Sunday afternoon at the NYC Pier Show, March 14, 2010

The weather in NYC was miserable this weekend, especially Saturday. Heavy, steady rain accompanied by strong wind, made for a rough day. Ordinary inclement weather is usually good for attendance and business at shows, but awful weather can have a negative effect. Attendance was down from the previous show, but still decent. The show didn’t have its usual buzz and snap. Business was off on Saturday from the previous show, but not drastically.

Very attractive Gallé 10-inch scenic vase

Sunday’s weather was slightly improved — just nasty, but not raining cats and dogs and not nearly as windy. Attendance got off to a very slow start because the show opened at 10 AM. There is no good reason whatsoever for a show to open at 10 AM on a Sunday, especially with the change to Daylight Savings Time. Everyone’s body clock told them it was 9 AM. Anyway, most people sleep late on Sunday. For the first hour and a half, dealers were all sitting around waiting for the first person to come and ask a question. Everyone would do the same business if the show hours were 11 AM – 5 PM on Sunday and the dealers would all be elated. (Hello Irene. [Irene Stella is the promoter of the show.] How about it?)

Superior quality Tiffany 12-inch blue Favrile vase with green hearts and vines

Business picked up a little on Sunday, but overall sales were somewhat disappointing. Sales were diverse at the show, with Tiffany, Quezal, Gallé, Daum, and Icart garnering the most interest. In speaking to several other exhibitors, most were satisfied with their results, but none were ebullient.

Now here’s something not to do at a show. Les Fisher, an Italian restaurant owner from the south shore of Long Island, came into my booth on Saturday. He decided to buy an expensive Art Nouveau bronze, and after a bit of negotiation, he agreed to purchase it if I gave him time to pay it off. I do that with lots of people, so I had no problem with the arrangements. He shook my hand, told me he would be in on Sunday, not only with a significant deposit, but lunch from his restaurant. Very nice. The only problem is that Les never showed up, never called, and never answered two phone calls. Not only is that not nice, but irresponsible, inconsiderate and rude. The item was marked sold for several hours and as a result, might possibly have resulted in the loss of the sale to another client. The courtesy of a phone call would have been the least that he should have done.

I’m taking a lot of time to add new items to my website. I’ve already listed new items under Gallé glass, Daum Nancy glass, Tiffany Studios glass and Marblehead pottery, to name a few. Please take a look, as every day I’m adding more. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

A few of the lamps in my booth

It’s Tuesday, 5 PM, and the show is winding down. It’s hard work sitting for so many hours, talking to hundreds of people, but it’s gratifying when the show goes well, and this one went well. I personally talked to about a dozen exhibitors and most were very pleased with the results. One painting dealer (there were many painting dealers at this show) told me he did poorly. One general dealer told me he would have made a profit, had his expenses not been so high. Another dealer in English furniture and objects told me he had a good show. A Steuben dealer had a very good final day for a very good show overall. For the most part, most dealers did well.

Attendance was truly outstanding throughout the show, especially on the weekend. Today, Tuesday, was the lowest attendance, but even that was pretty good. The problem was that all the real buyers already were here, so today’s crowd was out for a good time only. If the show had ended yesterday, it would basically have been the same.

The show promoter did an excellent job. There were banners everywhere around town announcing the show, including a beautiful full-size outdoor billboard. If you lived anywhere in this area, it would have been impossible not to know about the show. Too bad most other show promoters do not put the same effort and resources into promotion.

Original Louis Icart oil painting 'Aux Trianons'

Interest was strong in everything Tiffany, including lamps, desk sets and glass. Sales in Icart etchings and oil paintings were strong, a welcome change from the recent tepid interest. Surprisingly, interest in French glass was good, but sales were not.

It appears after several strong shows in Florida that the market has come back in a meaningful way. Besides personal experience, I’ve seen lots of anecdotal evidence. It appears that the economy is recovering nicely and that the statistics will soon reflect the increased optimism I see.

