There is Magic in Manchester, and while it is spread about among all the events of Antiques Week in New Hampshire, the bulk of it seems to be scattered over the New Hampshire Antiques Show. The show, now just finishing its 55th year after an August 9‱1 run, is not laced with the top names in the antiques business, but with a mix of dealers that delights visitors year after year.
The Radisson Hotel, the longtime venue for the show, has for several years posted a sign at the doors to the show indicating that there will be no one allowed in the lobby before 4 am on Thursday, opening day. That sign means little to those who come to wait in the wee hours of the morning, especially Scott Cook, well known for being first in line at many shows. The line builds steadily until the 10 am opening, with the lobby filling to capacity and the line going out the side door of the hotel and down the street.
Tommy Thompson, co-manager of the show, said, “We had a record crowd this year, well over 2,000 visitors, with a 20 percent increase in the gate on both Friday and Saturday. Opening day we were up only about 50 people.” He also mentioned that people stayed longer at the show, resulting in more sales for the exhibitors and a good to excellent show for most every dealer. “I did not hear one dealer really complaining about the lack of sales,” Tommy said.
The Magic in Manchester, for this show, is built on a strong foundation of dealers and the saving of material for this show. The saving idea is highly promoted, right down to the show’s biggest promotional piece, the show section/preview that carries the message “Still searching and saving for the New Hampshire Dealers Show” on its cover. As one dealer mentioned on the Sunday following the show, “I bought something today that I am putting away for next year’s show.” Many of the dealers follow suit, all year long, as witnessed by the listing that follows.
Meryl Weiss, American Classic, Canaan, N.H., had a sign in her booth announcing she was “Celebrating the Century of the Child” and was offering an American eagle tricycle dating from the late Nineteenth Century, a folding dart board and painted pin figures among other childhood items. On the back wall was a large oil on canvas showing the Crawford Notch Railway by Samuel Riggs (1827‱898), signed and dated 1874. This view was favored by many of the White Mountain painters.
Russ and Karen Goldberger, Rye, N.H., featured fresh-to-the-market items, the private collection of an antiques dealer, including a Sheraton drop leaf harvest table in pine, New England, circa 1830‱840, measuring 72 inches long and 45 inches wide with the leaves open. A colorful penny rug dated from the late Nineteenth Century, New England origin and measuring 60 by 21 inches, and four New England trenchers in maple were of graduated size and painted brown, green, yellow and blue. The trenchers were displayed in a red painted dry sink in poplar, Pennsylvania origin, circa 1850‱870.
“We had a great show and sold the most pieces we have ever sold there, nearly 40,” Russ said. Sales included five pieces of furniture, weathervanes, several paintings, hooked rugs, game boards, a number of decoys and miniature bird carvings, several folk art carvings and lots of accessories. “This was the liveliest New Hampshire Show we have seen in three years,” he said.
Ron and Penny Dionne of Willington, Conn., had a very brightly lit booth to show off their collections that included paintings and weathervanes, as well as some folk art objects such as a bird tree with 15 song birds clustered on white painted branches. A pair of New England bowback Windsor side chairs were with yellow surface, and among the ten vanes offered were three horses, rooster, goose in flight, banner and a couple of horse and jockey examples. A horse and jockey weathervane was among the first of the vanes sold. “We had a good show and people were in the groove again,” Penny said, adding, “From what I heard, they went to all of the shows with checkbooks open.”
“We had the usual assault at the start of the show, then the booth emptied out, and a few minutes later it was filled again with people wanting to buy,” Thomas Longacre of Marlborough, N.H., said. He sold about 50 items from the booth, including five wood carved and painted birds, a demilune table in white and three hooked rugs by the same hand decorated with multicolored balls. The rugs were of different sizes and the ball count started at 32 on the smallest, 40 on the middle size one and 50 on the largest. A pair of wood carved and painted American flags furled on poles with weathered surface, each measuring 90 inches tall, also sold, and flanked an eagle and shield plaque carved from a single board. Among the trade signs was an iron haberdashery one, with top hat, in the original blue painted surface, and a pair of Federal country side chairs in seven colors; both sold, as did a lion hooked rug, checkerboard, large stone apple, wooden sundial and pretzel advertising sign from Atlantic City.
There was no shortage of picture frames in the booth of John D. Gould of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., who this year moved onto the main exhibition floor from the show’s lobby to fill the booth of Paul DeCoste, who is recovering from surgery. “I think we have about 200 this year,” John said, “but all are not out; some are still under the tables.” He left little question that he could match almost any frame size needed.
