The Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair opens to the public this Friday, April 26, 2013

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Philip Chasen

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.

Our booth is almost set up

The Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair will host a preview party tonight, April 25, 2013, and then open to the public tomorrow, Friday, April 26, 2013, at 11 AM. It will continue until Monday, at 3 PM.

One of two Norman Rockwell paintings on display at M.S. Rau of New Orleans

The show looks fabulous, with the usual coterie of important national dealers. There have been some dealer changes, as always happens, but the replacement dealers are all from the A-list. The show is classy, fun, intimate,and crowd-pleasing. If you’ve never visited this show, it’s worth a trip from anywhere.

Best of France has a few unique items

I made a few inquiries about the future of the Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair. Management told me the rumors of the show’s demise are untrue. They will be passing out renewal contracts on Saturday. So I stick by my opinion that the arrival of a new antique show at the Navy Pier in April, 2014, the same weekend, is a big mistake. I hope the Palm Beach Show Group will reconsider, and change their dates.

Fine Argy-Rousseau pate-de-verre moth paperweight, for sale at the show

Click here to view French cameo glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

Wonderful Tiffany Favrile blue decorated mini vase, for sale at the show

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and etchings by Louis Icart. Here’s the link. Philip Chasen Antiques.

The results of the Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair, April 18-21, 2013

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Philip Chasen

In front of our booth at the Thursday night preview party

You know I’m not a fan of preview parties, but the party at the Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair was one of the better ones. Some show promoters treat dealers as second-class citizens at preview parties, offering one little box of airline food for the evening. At the Botanic Gardens, the dealers were treated equally, with plenty of delicious food and drink for everyone. I even made a nice sale at the preview party — can you believe it?

Friday, 11:30 AM. Strange weather in Chicago. Lightning, thunderstorms, torrential rain, and cold on Wednesday — worked with a coat and gloves in a cold tent. Warm and rainy on Thursday — worked in a tent that was hot and humid, with all the showcases fogging up. Today, Friday — hailing, windy and cold — wearing a coat and freezing in the tent. The fire department shut the propane because of a leak. The wind is swirling and the tent is shaking violently at times. What fun! :>(

There was a big crowd early on Friday

OK, so much for the weather report. There’s a big crowd already, about 90% women, most of whom seem unknowledgeable. No sales yet, but that’s understandable, as unknowledgeable people rarely buy. Haven’t seen most of my Chicago clients yet, but I’m hopeful they’ll attend.

Friday, 3:00 PM. Thought it would get more crowded in the afternoon, but the opposite happened. It’s much quieter now. The heat was fixed and then it broke again. One small sale so far. Still have my coat on.

Friday, 5:00 PM. It’s been a trying day — one of the toughest we’ve had to endure at any show. It was very cold most of the day, where the chill gets into your bones. We made one additional medium sale, so we’re slowly chipping away at the results.

Saturday, 1 PM. It’s the first sunny day since we arrived and very pleasant in the tent. Lots of people here all day so far. Nice sale to one of my established clients. Sure would like to make a sale to a stranger.

Incredible Tiffany Favrile Cypriote vase, sold at the show

Saturday, 5 PM. Much thanks to my clients for showing up and making purchases. Even made a moderate sale to a new client. The show is now going well and hopefully will get better. Another important client is considering making a major purchase.

Sunday, 11:30 AM. The day is off to a slow start, but that’s to be expected on a Sunday. The show should have opened at 11 AM, not 10 AM. Jeanne Stella, you listening? Several naive inquiries will likely lead nowhere, but on the other hand, the weather is lovely and the tent is very comfortable.

Sunday, 2:20 PM. After a slow start today, it got really busy. Made a couple of sales to strangers, which was very gratifying. I’ll be surprised if anything happens between now and the end of the show, but hope springs eternal.

Sunday, 5:00 PM. The show is over and as I predicted, nothing happened from mid-afternoon to closing. It was a busy day, but not as remunerative as it should have been, based on the activity. Overall, the show went well. More sales to new clients would have made it better, but I’m not complaining.

