For ten of the last 11 years the second Sunday of February has seen antiques fill this historic town’s armory under the direction of show manager Paul Davis.
Last year, a blizzard on the show’s February weekend caused a delay until late April. This year, the gathering was on February 11, with 42 dealers on hand for the one-day affair.
Exhibiting dealers are often seen at other Northeast shows and even some nationally significant events, such as Nashville and the New York City Americana shows. Hand Picked is the business of Annette Coletti and Richard Fuller, who have been offering a combination of early primitive furniture and home furnishings. Steve Cirillo, Orange, Mass., and Dave Proctor Brookfield, N.H., were together in a booth with furniture and small accessories.
Wenham Cross Antiques, Topsfield, Mass., sold a lot of smalls, a game board, a tinsel picture of a landscape and some florals, according to co-owner Irma Lambert. A scenic hooked mat on display was creating a good deal of interest.
Gordon Nicoll of Nicoll Fine Art and Antiques, Newcastle, Maine, said he was quite pleased with the day’s activity. There were a few sales during the show, and at the end of the day he had to deliver a table on approval that the customer did take.
Also from Maine, Bill Kelly was doing business all day with some furniture and a variety of small accessories and folk art pieces. This Limington dealer exhibits a collection that resembles the interior of a late Eighteenth Century home. Among other pieces in his inventory were an early painted blanket chest and a matched pair of American Chippendale chairs. The show was so full that John Anderson, Candlewick Antiques of Milford, N.H., had to share space with Kelly. This made their weekend “shop” very full, but the sales were not bad.
John Gould of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., was there offering his specialty, antique frames and a selection of fine early hardwood furniture. Sales included an American flip top game table and some smaller items. Across the aisle from Gould was Ken Arthur of Spotted Horse Antiques, West Windsor, Vt. Recently, he bought out a collection of tabletop Atomic radios that were made and sold from about 1940 through 1950 in Bakelite and plastic cases. During the show he sold four, with prices ranging from about $150 to $250, as well as some carved birds.
Specializing in Staffordshire figurines and other special early English transfer ware was Bittersweet Antiques, Springfield, Vt., making its debut in this show. The owners, Jim and Elizabeth Dunn, have been exhibiting and collecting at many shows for some time, and they also produce several Vermont show each year. Jim Dunn, who was working alone as his wife was ill, said, “It was one of the best we have had in a while; we sold very well.”
Another first-time exhibitor was Connie Brown of Norwalk, Conn. She and her husband, Steve, were offering a collection of Nineteenth Century furniture, a large number of quilts and coverlets, and some other accessories. Her sales at the show included some quilts, a bed, a Sheraton deck top chest of drawers, a settee and a desk. In fact, the only piece of furniture they did not sell was a music stand from the turn of the century.
Howard Graff, Colt Barn Antiques, Townshend, Vt., was also exhibiting for the first time, even though he has been in the business for most of his adult life. The customers were buying his small items, which included some early iron and household accessories. Martin Ferrick brought an assortment of early hardwood American furniture and a pine desk in old painted surface from his Addison, Maine, home. His sales were “good, the two chests both sold, along with some accessories.”
Offering fine art and some architectural ornaments were Donna and David Kmetz of Douglas, Mass., and Oggie Dalton of Wellesley Hills, Mass., who combined their stock into one large exhibit area. Another dealer from the immediate area was G. Keith Funston Jr of Sudbury. His collection included some fine early American and English furniture and accessories.
“The show is only once each year, so there will be a long wait to see that quality and variety in Concord again, but come to Maine for Rockport, July 13–14, and Bar Harbor, July 31–August 1,” Davis said. The two shows are with many of the same dealers and in the festive Maine summer environment. Davis also produces the outdoor Maine Antiques Fair in Union, August 10–12. For information, 207- 563-1013 or www.pauldavisshows.com.