John D. Wahl Antiques of Richmond, N.H., offered a wonderful doll’s/child’s carriage, 30 inches long, with a fine paint job of basic yellow with detailed striping. It had a canvas top that could be put down on nice days and was attractively mounted on the back wall of the booth for display. A pair of tin folk art people, a man and a woman, 30 inches high, were probably former garden figures, and a large sitting pig in chalk, 13 inches long, was actually a bank. An Eighteenth Century sawbuck table with dry red base had a two-board scrubbed top measuring 36½ by 52½ inches. Danny Wahl best summed up his show by saying, “It was great for me, lots of interest in the merchandise and sales were better than last year.” Sales included a large bull weathervane, a poultry sign and a decorated dome top box.
Joan R. Brownstein of Newbury, Mass., hung a portrait of Miss Small, attributed to Royal Brewster Smith, an oil on canvas measuring 25 by 32 inches sight. The sitter is identified on a jelly label as “Miss Small, Standish, Maine, painted 1830.” A watercolor and gouache, 27 by 21½ inches sight, 1904, is of farm buildings and attributed to T. Bonneau, a painter who worked in upper New York State, northern New England and Canada. Two works by him were available. “I had a good show and among my sales were a South Paris, Maine, decorated four-drawer chest, a spectacular Connecticut theorem that was on the back wall of the booth, a daguerreotype of a Washington portrait probably by Southworth & Hawes, miniatures and several pieces of Scheier pottery.”
Three snow geese working decoys, white painted canvas, dated from the early Nineteenth Century, were positioned on a New Hampshire chair table with stretcher base, original red wash, dating from the Nineteenth Century, in the booth of Priscilla Hutchinson Antiques, East Dennis, Mass. The table had a three-board top with breadboard ends and measured 48 by 40 inches.
Resser-Thorner Antiques of Manchester, N.H., showed an Eighteenth Century model of a building found in Eastham, Mass., with 18 windows and three doors on the front, opening onto a small courtyard. Daniel Webster had a prominent place in the booth, represented in bronze by Emile Boyer, a French sculptor of the mid-Nineteenth Century, and on canvas in a portrait by Albert Gallatin Hoit (American, 1809‱856), measuring 35 by 28 inches, sight, in untouched condition. The portrait was in the original gilded/carved frame and signed verso “A.G. Hoit.” This portrait was the subject of the first American chromolithograph made by the English born lithographer William Sharp, and was rediscovered after being missing for more than 100 years.
A William and Mary tall blanket chest with red painted surface, graduated drawers, no pulls, New England, possibly Connecticut, circa 1740‱765, was shown by Nathan Liverant and Son, Colchester, Conn., along with a Chippendale tall case clock in cherry with an eight-day brass time and strike movement, signed by the maker, Major Timothy Chandler of Concord, N.H., circa 1785‱810. A pair of miniature Chippendale foot stools were from New England, circa 1785. “We had a great show, lots of interest and sales,” Arthur Liverant said, listing a window seat, cupboard, four silver candlesticks, watercolor of a little girl, pieces of Dutch Delft, a quilt, trade sign and many smalls among his sales.
Cheryl Scott, Hillsboro, N.H., showed an index horse weathervane with great surface, as well as a fish vane with equally good surface, and a tall round finial in green with a floral and pointed top. “We had a terrific show, and many compliments on the show itself,” Cheryl said, and went on listing some of the sales, including two cupboards, one fresh to the market, a red stepback, and the other of New Hampshire origin in old white paint, a Pennsylvania armchair, blown glass wine, five weathervanes, tiger maple dressing table, game boards, shelves and iron.
Louis W. Scranton of Killingworth, Conn., brought fewer pieces of redware to the show than in the past, but more than made up for it with the large number of painted tole pieces displayed in a hanging wall shelf. There were dome top document boxes, match holders, coffeepots, small and large trays and a tea caddy, and a pair of pastel portraits was identified as Mr and Mrs Meeker.
Brock and Co., Concord, Mass., hung an oil on board by Konrad Cramer (1888‱963), “Prickly Pears and Pomegranates,” 1929, signed and dated lower right and measuring 19¾ by 23¾ inches. An oil on canvas depicted “Rainy Day, Canal St., NYC,” circa 1890s, 32 by 27 inches, by Alexander Theobald Van Laer (1857‱920). It was signed lower right and in a Stanford White-style frame.