In other news. The Palm Beach Show Group (who run the Palm Beach and Baltimore shows) has announced that it will be starting a new show in Chicago at the Navy Pier. Ordinarily I would be excited to hear such news, but not this time. They hope to run the show exactly the same week as the Merchandise Mart Antiques Show in April, 2014. Why choose that week, when there are 51 other weeks? There are rumors that this will be the last year for the Merchandise Mart Antiques Show, in which case it would make sense to run an important show in Chicago the same weekend. Other than that, it seems folly. I’ll try to get to the bottom of it.

Speaking of the Merchandise Mart Antiques Show, it’s this week! The show opens with a preview party on Thursday night, April 25th. It opens to the public on Friday, April 26th at 11 AM and continues until Monday, April 29th at 3 PM. It’s a great show and my favorite of the year. Make sure you attend. You won’t be disappointed!

Important Gallé vase with spider webs and wheel-carved leaves

Click here to view French cameo glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

Fine Argy-Rousseau pate-de-verre geometric vase

The Intrepid Antique Dealers are at it again

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Philip Chasen

Lia is busy setting up our booth

The antiques business is not supposed to be exciting (though sometimes it is). If I wanted excitement, I would have become a sky-diving instructor. Do you remember the time we drove into a fierce snowstorm on our way to a show in Palm Beach? Click here to refresh your memory. Or the time we went through an earthquake and a hurricane at the same show? Click here to read about that one. So what happened this time? Just a bomb scare at LaGuardia airport, a country-wide outage of the entire American Airlines fleet and evacuation of our tent at the Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair.

One of the many beautiful floral displays at the show

Tuesday was supposed to be a low-stress day. We were to fly out of New York at 4:10 PM, arrive in Chicago at 6 PM, and then spend a leisurely evening, before starting to set up our show at the Chicago Botanic Garden the next day. After hearing about the bomb scare at LaGuardia Airport, I checked the American Airlines website to make sure our flight was still on time. The website said “on time”, so we took a taxi to the airport and got on line. When we reached the representative, she told us that no flights were leaving LaGuardia and our flight had been cancelled. So much for checking with American. Flights were to resume at 5 PM, so we got on a very long line to get on another flight. While on line, we heard our names being called for our original flight (on which we were upgraded to first class). By the time we reached a representative, we had to take a 6:50 PM flight, which was delayed to 7:30 PM. We had to sit near the back of the plane, in cramped seats. By the time we got to our hotel room in Chicago, four hours late, we were frazzled and exhausted.

Gorgeous, no?

Wednesday should have been a normal show setup day. It was anything but. We had to set up our booth, in a tent, in a raging storm. At one point, lightning was in the area, so we evacuated the tent until the threat passed. Other times, the rain was so torrential, it pounded on the tent. Water dripped into some booths from leaks. Luckily, our booth stayed dry.

If history is any indication, this show will be a success, as both of our previous stressful shows ended well. The Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair is beautiful and high class. Do yourself a favor and visit this outstanding show and see our booth in the Rose Garden tent. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

The Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair opens to the public on Friday, at 10 AM. It continues until Sunday, April 21st, at 5 PM. It’s located at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, in the beautiful village of Glencoe.

Important Gallé vase with spider webs and wheel-carved leaves

Click here to view French cameo glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

Fine Argy-Rousseau pate-de-verre geometric vase

The Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair opens this Friday, April 19, 2013

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Philip Chasen

It’s been six months since we last exhibited in Chicago. We love the city and have many friends, so we’re excited to be coming back this week to exhibit at two shows, back to back. The first, the Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair, starts setting up on Wednesday and opens to the public on Friday, at 10 AM. It continues until Sunday, April 21st, at 5 PM. It’s located at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, in the beautiful village of Glencoe.

It seems a little strange to exhibit at a Garden Fair, but I’ve been assured that there are enough antiques dealers to call it an “Antiques and Garden Fair”. I hope it works out, especially because the Arlington Racetrack Antiques Show was cancelled. This show could be the perfect replacement. Stella Show Management always does a good job, so we’re confident the show well be well run. Now all we need is for the public to do their part. It would be our pleasure to make the show a permanent addition to our schedule. Click here for more information about the show.

