Review And Photos by Greg Smith
Jeff Pudlinski from County Seat Antiques, Litchfield, Conn., sold an 1860s rocking horse picked out of the Hudson Valley. He also had an early 1900s screw nailed tackle box on the top of the table, along with a country painted “Daily Sales” trade sign.
GOSHEN, CONN. — The Dealer’s Fair got its big day in the sun at the Goshen Fairgrounds as 90 dealers from all around New England brought their inventory to sell and trade June 14. Managed by Tom Seaver and Fritz Rohn, the show celebrates its third year running and attracts dealers who appreciate its laid-back ease and proximity to Litchfield County antique collectors.
Rohn said, “It was a beautiful day and everything went very smoothly. We want to create a pleasant environment where everyone enjoys themselves without any difficulty and I think we succeeded in that.”
Hardly a cloud in sight as dealers set up outside on a beautiful June day at the Goshen Fairgrounds.
Buyers enter through the fairgrounds gate and are greeted with a field of dealers spread out on the grass before them. Past that are two large, adjacent buildings with grand doors and tall ceilings that housed the majority of exhibitors in the show. The dealers set their objects out on long wooden tables running against the back walls of the building and arranged furniture and decorative pieces around the booth.
As the gates opened, dealers settled into their booths and began calling out prices. “We had a couple hundred people through,” said Rohn. “Mostly from the area. There are a lot of dealers who
come from all around New England and New York to shop with local retail people walking through.”
The fair felt comfortable and lively, with dealers trading jokes across the aisle and wandering between each other’s booths looking for a buy. Everyone seemed relaxed and well rested even as the show was closing.
Doug Ramsay, DBR Antiques, Hadley, Mass., featured a broad range of Americana, led by a Clark Voorhees sperm whale.
Buyers found a wide range of objects and price points, from $20 to $10,000. The tables were filled with Americana, jewelry, English porcelain, Chinese and Asian objects, Midcentury Modern pottery and glass, decorative sculptures and inlaid boxes. Furniture was also present, with exhibitors bringing pieces that spanned early American to English, as well as Danish Modern and Asian.
“We get a broad range of dealers,” said Rohn. “There’s a good contingent of Americana dealers, but there are also European and decorative dealers and people who have all kinds of things. It’s a show that’s lively and active, not a museum.”
The next installment of the Dealer’s Fair will be September 20.
For additional information, www.thedealersfair.com, 603-532-8500 or 203-263-3775.
