The Bloomin Pick Antiques Show

It started eight years ago as a way for dealers in the area to get together once a month to chat, sell a little and buy a little. The instigators, Bob Camara and Gary Taylor, thought it might be a good way to get more people to know about the shop they had recently bought, and they did have a cleared level lot of about three acres - so "what the heck, let's do it."

The routine was simple: invite as many dealers as they could to their yard on the third Tuesday of each month - but not in the winter - offer coffee and donuts and enforce a strict policy about when to start, not a moment before 10 am.

The first time they did it, late summer 1997, there were about 40 dealers exhibiting. By October there were more than 60. They resumed operations in the spring 1998 and have been doing it even since.

Fitzwilliam is a historic village in the southwest corner of New Hampshire with a half dozen antiques shops open to the public and numerous others without signs, by appointment only. Bloomin Antiques has been the business of partners Camara and Taylor for years, and the shop was an opportunity for them to stabilize their operation. It is a multidealer shop, open every day on Route 12, about three miles south of the village.

On June 21 it was a beautiful day, with bright sun and cooling breezes for the more than 70 dealers who came to exhibit. The custom of getting there by about 9 am, having some coffee and bragging a little about the great stuff each had brought to sell was continued until 10 am when Taylor blew the horn, signifying the start. At that moment, all the dealers started pulling out their collections and visitors began to peruse the offerings. Deals were made quickly for a great many small items, some furniture and other big pieces.

Bud Hughes sold a windup toy in the first minutes and later a still bank and a few other small antiques. William Lary from Dublin, N.H., was quickly involved in discussions about several of his small antiques with several customers simultaneously. Peter Davidian and his wife live in East Dennis, Mass., since his retirement, but they still do antiques shows, including the New Hampshire Dealers Show in August. Here, he brought several items, including a hooked rug with a cottage scene on it. Mother and son team Jesse and John Anderson from Milford, N.H,. had a variety of furniture and small accessories. There was a diminutive chest of drawers and a child's chair among their antiques.

Keene, N.H., dealer Dale Pregent is - in the lingo of the antiques trade - a "picker," as he finds all manner of great antiques at house sales and estates, and perhaps at some auctions as well. Here, he was offering a tiger maple candlestand, an American-made Chippendale chair and a variety of household accessories.

There was someone selling early electric trains; the Rices from Higganum, Conn., had stoneware and woodenware, including some pantry boxes; Charles Gardner brought a collection of garden furniture and wicker; and Barbara Gentiluomo brought one of the largest pond boats, completely rigged for sailing.

This is just a sampling of what was there, and for those who missed it, the event repeats on the third Tuesday of each month until November. The charge to be an exhibiting dealer is only $10, and admission is free. In fact, so is the coffee, but there is a donation cup for that and the $10 does not cover the advertising. Camara and Taylor said they do it for the sake of their shop, and it does bring sales to the shop on show day.

For information, 603-585-6688.