Powerful Gallé blue/purple scenic vase

We’re bringing all the goodies we purchased on our recent, successful, European buying trip, as well as our beefed up selection of Tiffany Studios glass and lamps. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in our display. Please try to visit us. If not this week, then the following week at the fabulous Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair in downtown Chicago.

Important Gallé vase with spider webs and wheel-carved leaves

Click here to view French cameo glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

Fine Argy-Rousseau pate-de-verre geometric vase

What’s new at Philip Chasen Antiques?

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Philip Chasen

Vivid Daum Fall scenic pillow vase

We’ve been busy lately, buying up a storm for our upcoming shows in the Greater Chicago area, starting next week. Some of our superb purchases came from a very successful European buying trip last week. We’ve pumped up our already fine collection of Tiffany glass and lamps and French cameo glass. I photographed all of our newest treasures, but it’s time-consuming to put them on my website, so they’ll get added day by day. Please check frequently for additions. Click here for the home page of my site.

Killer Gallé hyacinth blownout vase

New additions of Gallé, Daum and Argy-Rousseau glass will be on the site soon, including a Gallé hyacinth blownout vase with exceptional color. I was offered four different Gallé hyacinth blownout vases and chose to purchase only this one, because it was hands-down the best. Also coming are Gallé scenic and floral vases, Daum spider web vases and a fine Argy-Rousseau pate-de-verre geometric vase.

This little Tiffany Favrile beauty is only 6″ tall

Tiffany Favrile glass vases are well-represented in the newest selection. Two of them are deep blue with green hearts and vines decoration — both small and wonderful. Several green decorated Favrile vases are also in the newest group.

You can view our entire inventory, including all of our new items, starting next Friday, April 19th, at the Chicago Antiques & Garden Fair, Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL. It will be our first time there. Hopefully the show will be good for us, so we can make it a regular show on our schedule. We have many clients in the greater Chicago area, so if a show fails, we need a replacement. The show opens to the public on Friday, April 19th, at 10 AM, and continues until Sunday, April 21st, at 5 PM, so you’ll have plenty of time for a visit. Click here for more information about the show.

Gorgeous Gallé iris floral vase

The week after the Chicago Antiques & Garden Fair, we’ll be exhibiting in downtown Chicago at the fabulous Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair. Make sure you come to one or both of the shows. You will not be disappointed!

Important Gallé vase with spider webs and wheel-carved leaves

Click here to view French cameo glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

Fine Argy-Rousseau pate-de-verre geometric vase

Know your French Cameo Glass flowers!

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Philip Chasen

I’ve addressed this topic in a previous blog post, but I thought it relevant enough to address again.

An important Daum Nancy lamp with violets

When I first started dealing in French cameo glass almost forty years ago, I referred to the vases as having red flowers or blue flowers, for example. Then a Japanese client asked me “What flower”? I was perplexed. I clearly remember thinking that no one had ever asked me that question before. What difference did it make? Apparently a big difference.

Fine, rare Gallé chrysanthemum blownout vase

Japanese buyers virtually took over the French cameo glass market in the late 1980s. They had very specific likes and dislikes and were willing to put their money where their mouths were. Violets were so desirable that a serious premium was put on the vases. It still exists today, even though most of the buyers are not Japanese. Chrysanthemums were flowers for Japanese funerals, so it was very difficult to sell a vase with chrysanthemums, especially white or yellow, to a Japanese buyer. Americans have no such aversion to chrysanthemums, in fact quite the opposite, making it easy to sell a vase in the US.

A lovely Gallé red magnolia vase

So which are the best flowers? Violets, roses, and magnolias, to name a few. Generic-looking flowers, tiny flowers, tobacco flowers and any flowers with weak colors are the worst.

Great color on this Daum bottle with fuchsia flowers

Collectors like color, so good color and contrast are important. Red, blue, purple, and pink are desirable colors. Brown, green, and orange are less desirable, unless strong. Muted color is not an asset. These are observations from a dealer’s point of view — I know what sells and what doesn’t. Most people can agree when they see a pretty vase. If you like it, chances are others will too. That’s the one you should buy.

