For the foreseeable future I will publish once a week on Mondays.
The Chicago Antiques + Art + Design Show ended yesterday after a three-day run from May 18-20, 2018. We had a decent show. Explanation to follow.
Following is a contemporaneous account of the show events.
Preview party attendees were all gathered in the aisles, having no interest in purchasing anything from anybody.
Thursday, 8:30PM The preview party is in full swing and absolutely nothing is going on in our booth. There are more people this year than last, but that doesn’t make a difference. The attendees are here for a social event and the dealers are the decorations. There has been very little interest and, of course, no sales. The only thing better this year was the open bar. The food was a disaster of hummus, carrot sticks, and a few hors d’oeuvres, with raw artichokes and raw Brussels sprouts for decoration. To top it off, one of our best clients canceled on us because of an injury.
Friday afternoon in our booth
Friday, 2 PM The show opened to the public this morning at 11 AM. There were only a few people on line. Attendance has been relatively light to this point, as well as interest. No sales yet. To make things worse, I cannot connect my computer to the wifi. My phone connects, but my computer refuses.
Friday, 6:30 PM The Merchandise Mart sent a tech to help with my computer connection. She diagnosed and solved the problem fairly quickly. Thank you!
Business was basically non-existent for the day until our long-term clients showed up near the end of the day. They made a nice purchase, so we’re off to a decent start, however we have not yet met our expenses.
Saturday afternoon in our booth
Saturday, 4:00 PM Attendance was a little better today, but business was still quite slow. We made one nice sale to a new client (which is always gratifying). We’re waiting for one of our best clients to arrive later this afternoon.
We sold this important red Tiffany Favrile Tel el Amarna vase at the show
Saturday, 6:30 PM Our good clients arrived late in the day and made a significant purchase. Thanks to them we had a good show.
Sunday afternoon in our booth
Sunday, 1:30 PM Attendance is noticeably better today, partly because the weather is unpleasant. (Bad weather is good for attendance.) A few people seem genuinely interested in some items. We’ll see if that translates to sales later in the day.
Sunday, 5:00 PM The show is over and we’re satisfied. All of today’s talk and potential ended with a decent sale and a small sale. It’s about all we could ask for a Sunday.
We did about the same business and profit as last year. Expenses were high for this show, so it ate into our net. We’ll take a smaller booth next year to trim expenses. Overall I’d say the show was a success, not unconditional, but nevertheless a success.
I’m looking forward to the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show show, August 30 – September 2, 2018. There’s always good attendance and action. Unfortunately the Baltimore show promoter has moved the show one week later than usual, to the Labor Day weekend. The show used to be held over the Labor Day weekend, but that was many years ago. The show is wonderful, so we’ll continue to exhibit there regardless of the change of dates.
We’re still very much in business between shows, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. I recently listed some of the new items on my website and will list more every week. Click Philip Chasen Antiques to take a look. I will make every effort to actively list new items as often as time permits. 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.