My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.
I didn’t know what to expect from the Pier show this time with new promoters, but I was hopeful. Shows often get better, as the promoters usually increase the advertising budget and make other beneficial changes. Personally, my show was fine — much better than last March, and about as good as last November. Saturday was a good day, with moderately strong attendance, interest, and sales. Sunday was noticeably slower, with fewer people, fewer questions, fewer sales and less energy. Not what I predicted, but not a washout.
Harvey Fierstein stopped in for a few minutes on Saturday to inquire about a pair of Tiffany Studios root candlesticks (which unfortunately he didn’t buy). For those who don’t know, he’s a Tony Award winning Broadway star, and a gentleman. If you don’t recognize his face, you surely would recognize his very distinctive, gravelly voice.
In asking around about results, I received the following comments. From a dealer in American art pottery, “Unbelievable. The best show I’ve had here in years.” A dealer in lamps and glass remarked “OK”. A dealer in Art Deco glass and objects “OK. Good. Better than last year.” A general dealer, new to the show said “Pleasantly surprised.” Another lamp dealer told me his show was “horrible”. A dealer in furniture and bronzes said he “did well, including some major pieces”, and finally a dealer in silver told me he had an awful show — not enough dealers to draw any general conclusions.
The transition to the new promoters was fairly seamless, with only a few glitches. I was told that many dealers who double-parked during the night on Thursday received parking tickets, something that didn’t happen in previous years. My observations were that Andrea Canady, the show manager, and her crew, did a fine job. Setup seemed to go as smoothly as it possibly could.
We’ll be busy buying for the next couple of months in anticipation of the important Florida shows, starting with the Miami National Antiques Show on January 24, 2014. We’ll end our winter schedule with the wonderful Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference, February 21 – 23, 2014. We last exhibited there a few years ago and couldn’t do it again because of scheduling conflicts. This year there were no conflicts, so we’re happy to return. It will immediately follow the important Palm Beach Antiques Show.
Click here to view my new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps