A new location and a new look †those were just two of the distinguishing features of this year’s Cape Cod Antique Dealers Association (CCADA) antiques show that took place at the Cape Codder Resort August 3 and 4.
The spacious and elegant facility, situated at the opposite end of Cape Cod from the previous location, was not quite as large as the Orleans Middle School that had been home to the show on and off for the majority of the 41 years the show has been in existence. But the facility’s hotel allowed for a better layout than the school setting and it also put the show, locationwise, right smack in the heart of the Cape’s tourist district.
Perhaps the most noticeable improvement to the show was the fact that the facility was air-conditioned. An added bonus was the reduction in CCADA’s operating budget as the need for the handheld paddle fans advertising the show as the “hottest antiques show in Cape Cod” proved unnecessary. Those that still have their fans from previous years should probably hang onto them, as they will surely become collector’s items.
“The whole spin was positive,” stated an enthusiastic Barbara Adams after the show. “It was pretty good for the first time in a new facility,” she said. “Overall, sales were pretty good and attendance was good also.”
Reduced from a three-day show that took place over a weekend to a two-day midweek show, the show’s new format was met with approval from most visitors. The crowd in attendance consisted of regular patrons coming from as far away as Provincetown and the Boston area, but it also included “a whole new group of people from the Falmouth and Osterville areas that wouldn’t fight the weekend Cape traffic to attend the show in Orleans,” said Adams.
A large crowd of shoppers was on hand for the Wednesday opening at 5 pm, and as the show closed at 8 pm, many of the dealers were reporting good sales. Brewster, Mass., dealer Joseph Borsari had parted with a whole bunch of things within minutes of opening, including a small Queen Anne tavern table, a large patriotic banner and a large eagle weathervane. Bob and Sue Kozub of Ester Gilbert Antiques, Southampton, Mass., also got off to a quick start with the sale of a large architectural cast iron figure of a child’s head.
Priscilla Hutchinson, East Dennis, Mass., offered a nice stack of painted Indian baskets, while Fishkill, N.Y., dealer Louis Dianni presented a nautical theme that included everything from a collection of ship-in-a-bottle models to paintings. The dealer also offered two early military drums, flags and other patriotic items.
Nautical themes are always popular with Cape vacationers, and many of the dealers carry a fitting line, including Bayberry Antiques, Orleans, Mass. A large selection of “Cape Cod fisherman” doorstops were featured in the booth, along with other coastal figures, such as ships and lighthouses.
Coming into the show fresh from its auction the previous week, coincidently hosted in the same facility, Decoys Unlimited featured a grand selection of waterfowl carvings. Highlighting the display was a rare wood duck decoy by Philadelphia carver John Blair. Also attracting attention was a decorative pintail carving by local Cape carving legend Elmer Crowell.
Paintings by Margaret Fitzhugh Brown were featured at the stand of Bradford Trust, Harwich Port, Mass. Dealer Roy Mennell was quick to point out that works by the artist were the subject of a comprehensive exhibition at the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester, Mass. Included in the museum’s collection are three of Brown’s paintings that Roy and Sheila Mennell have donated.
Look for this popular show to return to the Cape Codder for years to come. CCADA can be contacted at www.ccada.com or 508-760-3290.