Our show schedule in April begins late next week, with the Chicago Antiques & Garden Fair at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL. It will be our first time there. Hopefully the show will be good for us, so we can make it a regular show on our schedule. We have many clients in the greater Chicago area, so if a show fails, we need a replacement. We’re bringing an impressive group of items that will be shown for the first time in Chicago, including Tiffany lamps and glass and French cameo glass by Gallé and Daum. Please visit us at the show. It opens to the public on Friday, April 19th, at 10 AM, and continues until Sunday, April 21st, at 5 PM. Click here for more information about the show.

Wonderful Tiffany Favrile red Tel-El-Amarna vase

I recently listed over 15 new items, including several Tiffany lamps and vases, as well as two fine Grueby vases. Click here to view the Tiffany lamps for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

Fine Galle Plum blownout vase, recently purchased

Click here to view French cameo glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

This superb Galle fuchsia blownout vase has great color and just arrived

Excellent results for Tiffany Studios and French cameo glass at Cottone Auctions, March 23, 2013

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Philip Chasen

Cottone Auctions held a big, diverse, 861-lot sale March 22-23, 2013, with very successful results. Included in the sale were some excellent, fresh-to-the-market lamps and art glass.

Fine Tiffany Studios Pomegranate table lamp, Cottone lot #496

Lot #496 was a Tiffany Studios Pomegranate table lamp, which usually makes everyone yawn. This example, however, was special, with great glass — heavily mottled and dichroic (color-changing from unlit to lit). It easily exceeded its pre-sale estimate of $8,000 – $12,000, to sell for $20,125, including buyer’s premium.

Tiffany Favrile paperweight vase, Cottone lot #500

The best Tiffany Favrile vase in the sale was a vivid paperweight, 11½” tall. It handily exceeded its estimate of $5,000 – $8,000, to sell for $11,960.

Gallé fire-polished vase, Cottone lot #501

The best French cameo glass vase in the sale was an unusual fire-polished, footed Gallé vase, with an interesting bulbous knop above the foot. It sold for $8,510, toward the high end of the pre-sale estimate of $5,000 – $8,000.

As any good auction house should, Cottone estimated most lots very conservatively. That should be the golden rule for auction houses, as it creates a virtuous circle. 1. The public know the items are there to be sold. 2. Everyone thinks they’re in the game, so they participate. 3. The results are strong, so the high estimate is often exceeded. 4. Everyone is happy, including the buyer, the seller and the auction house. How can you beat that?

For the complete results of the Saturday portion of the sale, click here.

Our show schedule in April begins with the Chicago Antiques & Garden Fair at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL. It will be our first time there. Hopefully the show will be good for us, so we can make it a regular show on our schedule. We have many clients in the greater Chicago area, so if a show fails, we need a replacement. We’re bringing an impressive group of items that will be shown for the first time in Chicago, including Tiffany lamps and glass and French cameo glass by Gallé and Daum. Please visit us at the show. It opens to the public on Friday, April 19th, at 10 AM, and continues until Sunday, April 21st, at 5 PM. Click here for more information about the show.

Wonderful Tiffany Favrile red Tel-El-Amarna vase

Fine Galle Plum blownout vase, recently purchased

Click here to view French cameo glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

This superb Galle fuchsia blownout vase has great color and just arrived

Big goings-on at the greater Chicago antiques shows

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Philip Chasen

I completed all my plans for three back-to-back greater Chicago area antique shows in April, which included non-refundable airline, hotel and car reservations. Serendipitously, I found out that the first show, the Arlington Park Racetrack Antiques Show, had been cancelled. I really don’t know what I would have done if I had shown up to Arlington Racetrack and found out there was no show. Mixed emotions — sorry the show was cancelled, but relieved I had enough time to change my plans.

Next, I found out that the long-time director of the Chicago Merchandise Mart Antiques Show, Laurette Lutiger, left the Mart to work for another show promoter, the Palm Beach Show Group, promoters of the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show and the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show. I wish her the best of luck in her new job.