I’m taking a lot of time to add new items to my website. I’ve already listed new items under Gallé glass (including a blownout vase), Daum Nancy glass and Tiffany Studios glass. Soon I’ll be adding many Tiffany Studios desk pieces. Please take a look, as every day I’m adding more. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail.com or
516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Saturday, 1/23/10, at the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show

I’m writing this post on Sunday, with two days left to the show, but I can already give a basic report on the show results. Attendance was very strong for the first three days and included a good number of foreign buyers, but crowded aisles is not enough. It has to be accompanied by good sales, and sales were excellent. After speaking to quite a few dealers, strong results were almost universal. I personally spoke to only one dealer who said she was having a poor show. Unfortunately, there are always some dealers who don’t do well. It’s part of the normal distribution curve of results. Thankfully, this time the curve was skewed to the good side. So now I’ve exhibited in two shows in 2010 and both results were good. It’s starting to appear that business is returning to normal, a nice change from the relatively soft business of 2009.

Louis Icart oil painting 'Rendezvous dans le Parc'

Sales were good in many categories, including R. Lalique glass, Rookwood pottery, Tiffany lily lamps and Icart oil paintings. No one category was especially strong, with sales distributed evenly over many categories. That’s noteworthy as a good indicator of improving business.

I’m taking a lot of time to add new items to my website. I’ve already listed new items under Gallé glass (including a blownout vase), Daum Nancy glass and Tiffany Studios glass. Soon I’ll be adding many Tiffany Studios desk pieces. Please take a look, as every day I’m adding more. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail.com or
516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Thursday setup at the Miami National Antiques Show

At this point, setup is finished and the show opens to the public today at noon. We’ve exhibited at this show for more than 25 years and have seen the show change over this time. Unfortunately most of the changes are for the worse. 25 years ago, the show was so crowded with attendees that the Fire Department closed the doors and would not permit additional people to enter until some people had left. Most show promoters today would give their right arms to get that kind of attendance. A complicated confluence of events has changed today’s show landscape. One important factor is the aging of dealers and buyers, without enough young people to replace them. Perhaps even more important is the profound effect of the Internet on the market (but that’s a whole other story for another day).

Today’s show is smaller. No longer is there a second floor. The first floor is 90% full, but that’s less than 95% from the previous year. The overall quality of the show is quite high, but again a bit less than in previous years. A few of the better dealers are gone, replaced with a few borderline dealers.

My booth is almost fully set up

Is it worth visiting the show? Absolutely. There are important dealers, with a huge variety of the finest quality antiques. Guaranteed you will find something you like at the show. Yours truly has brought incredible Tiffany Studios lamps and glass plus French cameo glass by Daum Nancy and Galle plus a huge selection of Louis Icart original etchings at ridiculously low prices. Come visit me at the show and get first crack at everything, before the big Miami Beach Convention Center Antiques Show next week. I’ll post the results of this show early next week.

The Miami National Antiques Show, January 15-17, 2010.

The first show of the winter season, the Miami National Antiques Show, begins tomorrow and ends on Sunday. It is being held at the Doubletree Expo Centre, Miami Merchandise Mart, near the airport.

I’m taking a lot of time to add new items to my website. I’ve already listed new items under Gallé glass (including a blownout vase), Daum Nancy glass and Tiffany Studios glass. Soon I’ll be adding many Tiffany Studios desk pieces. Please take a look, as every day I’m adding more. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail.com or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

My booth at the Chicago Merchandise Mart Show

We last exhibited at the Chicago Merchandise Mart in May. The spring show is considered the better of the two shows because it’s more established and gets better attendance. But for us the results were the reverse. We were disappointed in the spring and thankful for a very fine show this time around.

