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.
Sunday afternoon outside my booth at the Pier Antique Show this past March
U.S. Antique Shows, the promoters of the NYC Pier Antique Show and the all-important Original Miami Beach Antique Show announced free admission to the NYC Pier Antique Show this November 14-15. It’s an interesting experiment. Attendance will surely increase, but not necessarily with the right people. Here’s the way I see it. On the one hand, there’s a possibility that someone who attends the show will make a purchase, even if they hadn’t intended to in the first place. That’s the good part. On the other hand most of the additional attendees will be there to have a good time or get a free appraisal. It’s better than a museum. You can touch the items and ask questions of real experts. Excuse me if I sound a little cynical, but I didn’t pay good money to exhibit at the show and spend my time giving free appraisals to non-clients. Antique shows are a business. Dealers need the limited time to make sales to bona fide clients. If the dealers don’t sell enough to cover their time and expense, they won’t be back.
The aisles were jammed at the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show.
The Palm Beach Show Group essentially does the same thing, but with a twist. They charge admission to their shows, but they give away so many complimentary tickets that most people don’t pay. Attendance is usually quite strong in Palm Beach and some of the additional attendees turn into buyers. I’m hopeful the experiment at the Pier will be a success. I applaud U.S. Antique Shows for at least trying a ballsy move to revitalize the show.
Attendance was good at the Pier Show at the opening last March
U.S. Antique Shows is also involved with a project called Antique Young Guns USA, a special program to encourage young professionals to enter the antique marketplace. Goodness knows we need more young people involved.
Click here to check my website for the latest items and to look around. There’s lots more coming in in the next couple of weeks, including two important Daum Nancy Blackbird vases, two large Tiffany Favrile Jack-in-the-Pulpit vases, two Gallé Magnolia vases and lots more. Keep checking my site, as I will be updating it daily. We’re still very much in business between shows, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.
Would love two complementary ticks to the Nov. 15 show…
Thanks.
Interesting indeed! I hope to hear about how this impacts traffic at the show. I think it is a bold move, and hope that it is successful.
Can I still get free tickets? Would love to have 2, 1 for me and 1 for my girlfriend.
Thanks, Have a great show and sell, sell, sell!
Rick