Jan Whitlock Textiles of Malvern, Penn., used the back wall of the booth to display an early Twentieth Century appliqué child’s quilt covered with dolls, animals and comic figures. A rare Civil War flag quilt, circa 1862, was a fine example of woman’s work during the war. “I had a very good show,” Jan said, “with more sales tickets than I have ever had at a show,” resulting from the sale of two hooked rugs, one yarn-sewn rug, a wool wholecloth quilt, an indigo resist quilt and many smalls. She also mentioned that she shopped the floor for a client and came away with a great hutch table.
Ken and Robin Pike of Nashua, N.H., had a wonderful pantry box, 15 inches in diameter, with a cow painted on the cover, and a circa 1840 four-drawer chest on turned legs, red and black grain painted, from a Moultonborough, N.H., estate. An early Nineteenth Century hoop and stick toy was in the original paint, with special attention paid to the delicately carved and decorated stick.
Newsom & Berdan Antiques, Thomasville, Penn., had a New York State stepback cupboard, circa 1800‱810, in blue paint with raised panels and bracket foot, 80½ inches high, and a patriotic banner depicting an American eagle and flag, 46½ inches wide by 44¼ inches high, in great condition. A Nineteenth Century miniature Queen Anne side chair was of oak and pine. Sales included textiles, folk art, a red painted cupboard and lots of smalls. “The show was as good and exciting as the first years we were there, and we so enjoyed seeing Paul Scott flying around the show,” Betty Berdan said. She also mentioned receiving a letter from a dealer/collector from North Carolina who wrote, “The NHADA Show was the finest show I have ever been to and I wish I had listened to you for the last four years and stayed on for that show.”
“I thought the crowd was much more enthusiastic this year †more buying going on †particularly of small and decorative accessories, but also more furniture than the last year or two,” Peter Eaton of Newbury, Mass., said. From his booth at the front of the show he offered a country Queen Anne drop leaf table with scrubbed top, red painted base, butternut top, maple legs and maple and pine frame. It was probably of New Hampshire origin and on top of it was displayed an ash burl bowl, 24 inches wide and 3 inches deep, rich color, New England, early Nineteenth Century, found 25 years ago on Nantucket. A pair of rare pewter candlesticks, marked by the maker, probably Danish or German, circa 1720, was 8 inches high, and a Dunlap School Queen Anne chest on chest or New Hampshire highboy, with deeply carved fans in both the top and bottom parts, came from south central New Hampshire during the last quarter of the Eighteenth Century. The piece descended in the Richardson family of Newburyport.
Peter’s sales included a very good gate leg table in old grained paint, a stepback cupboard in original red paint, a paint decorated blanket chest, a paint decorated chest on stand, a painted miniature chest with multidrawered interior, a pencil post bed in “attic: finish, two candlestands, a good mirror and a number of smalls.
M. Finkel & Daughter of Philadelphia covered the walls of the booth with samplers, including “two very important ones from Ohio and a great one from Maryland,” Amy Finkel said. The Maryland example was by Lydia Ann Griffith, dated 1835, East Nottingham School, Cecil County. An interesting under-eaves painted chest on wheels, with slanted lid so as to slide under the eaves and be near the outside wall of the house, had four fake drawers painted on the front when in place, circa 1840, American, probably New York State. It sold. A collection of seven free-blown aquamarine glass jars dated from the third quarter of the Nineteenth Century.
“On opening day we sold 11 of our samplers from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, England, Canada and Germany,” Amy said. She continued, “There was strength and optimism in the crowd, and from our position on the floor we get to observe how many people walked out with purchases, large and small, in hand or on dollies, and it was impressive.” She also mentioned that there have been follow-up interest and sales.
Several shelves in the booth of Douglas L. Solliday Antiques of Columbus, Ohio, were filled to capacity with small animal figures, a very mixed lot, in iron, wood and fabric, all from one collection. Several of the birds also functioned as bottle openers, and a neat row of poodles dominated one area. Furniture included a painted high back dry sink in teal and white, originally from Okawville, Ill.
“I have been doing this show for 30 years, and this is the second best one I have had,” Tommy Thompson of Pembroke, N.H., said. A few hours into the show the walls of his booth were dotted with nail heads, all that was left after object after object had been sold and removed. Among the few things left standing were a wood carved figure of Uncle Sam holding an American flag, a pair of wood carved painted ducks that were once the sides of a child’s rocking toy, a couple of signs and a basket or two.