Tiffany 14 inch diameter Acorn floor lamp with drink tray, ashtray and magazine rack

I asked a handful of dealers about their results and as always, there was a diversity of opinion. One dealer who is not a specialist and sells fine items from many different categories had one of the best shows ever in Chicago. Another dealer specializing in majolica didn’t do well. Two mid-west dealers said their shows were ok, but not better. Then there’s me. I’d like to thank all of my clients who made purchases. My clients are very loyal and as a result, I’m sincerely appreciative.

Tiffany glass and lamps garnered the most interest this time, with Art Nouveau French cameo glass by Gallé and Daum Nancy a close second. This time there was less interest in Art Deco glass by Le Verre Francais, etchings by Louis Icart and pottery by Rookwood.

Now it’s time for a short break and then back to the greater Chicago area for the Arlington Park Racetrack Show, October 16-18, and then on to Denver the following week.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Icart "Lady of the Camelias", with original frame and mat

Some people like them that way. They show their age (usually 70-90 years old). They’re probably authentic (it’s difficult to fake the brittleness and other signs of age). They have character, with nicks in the frame and faded mats. The problem is they’re getting worse, year after year. The degradation continues with constant exposure to high acid levels, bright light and humidity. Remember the value is in the etching itself, a sheet of paper. It’s the cake, while the mat and frame are the frosting. Good restorers are capable of reversing most of the damage that’s accrued in almost a century.

The process starts by removing the etching from the frame. That’s pretty simple. There is usually a paper backing that can be torn off. (It can’t be reused so it doesn’t matter if you tear it off.) Below that is the backboard. That’s usually held in with many nails around the perimeter on older frames. Later frames may have framing points. Either one can be removed with a flat screwdriver and a needle nose pliers.

Framing points

Then the backboard is removed to get to the etching underneath. Depending on the technique of the original framer (and they had many different styles), the etching may be a loose sheet that’s taped on the top or the edges (that would be the best). Usually the etching is found within a glue sandwich — glued to the board in the back and the mat in the front. Every variation is possible — the etching may be glued only to the mat in front, or only to the board in the back or only glued around the edges or best of all, no glue at all.

The restorer then puts the etching in a full bath and begins the process of separating the paper from anything it’s glued to and then to removing the glue itself. Sometimes the glue softens and the job of removal is facilitated, but on occasion the glue is tenacious and removal becomes a very labor intensive and time-consuming process. It’s very easy to damage a soaking wet etching, so this job should be left to a professional.

Once the sheet has been freed, a chemical process is started that in most cases can reverse most of the effects of aging. (Sounds wonderful to me. I’d like to get dipped myself and see if I can reverse the effects of aging.) If it’s done properly, the foxing can be eliminated and the light darkening and acid burns can be reversed.  The etching is then thoroughly washed, which eliminates most of the acid. A buffering solution can be added to slow down future acid buildup and finally the etching is dried in a press. Most of the hand-painted details like lipstick are lost in the restoration process and have to be reapplied by hand.

Now the etching is a loose sheet that looks almost as good as the day it was made. It’s ready to be framed properly by modern standards. That means that non-acidic materials are used in the framing and mounting. Rag mats are made of cotton and are pH neutral (A pH of 7 is neutral). Anything that comes in contact with the etching either is acid-free or separated by an acid-free barrier. With proper conservation and framing, your etching will look great and last for many more years.

Contact me if you have an etching that needs conservation.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Icart "Silk Robe" in original frame. The mat is glued to the etching and the etching is glued to a board.

The second problem is acidity. Paper is naturally acidic due to the acid in pulp, mainly tannic acid. Over time cellulose fibers in the paper break down and add to the acidity. The framer’s offense was to use acidic mats and back boards in framing the etchings. These materials were in constant contact with the etching, allowing acid to leach onto the paper. All of these acid sources contribute to the problem. The acidity causes the paper to weaken and degrade, making it brittle and yellow and eventually destroying it.

After the mat has been removed, the moderate light darkening of the image is evident

An Icart etching with foxing in the margins