Heart of Country Antiques Show was greeted by large, free-spending crowds at its most recent gathering, February 23-26. Hosted by the Kramer family this was the first show since the co-founder of the show, Elizabeth Kramer, passed away last fall. Filling the void were her daughters, Susan Hunkins and Maryanne Haskins, and several grandchildren. Elizabeth’s husband, Richard, was in his usual leadership role and son-in-law Steven Hunkins was the floor manager. They were performing in their typically efficient manner to create a smooth show for the visitors and dealers.

This winter show had “157 dealers on the floor with doubling up and all,” according to Kramer, who added, “We were very tight on space so there were several booths where dealers worked out their own arrangements together. We had the floor full so we couldn’t take any more than we had.” The show was very successful he said. “One of our best ever; the dealers were selling well. I think the spending per visitor was definitely up, according to what several dealers told me.”

Bill Powell Antiques, Franklin, Tenn.

Dealers were indeed upbeat about the show. Roswell, Ga.,dealer Greg Latham of New England South said his sales “were good,and I had a Georgian era highboy that sold just after the show.”Bill Kelly from Limington, Maine, told Kramer he had a great showwith some furniture and small antiques finding new homes.

From nearby Franklin, Tenn., Bill Powell brought a collection of Nineteenth Century and early folk art. His exhibit included several life-size mannequins of campy figures – caricatures of a cowboy and a clown – all with substantial prices. Sales included decorative iron and some art and furniture.

Dealer Dennis Raleigh spoke for many when he gave his opinion about the show. Noting he had an excellent show, he said, “Sales were good and it was refreshing; it seemed most did well or even very well and the atmosphere was very upbeat. I sold five pieces of furniture, two weathervanes including the setter dog, and a fancy primitive wall shelf unit.” Raleigh does his shopping over a wide area of the country; he has a winter home in Michigan and from May to October lives in Wiscasset, Maine, where he keeps a shop open for the summer. He expounded on how his shopping is primarily at private homes by invitation from the occupants where he can find the best quality antiques at the most reasonable prices.

Steven Still, Art and Antiques, Elizabethtown, Penn.

Stephen-Douglas Antiques, Rockingham, Vt., came to Nashvillewith an American flag that had been made during the Civil War. Theflag was made by the wife of a Union soldier who was originallyfrom a southern state, and the soldier carried the flag with him invarious battles throughout the war. After the war it remained inthe family until dealers bought it last year. Condition of thepiece was good, not perfect, of course, as it is 145 years old. Theprice was $60,000.

Some dealers offer a very specialized look or line of goods at this show. Mary de Buhr is from Downers Grove, Ill., and the look and style of her collection is primitive with, as she says, “original surface” such as milk painted or even bare wood with a couple hundred years of handling. Her sales included the wall paneling that had created the back drop of her exhibit, a chimney cupboard in original bare surface, and a variety of small accessories and textiles.

Sporting antiques and accessories are Julie Harris’s area of specialization. She hails from Kansas City, Mo., where she collects and offers Olympic sporting apparatus from the 1920s along with furniture and uniforms that would be right at home as the décor of the local sporting club.

The scene was like a country store overflowing with merchandise at the Orwigs’, Don and Marta, of Corunna, Ind. Don likes to find things that were used as sales props or, in the modern vernacular, point of sale advertising pieces, which were in use a hundred or more years ago. Signs, statues, weathervanes and also those oversized creations of small objects that told the people wandering by what was to be found in the store. These are examples of what Don finds and offers: there was a stork in cement, an ice cream cone – about three feet tall made from plywood – and a pacifier, those sucking devices used by parents to placate the infant while waiting for the next feeding, but this one was bigger than any infant.

White and White, Skaneateles, N.Y.

Deboraelizabeth Schaffer came from Wiscasset, Maine, but shewas teased about not bringing enough merchandise. Within an hour ofthe preview she had so many sold signs in her space there waslittle left for her to do for the rest of the weekend but chat orread a book. Sales included a pair of chairs, more furniture and agreat many accessories.

Martha Perkins and Barrett Menson, Ashby, Mass., were very pleased with this, their first time to set up at the Heart show together. Barrett said sales included a farm table at $695 and a green cupboard at $2,800, which they delivered to Waynesboro, Va., on their way home. He added they sold some art and textiles as well. Country Treasures, the Meekinses of Preston, Md., always do well and at this show and George Meekins said their sales were off to an excellent beginning at the time of the preview party with several pieces of painted furniture sold.

The success was apparently widespread in the show with most dealers very satisfied with their results.

Last spring the Kramers changed the format so that their fall show will be September 27-30 at the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Grapevine, Texas. The dates for next year’s early spring Heart of the Country Show in Nashville are now listed as March 1-3.

For more information, www.heartofcountry.com, or 800-862-1090.