Croquet wickets in the form of wooden football players were sold, as was a painted wall shelf containing a collection of painted pantry boxes, each with the name of a spice on the side. The collection, including 18 boxes with labels, and the shelf, were ex-collection of Sally Schell. A stack of lithographed building blocks, large size, had a red sold tag attached, and a round top, green painted shutter was missing shortly after the show opened.
Gail & Don Piatt Antiques of Contoocook, N.H., had a working swan decoy in the original paint from Maryland, a Queen Anne drop leaf table with red surface, 48¼ inches long, and a compote of fruit velvet theorem in the original paint decorated frame. Gail said, “The show was a resounding success, lots of energy, and people were in a ‘if he doesn’t take it, I will’ mood.” She listed among her sales a paint decorated foot stool with drawer, two handwrought candlestands, a blue painted raised panel cupboard, three paintings, wallpaper boxes, painted treen plate and redware and mocha.
Michael & Lucinda Seward of Pittsford, Vt., offered an area hooked rug made in Littleton, N.H., 54 by 71 inches, circa 1890, with 48 squares enclosing hearts, and a Sheraton dressing table with two stenciled drawers and backsplash on yellow ground. An early hanging wall cupboard with one raised panel door, old surface, was mounted on the wall. “We have done very well, to the point that we have redesigned our booth a couple of times during the first day,” Michael said. He summed it up with, “A great show and lots of sales †40 plus.” Slips were written for a pair of Vermont watercolor portraits, paint decorated dressing stand, decorated stoneware, painted blanket crane, miniature portrait on ivory, blue painted blanket chest and plenty of smalls.
Jewett-Berdan, Newcastle, Maine, offered a two-drawer, paint decorated blanket chest, a large gray painted horse pull toy, circa 1840, and a Maine dressing table with leaf and deer decoration, circa 1835. “We had a fabulous show, probably one of our top three shows of all time,” Tom Jewett said. Butch Berdan added, “It was like the good old days, with lots of sales.” Their sales included, in part, three whirligigs, an appliqué table mat, rare weathervane, folk portrait on ivory, five pieces of anniversary tin, a Prior portrait, two decorated boxes, three game boards, a collection of pantry boxes and other pieces of folk art.
“You are looking at a new setup from what I started with,” George Spiecker of North Hampton, N.H., said, “as we sold so many things we had to bring in more.” Among the things, in part, that had left the booth were two watercolors of lakes by White that went to Maine, an Indian chief whirligig that also went with a Maine buyer, a tiger maple table to Canada, a weathervane to Illinois, another weathervane to Ohio, a desk to New Jersey, a classical urn to New York City, books to Connecticut and a carved head to California. “The next two days were very long,” George said.
Judith and James Milne, New York City, echoed each other with good things to say about business and the show in general, with Judy mentioning, “It seemed to be about the same age crowd as usual, but this year they were buying as if the had added an extra room to the house.” And that is exactly what they would have needed if all of the pieces the Milnes sold went home with one buyer. That lists includes, in part, three weathervanes including a car, peacock and bull, a Hudson Valley cupboard, a Chippendale five-drawer chest from Long Island, a cast iron cat, three whirligigs, a boot & shoe maker’s sign and some stoneware.
Kate Alex & Co., Warner, N.H., had to be pleased when she sold a very heavy Adirondack wooden sofa with large log arms and four saddle seats. And the matching armchair went in the same direction. A large zinc planter in the form of a swan went away also, as did a pair of figural andirons, painted cast iron, depicting George Washington.
Cherry Gallery of Damariscotta, Maine, had a graphic pair of wooden penguin silhouettes, circa 1930, and several signs, including “Room & Bath, Camping” and “Rooms & Bath, Super Camping.”
“This was, quite simply, the very best antiques show I have ever been involved with as a dealer. I wish I could bottle the enthusiasm!” Jeff Noordsy of Cornwall, Vt., said. He also mentioned that two of his best pieces were sold within minutes of the show opening as people checked out a pair of decorated native American “Sun Face” baskets made in the Northeast, circa 1840, and a monumental Keene, N.H., lily pad pitcher blown in the South Jersey tradition by noted gaffer Matt Johnson, circa 1840. It was accompanied by a note reading, “Please ask for help with the pitcher.”
