: Antiques in Vermont, a one-day show conducted on Sunday, October
3, at Riley Rink at Hunter Park, is the grand finale of the
five-show weekend extravaganza. Eighty dealers, some who had done
the other shows, set up in the spacious, easy-in-and-out
single-story rink.
Phyllis Carlson and Tim Stevenson, who manage the show, were
bustling to meet the needs of their exhibitors during setup on
Saturday. They admitted early buyers from 8 to 10 am on Sunday,
and the regular retail crowd from 10 am to 4 pm.
"Our annual Sunday show was a beautiful, sunny fall day," said
Carlson after the show. "We were extremely pleased with an
increase in early buyers gate of 22 percent. Some of our dealers
commented after the show that they have increased their sales
every year, and this year they did better than ever. I received a
call on Monday from a man in Canada who attended the show to tell
us how impressed he was with the quality of the antiques and the
amount of early antiques at the show. He regretted not buying one
of those early objects and was tracking down the dealer to buy it
if it was still available."
Carlson said dealers who reported having a good show included
longtime participants Mary Elliot and Colleen Nordengren, both
from Pepperell, Mass., and Tom Jewett and Butch Berdan, New
Castle, Maine, as well as first-time participants Terri
Tushingham, Demarest, N.J., and Barry and Nancy Yodis of
Quakertown, Penn.
A brief sampling of merchandise included lemon gold frames,
quilts and American antique furniture from John and Liz Gould,
Yorktown Heights, N.Y.; a rare Nineteenth Century Bennington
eagle jug at Thomas Moser Antiques; a set of six bird's-eye and
tiger maple chairs at Steven Rowe Antiques, Blue Hill, Maine; and
a signed end-of-the-day stoneware lion at Louise D. Hardie
Antiques and Collectibles, York, Maine.
Steven J. Rowe Antiques, Blue Hill, Me.
While many exhibitors displayed in tabletop or modified room
settings, the "prize" in terms of interior design would have to go
to Rutland, Vt.-based Thomas Conway, whose Conway's Antiques &
Decor booth to the right of the show entrance looked like an
antique furniture showroom.
New Hampshire dealer Stan Farmer, who with wife Joan owns
Farmer's Antiques, specializing in British ceramics, mused that
one-day shows are hectic and require as much energy and time to
set up for as three-day or week shows. "This produces stress,
making it seem like a 'roll of the dice,'" said Farmer. "It all
depends upon the gate, in-house dealers and the serendipitous
arrival of just the right collectors and dealers for the area of
one's strength. Good weather helps."
This year's show was the Farmers' debut to the Carlson show. "It
was a beautiful day, and people, in my opinion, were slow to get
started, although I'm told the early buyers gate was up. As noon
approached and churches let out, people began to show up in
reasonable numbers. It appeared to be an upscale-retail traffic,
many stopping quickly en route to their New York/New Jersey
manses. Some bought."
Farmer, who deals in Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Nineteenth
Century British ceramics, acknowledges that he caters to a
limited market.
"Where I have appeared previously, I have a faithful following,"
he said. "In this business you cannot survive without a name and
reputation. I was encouraged that this is a venue that depends on
making the investment in time. I expect to do better each year."
He said that one of the factors helping to ensure the viability
of the show is the excellent preparation promoters Carlson and
Stevenson put into it. "The facilities are superb. The special
consideration for dealers is unusually thoughtful - snacks,
restrooms, periodic encouragement. The lighting is good."
Thomas Moser Antiques, Lincolnville, Me.
One of the negatives, Farmer pointed out, is that although
the show takes place in a historic tourist village, the rink is off
the beaten track, "so one has to have the desire to get there."
Farmer said that they did well enough to be encouraged to try the
show again.
"I had just purchased a lovely complete soft-paste hand painted
child's tea set, which I decided to put out at the last minute,"
he said. "I had 25-30 assorted pieces of English white Ironstone
on display, just a sampling of a much larger inventory. There
seemed to be more interest than I expected, and people commented
on the fact that we displayed so much. I enjoyed a number of
buyers who love and understand Staffordshire transfer ware. I
find educating and inspiring shoppers to be a collateral benefit
to making sales. Hopefully, they will be next year's
knowledgeable buyers."
For information on the show contact Phyllis Carlson or Tim
Stevenson at 802-362-3668.