So now our show schedule in Chicago begins with the Chicago Antiques & Garden Fair at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL. It will be our first time there. Hopefully the show will be good for us, so we can make it a regular show on our schedule. We have many clients in the greater Chicago area, so if a show fails, we need a replacement. We’re bringing an impressive group of items that will be shown for the first time in Chicago, including Tiffany lamps and glass and French cameo glass by Gallé and Daum. Please visit us at the show. It opens to the public on Friday, April 19th, at 10 AM, and continues until Sunday, April 21st, at 5 PM. Click here for more information about the show.

Wonderful Tiffany Favrile red Tel-El-Amarna vase

Fine Galle Plum blownout vase, recently purchased

Click here to view French cameo glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

This superb Galle fuchsia blownout vase has great color and just arrived

James D. Julia, Inc. sells a Korean screen for $603,750 at their Annual Winter Antique, Asian & Fine Art Auction, January 30 – February 1, 2013

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Philip Chasen

James D. Julia, Inc. held an important Annual Winter Antique, Asian & Fine Art Auction with excellent results. Over 1800 lots crossed the block from January 30 – February 1, 2013, grossing over $4 million.

Important Korean longevity screen, Julia’s lot #3355

It wasn’t unexpected that the highlight of the sale was an Asian object, as the market has been hot for some time now. What was surprising was that the object was Korean, not Chinese. Lot #3355 was a Korean 10-panel screen depicting animals and trees, with an inscription on the back that read “Ten Panels for Long Life”. Julia’s experts didn’t realize the importance of the screen, as it went to the auction block with a pre-sale estimate of only $3,000 – $5,000. To the delight of the consignor and the auction house, it soared to $603,750, including buyer’s premium — a hit-the-jackpot moment.

Frederick Mulhaupt painting Gloucester Gill Netters, Julia’s lot #1010

Over 400 paintings were sold on the first day, with lot #1010, selling for the highest price. Against a pre-sale estimate of $50,000 – $80,000, a Frederick Mulhaupt painting entitled Gloucester Gill Netters, sold at the low estimate. It was one of several Mulhaupt paintings consigned from the collection of John Gale.

For the highlights of the sale, click here.

Wonderful Tiffany Favrile red Tel-El-Amarna vase

Fine Galle Plum blownout vase, recently purchased

Click here to view French cameo glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

This superb Galle fuchsia blownout vase has great color and just arrived

The results of the NYC Pier Antiques Show, March 16-17, 2013

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Philip Chasen

The lines went out the door 10 minutes before opening on Saturday morning

The NYC Pier Antique Show ended yesterday, March 17, 2013, after running for the weekend. Attendance was noticeably lighter than in November, at least partially due to the St. Patrick’s Day parade on Saturday and a mini-marathon on Sunday morning. Parking was limited and difficult. One client told me he circled around for an hour before he could find a garage.

There were a few people by my booth on Saturday afternoon

Personally, my show went poorly. Many of my good clients either didn’t attend or didn’t buy much or anything. Sometimes you’re the dog and sometimes you’re the hydrant. In asking around to more than a handful of dealers, the best I heard was “almost as good as November’s Pier”. Most of the responses were “fair” to “decent” to “OK”. No one I spoke to was enthusiastic about his or her results. It’s hard to predict. My last several shows at the Pier were good to excellent. This comes after a wonderful show in Miami Beach, to which one dealer told me “we’re not in Miami anymore”.

My booth looked great, but it didn’t help this time

Now about the rumors wildly circulating on the show floor. It appears that the Pier Show will probably be sold to US Antique Shows, the promoters of the Original Miami Beach Antique Show. They recently purchased the Miami National Antiques Show and Sale and appear to be shopping for other good shows. My guess is that it’s a done deal and the official announcement will come soon. There’s other important show news from elsewhere in the country that I’ll let you know as soon as it’s official.

Now we’re looking forward to our shows in April in Chicago, one of our favorite cities. Business in Chicago is consistently good. We have very loyal clients there, many of whom are now personal friends.

Wonderful Tiffany Favrile red Tel-El-Amarna vase

Fine Galle Plum blownout vase, recently purchased

Click here to view French cameo glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

This superb Galle fuchsia blownout vase has great color and just arrived