An Eighteenth Century painted box, holding five oversized gin bottles with compartments for 12, was among the interesting pieces in this booth. Jeff and Holly sold more than 30 objects, including a Joseph H. Davis watercolor, Eighteenth Century English black glass bottles, stoneware and redware. They have been doing the show for three years, and this one was the best.
Kathy Schoemer of Acworth, N.H., said, “The show was a blast of déjà vu †like what the exhibitors who have been there for years call ‘the good old days.’ It was a triumph!” Known by all for her dolls, Kathy pointed out a rag doll and said, “This is Miss Whitman because she came with a photo of a Whitman’s Candy store display.” The figure dated from the Nineteenth Century and retained her original gauze frock and jacket. A china head doll with American body came complete with chest and entire wardrobe, and two whimsical knock-down figures, Amos and Andy, circa 1920, were American and mounted on wooden bases. She sold six major dolls, a “welcome Friends” hooked rug and a green apple tray, among a host of other things.
Suzanne Courcier and Robert W. Wilkins of Yarmouth Port, Mass., showed an assembled set of nine graduated Shaker oval finger boxes, circa 1840, in maple and pine, original surface, from New Lebanon, N.Y. They measured from 35/8 inches to 15 inches long. The set was displayed on a Shaker trestle table, circa 1840, in cherry from Watervliet, N.Y. The table, with rich patina surface, measured 60 inches long, 82½ with the leaves up, and came from the collection of Mrs John C. Spring. One of the gems in the booth was a miniature foot stool, circa 1840, decorated with “RB” on the top, overall salmon paint with a series of small green dots around the top.
Peter Sawyer of Exeter, N.H., seemed to be the only dealer left participating in the “cover one surprise piece until the show opens” program, so at 10 am on Thursday, Scott Bassett uncovered a fine Aaron Willard shelf clock, circa 1810, Boston, in mahogany, with the best printed name on the red painted dial matte, in all original condition. A choice Chippendale blockfront chest of drawers in mahogany, Boston, circa 1765, 30¾ inches high, 32½ inches wide and 21 inches deep, was attributed to Benjamin Frothingham (1734‱809). The chest has a single-board top, original brass hardware and drop pendant, old surface and sides of swirling mahogany. It is in a fine state of preservation and was sold on opening day. Also sold was a Jeremiah Fellows, Kensington, N.H., tall case clock in cherry with an engraved brass dial and eight-day strike and time movement.
Frank & Barbara Pollack American Antiques & Art, Highland Park, Ill., and Sunapee, N.H., showed a pair of Queen Anne side chairs in the original red paint with elongated shaped posts and splats, and a portrait of a young red-haired boy holding a whip, pastel on paper, circa 1840, with a probable attribution to Jacob Bailey More of the Prior Hamblin School. It measures 26½ by 20¼ inches sight. A rare set of child’s wicker included a couch, armchair and chaise in the original green paint, and cushions with early covering. In front of the furniture was a large cast iron frog, green painted, circa 1910, that was found in New Hampshire.
Mary and Joshua Steenburgh of Pike, N.H., spoke of the “great energy” at the show and indicated that things had gone very well for them, selling 42 items, including a sawbuck table, several signs, a native American bird effigy ladle, 10 inches long and in excellent condition, and a folk art reverse relief carved panel depicting the Hudson River State Hospital for the Insane in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. , surrounded by animals, insects, birds and instruments. It was signed A.A. Strom and dated 1890‱891, measuring 26 by 37 inches.
Also sold was “The Piper,” a 35-inch-tall statue of a child playing a flute; it was of carved Carrara marble by Chauncey Bradley Ives, circa 1860‱870. A circa 1815 Sheraton dresser from southern Vermont in tiger maple and with the original hardware was shown, along with a pair of 12-inch-tall hog scraper candlesticks signed Davis.
Stephen-Douglas of Rockingham, Vt., spent the better part of three days writing out sales slips, which accounted for sales of a Delaware River Valley Windsor settee that is going to New York City, a Vermont two-drawer blanket chest, sawbuck table with oval top, cutting board with carved man’s head, weaver’s bench with three legs, steamship butter mold, wash stick, Shaker box, fire bucket with the name “Thompson” going to a lady with the same name, and a burl bowl from a home in Acworth, N.H. Oh, there was also a redware bank, a child’s mug and a glass and tin hall lamp, all original, found in New Hampshire. Thus, it is safe to assume that they had a very good show, as always seems to be the case, and should you want more, call Stephen Corrigan.
