Just seven years old and 44 dealers strong, the Wethersfield Antiques Show has made its mark with collectors and local antiques enthusiasts throughout the region in a relatively short period of time. Quality merchandise presented by the select grouping of dealers and a hardworking crew from the Wethersfield Historical Society have combined to make this event one of the most highly anticipated in Connecticut.
A benefit for the Wethersfield Historical Society, the show enjoys an active group of supporters that go to great lengths to make the event a success. The fruits of their labors begin to pay off almost immediately as a large crowd begins assembling at the entrance well before the scheduled opening.
Taking place at the Pitkin Community Center, this show has an unusual format †a one-day show with a preview party taking place the evening before it opens to the general public. Reasonably priced at $30, the Friday evening preview, November 16, was attended by a large and eager crowd.
As the show opened, the crowd rushed into the building, splitting up and heading in two distinct directions. As with all preview parties, a certain segment of those in attendance headed straight for the bar and positioned themselves in prime locations so as to capitalize on the excellent morsels that were served throughout the evening. Wethersfield, however, also enjoys a large contingent of shoppers that are knowledgeable and interested in the merchandise being offered. They, too, moved through the show hunting morsels, although they sought tasty tidbits of a different nature †those being presented by the dealers in the form of Tiffany, Quezal and other quality glassware, Christmas ornaments, early American pottery and porcelains, decoys and the great selection of country furniture. They were seeking out the items for which the show has garnered a strong reputation.
The dealers all seem to agree that the buyers in attendance are serious and sales were reported by many soon after the show opened.
Another large crowd was on hand on Saturday morning as the show opened at 9 for an hour of early buying. The $10 entry fee was viewed as more than reasonable to those in attendance, and the shopping was once again a serious affair. Dealers prepared packages while customers ran from booth to booth; smalls seemed to be the big sellers of the day.
With the facility under repair and reconstruction, the show was forced to utilize a few different rooms, causing some initial confusion among shoppers. It did not take long, however, for buyers to realize where their favorite dealers were located, and once found, business was good.
Higganum, Conn., pewter dealer Ron Chambers reported sales to “new and old customers,” stating that while he was somewhat misplaced in a small room adjacent to the main viewing area, he was happy overall with the results. The dealer reported selling eight pieces of pewter, four of which went to new clients.
“A lot of times you sell a couple things to people and then you never see them again,” stated Chambers. “These people were enthusiastic and they wanted to learn about pewter, especially the local items, such as pieces made by Danforth and Boardman, who were both located just up the road in Hartford.” The dealer also reported the sales of numerous other smalls, “and,” he happily added, “I have done some follow-up business since the show closed.”
There is a great country flavor to the hamlet of Old Wethersfield, and buyers seem to come into the show charged by the surroundings. The country flavor is reproduced inside the show with a good assortment of primitives and Queen Anne furniture, such as the highboy and dining table offered by Massachusetts dealer William Bakeman. A bold highboy with flaring cabriole legs set the stage for the booth. The nice scrubbed top table in front of it was surrounded by early banister back chairs and topped with a large, hand carved oval trencher and a nice pair of early brass candlesticks.
A scrubbed top tavern table with remnants of the original red paint on the base was displayed by Carol Wojtkun. Two early arm chairs, a ladder back and a banister back, flanked it, with a nice two-door cupboard wall cupboard in red grained paint hanging above.
Field and Stream, Mansfield, Conn., had several items that were attracting attention from the crowd, including a large cupboard with two paneled doors in old green paint. The dealers also displayed a nice splay leg table in yellow paint, an oversized fanback Windsor arm chair with a folky comb, a hooked rug with rabbit decoration and a nice assortment of decoys.
Recognizing the season, or perhaps culling some of an oversized collection, Lorraine German of Mad River Antiques, North Granby, Conn., presented a large assortment of holiday-themed antiques, such as a feather tree filled with Christmas ornaments, children’s toys, puzzles, games and books. The assortment occupied one whole wall of the booth, providing a new look for the dealers. Although somewhat crammed into the remaining portion of the booth, Steve German was finally discovered, presenting his usual fare of stoneware and country antiques to the couple’s regular customers.
Raymond Lasky, Windsor, Conn., was on hand with an eclectic booth that ranged from an early wrought iron gate to an unusual refractory table with carved female figure on each of the front legs. Also offered was a nice adjustable Federal shield-shaped tabletop mirror on stand.
Country smalls were featured at Days Gone By, Royalston, Mass., with items ranging from an early pair of finials to a Pennsylvania chalkware poodle to a selection of tramp art boxes †including one nice tabletop-sized three-drawer chest with elaborate decoration.
Other country smalls included a nice Leeds pitcher, yellowware salts with seaweed decoration, painted tole document boxes, Staffordshire plates and a large and early “animal” puzzle with the original box that depicted a brown cow in the stand of Martha Caverly, Portsmouth, N.H.
A small apothecary chest in red paint with unusual recessed circular handles turned into the drawer fronts was offered by Nutmeg Treasures, Glastonbury, Conn. A group of early samplers, a smoke grained yellow hanging wall cabinet with six drawers and a nicely decorated yellow painted washstand were also displayed.
Large and small, formal, folky and funky, the Wethersfield show is a crowd pleaser. The Wethersfield Historical Society is at 150 Main Street, Wethersfield CT 06109. For information, 860-529-7656 or www.wethhist.org .
