayton, Ohio, admits, "It's my choice -
I love the corner. This has been an unbelievable show. We sold
cupboards and game boards and architectural panels. I bring what
I love."
Within the folk art realm, everyone seems to love animals. In
addition to the eagles mentioned above, there was a great pair of
Fiske cast-iron lions at Chuck White's priced at $9,800. Bruce
and Kathy Shelton of Nashville had sold five canes with horse
motifs to a lady from Virginia and Don Orwig's mechanical store
display dog for $1,800 rolled its eyes and talked. Scott Estepp
of Cincinnati saw no incongruity in placing his pair of penguins,
$2,400, next to a stalking panther, $2,800.
Michael Hall of Nashville centered his booth on a regional
sideboard, $24,000, very similar to an example by Capt James G.
Hicks in last year's "Art of Tennessee" exhibition.
While Woody Straub's Gallery Booth focused on American
painting, Bill Powell of Franklin, Tenn., lined the aisles with
"Architectural Treasures." Stephen White of Skaneateles, N.Y., a
real purist dealer himself, observed, "Is it my imagination or is
there more good stuff on the floor than there has been in a couple
of years?" Customers toted handfuls of shopping bags or hoisted
larger pieces onto their shoulders.
Cindy Blackburn was helping out Jeff and Emily Walton of Jenera,
Ohio, while Emily was back home running for office. She had not
been to the show for a few years and noted, "The customers come
from everywhere. I think this show has got such a name and the
magazines - Country Home and Country Living - do
stories all year long about things they saw. So I've noticed for
the last five years.
DebraElizabeth Schaffer, Wiscasset, Maine, summed it up: "I sold
the big chair, a sampler, needlework, a table and bench last
night. And today's been better than last night. This is my 23rd
show - I'm one shy of the first show. Where can you shop and find
so many dealers concentrated in one spot - ever, anyplace?"
The next Heart of Country will be Wednesday, October 27. More
information at www.heartofcountry.com or 800-862-1090.