Steven F. Still Antiques of Manheim, Penn., had a wonderful carved carousel deer by Charles Dare, circa 1880‱890, at the front of his booth, along with a painted redware bust of an Indian from Muncy, Penn., dating from the Nineteenth Century. Three interesting charcoal drawings by Ossman Aregood of Pottsville, Penn., circa 1900 and measuring 26 by 32 inches each, depicted kittens and puppies playing together.
“The show was everything we anticipated it to be and more,” Gene Pratt of Pratt’s Antiques, Victor, N.Y., said, noting that sales included several trade signs, artwork, many smalls and five pieces of furniture, including a New Hampshire apothecary cupboard with 30 drawers, apple green exterior and two raised panel doors. “As new dealers to the show, we had a great start,” Gene said.
A large whirligig with four arms, each holding a sailboat, was sold by Pam Boynton / Martha Boynton, Groton and Townsend, Mass., as was a school girl box, several game boards and a hooked rug. “We sold at all levels,” Pam said, noting that “the show has been good for us.”
Bill Kelly Antiques, Limington, Maine, showed a Queen Anne tall chest, six drawers, original brasses and in the original red surface, and a circa 1820‱830 Maine dome top box with salmon decoration over yellow ground. Pantry boxes, mostly painted, were in one stack, while red and blue firkins were in another stack.
Gary F. Yeaton, Concord, N.H., offered the Bowles family secretary/desk attributed to Langley Boardman, Portsmouth, N.H., circa 1800‱815. It retained the original Hands & Jenkins brasses. A Boston dressing chest, attributed to Thomas Seymour, circa 1810‱815, had a lyre mirror with Gothic crest carved by Thomas Wightman.
A really large carved and painted wood fish, about the size in stories about the one that got away, hung in the booth of Jason Samuel of Milford, N.H. “The fish is a sign from Wright’s Seafood Inn, Heidelberg, Penn., a place that closed in 2004 following Hurricane Ivan,” Jason said. The surface was “just right,” as the sign had spent some of the time indoors. An Aaron Willard tall case clock, circa 1808‱815, the case probably from the workshop of John and Thomas Seymour, retained a Paul Revere engraved label on the waist door. “This clock is wonderful,” Jason said, noting that “I just brought it in, set it down, and it has been keeping time perfectly ever since.”
Bette and Melvyn Wolf of Flint, Mich., sold about 30 pieces of pewter the first day out of the 300-plus pieces they brought to the show. When asked about the rarest piece on the shelves, Bette picked up a chalice by Johann Christopher Heyne of Lancaster, Penn., measuring 8¾ inches tall. She noted, “People from all over the country look at pewter and love it.”
Ed Weissman of Portsmouth, N.H., brought a fine collection of furniture and paintings, including a pair of Sheraton mahogany inlaid card tables, Portsmouth or North Shore, Mass., dating circa 1800‱810, and a single card table from New England, mahogany, circa 1785‱800. An oxbow chest in blue paint, Connecticut River Valley, Connecticut or Vermont, with nice wide overhang top, dated circa 1790.
Jonathan Trace, Portsmouth, N.H., was one of the new exhibitors this year and offered both furniture and silver, including a maple desk on frame, 24 inches wide and 16 inches deep, 403/8 inches high, with one long drawer. A portrait, oil on canvas, of a woman holding a rose dated mid-Eighteenth Century and was probably from New York. Among the small silver candlesticks in the case were one by Joseph Bird, London, 1720, and another by James Gould, London, 1742. A tankard, 1780, had the mark of Elia Davis, Newburyport.
And if all that were not enough, more dealers have added their praises of the show. Sandra Cutchin of Nevermore Antiques, Dover, N.H., said, “The energy level was amazing; it was difficult to keep up with sales during the initial rush.” Jef Steingrebe, New London, N.H., noted, “The show was great for me, I sold pretty much everything I brought.” Craig and Nancy Cheney, Newark, Ohio, said, “We sold half of the items we brought, and are looking forward to next year.” Barbara Ardizone of Salisbury, Conn., with one of the smallest booths in the show, said, “The show was very good for me, best in three years, and it was electric with activity.”
Without question it is safe to say, “See you all next year and let’s hope for more of the same.” The dates are August 8‱0, same venue, and with “saving things for New Hampshire” ringing in their ears, the dealers are sure to put on another feast of antiques to keep Magic in Manchester.
