The Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Air Center
I’ve never before exhibited at the Los Angeles Antiques Show at the Barker Hangar. It’s an interesting building — corrugated tin exterior with an arched roof. It’s not a huge building, so the shows there aren’t very big, but there is a nice feeling of intimacy.
My booth is a big mess, but it will be beautiful by the time the show opens.
The level of the dealers and merchandise at this show is very high, with more than a few foreign dealers, especially from England. The problem this year is that some of the English dealers are stuck in England because of the flight ban caused by the Icelandic volcano eruption. I really feel for them because I was in a similar situation this winter. Some of you may recall that I was prevented from flying to the Palm Beach Antiques Show because of a severe snowstorm in the northeast. The difference is that I had an option — I could drive through the storm. Unfortunately, the English dealers have no other options. There’s a possibility they might arrive in time for most of the show, but that’s yet to be determined.
The main aisle will look a lot different by Wednesday evening's preview party.
It’s a pleasure to exhibit at shows at this level. One of the dealers spent the whole day having a custom wood floor installed in his booth, as well as 150 spotlights. He’ll have a gorgeous booth at the end of the day, but I hope his sales are good enough to cover his expenses.
The show gets underway on Wednesday night, with a preview party — always my favorite. NOT! They’re usually a waste of a dealer’s time, but one never knows. Maybe I’ll sell a few things and change my attitude. I’m not optimistic about the preview party, but I’d loved to be proved wrong.
I’m taking a lot of time to add new items to my website. In the last few days I’ve added to the Gallé glass and Icart etchings listings. 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.