Review by Tom O’Hara, Photos Courtesy Allman Promotions
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The shoppers here were not to be deterred in spite of a double header winter storm January 18-19 for the Salt City Winter Antiques and Collectibles Show at New York State Fairgrounds. “We had more than 1,000 people waiting for the 9 am opening Saturday and even with the snow late in the afternoon there was a good crowd all day,” show promoter Steve Allman said. He added, “Dealers said during the show sales were good with furniture, smalls, accessories and collectibles.”
Among those leading the day were Wilori Antiques from nearby Rochester, N.Y. Will Verfuss, one of the owners, reported very satisfying sales for the weekend. He said, “Up here, snow doesn’t necessarily mean the end of a show.” The dealer’s sales included a charming four-drawer tiger maple chest with a scroll cut backsplash. It had a restored finish. More sales included a valuable Taconic basket, several turn-of-the-century electric lamps, both American and Czech, and a variety of accessories. Finally, a pair of portraits, oil on board, which were presumed to be husband and wife, circa 1800, sold. Verfuss said, “They were not in period frames, so the price was a very good deal for the purchaser.”
More furniture was at the show. White and White, Skaneateles, N.Y., specializes in English and American Revolutionary-era furniture. There was a large collection that also included Nineteenth Century landscape art, silver tea services and Eighteenth Century pewter candlesticks and chargers. Steve White also brought a small collection of Adirondack furniture and associated accessories.
John Walther, Egremont, Mass., arrived with antique lighting. Walther has been restoring and electrifying Nineteenth Century oil and gas light fixtures for many years from his antiques shop and selling at a variety of shows, including here at Salt City. This weekend he brought a collection of both table lamps and chandeliers.
For more variety, Bob Hoffman was there from Rochester with his collection of original vintage posters. There were some from rock concerts of the 1960s, circuses and carnivals with great art and, finally, movie posters from the last half century.
Rutland, Vt., exhibitor Jeff Andrews was showing a wide variety from the last few hundred years. There was a white porcelain coated medical cabinet, probably 75 to 100 years old, sterling silver hollowware from Georgian and Victorian times and more furniture collections, mixed times and periods.
The Village Antiques, Syracuse, N.Y., offered several herds of sheep, but they were in rather small scale, one group about an inch tall and another slightly larger, all from about 1900. This was in addition to an assortment of Nineteenth Century toys and dolls.
Sue Sauvgeau, Seneca Falls, N.Y., was showing an assortment of Adirondack, Native American and Colonial period antiques and home furnishings. The Colony Shop, Fayetteville, N.Y., sold more from its fine art collection at this show.
Bob Charbonneau, Syracuse, was selling Eighteenth and early Nineteenth Century American country furniture and art. He offered an apothecary with 15 small drawers in pine, restored finish, several trenchers, hand carved in maple, carved birds – not waterfowl but shore birds – and a large pine dry sink.
Steve Allman had more than 140 exhibitors at the show in the Horticulture Building at New York State Fairgrounds, “a full house,” he said. Salt City Antiques Show has become a tradition with him.
His next Syracuse show is the Greater Syracuse Expo, March 14-15, also in the Horticultural Building at New York State Fairgrounds. For information, www.allmanpromotions.com, 315-686-5789 or 239-877 2830.