Tag Archives: Baltimore Antiques Show

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show is open until Sunday, September 5, 2010

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The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show is now open to the public and will end on Sunday, September 5, 2010, at 6 PM. Tuesday and Wednesday was orchestrated chaos with dealers busy hauling in their treasures and setting up the show. In the end, it all got done. Packout on Sunday night is usually a nightmare as everyone is ready to leave at approximately the same time. The logistics of the building make that impossible, so Sunday night is usually a frustrating experience. Most dealers are ready to leave between 8 and 9 PM and many don’t get out until midnight or later.

Late afternoon Thursday at the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show, September 2, 2010

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The show looks beautiful. There are more than a few high-powered dealers who exhibit at very few shows, including M.S. Rau, from New Orleans. When do you go to an antiques show and have the opportunity to buy an original Claude Monet or Norman Rockwell? You can at M.S. Rau.

Original Norman Rockwell oil painting available in the booth of M.S. Rau Antiques

I’ve brought an incredible selection of lamps, glass, ceramics and artwork. Make the time to visit me and see the summer’s best antique show.

Rare Galle water lily blownout vase

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Business on the first day was lively, with sales in many different areas from French cameo glass to 19th century porcelain plaques to paintings. If business continues at this pace for the entire show, it will be good evidence that the market is back — a welcome event.

On Monday or Tuesday, I’ll report about the results of the show.

I recently added over 10 Galle vases to my website, 7 Tiffany lamps, 1 Grueby vase, 1 Newcomb vase, Daum Nancy glass and a fabulous Burgun & Schverer internally decorated vase. This coming week, I’ll be adding many new items. Please take a look. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your comments or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer you in a future blog.

Results of the Denver Antiques Show, July 16-18, 2010

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My booth at the Denver Antiques Show, 2:20 PM, Sunday afternoon

My booth at the Denver Antiques Show, 2:20 PM, Sunday afternoon

2:20 PM Sunday. Although attendance has been decent throughout the show, sales have been poor (read non-existent) since Friday afternoon. So based on the results to this minute, we will not be returning to exhibit in Denver. Should something dramatic happen in the last few hours of the show, I will be pleased to change my mind. It’s too bad that the locals don’t buy enough to support the show. Denver is a nice city and Colorado is a beautiful state, but business is business.

5:00 PM, Sunday. The show just closed and sales for the day were $30. Two out of the three shows in Denver were not good, so we have decided not to return to Denver.

I spoke to several dealers and each and every one told me the show didn’t go well. That’s how shows fail. A vicious cycle begins when the dealers can’t sell enough to warrant returning. The show gets smaller, the public is disappointed, and round and round it goes until the show fails. Cleveland used to be a wonderful city to exhibit many years ago, especially at the Cleveland Coliseum, halfway between Cleveland and Akron. Now all of the shows there have failed and there is no decent antique show in the area.

Now we’re on to the Redondo Beach Antiques Show, just south of Los Angeles, this coming weekend, July 23-25, 2010. That show has been shrinking every year, but business is usually decent. I’ve met some of my best clients there, so I hope it doesn’t fail. Apparently that isn’t the case for the other dealers, as many have dropped out. The antiques show business has become tough, with only the best shows surviving in major cities like Miami, New York, Chicago and Baltimore.

Tiffany Studios 12-light lily floor lamp

Tiffany Studios 12-light lily floor lamp

I’m bringing some amazing items to the Redondo Beach show, including a Tiffany 12-light lily floor lamp. Tiffany lily lamps are not rare, but lily floor lamps are. It’s only the second one that I’ve had for sale in the last 35 years. I’ve got another six Tiffany floor lamps, as well as a superb collection of table lamps that I’ve recently acquired. In addition, I’m bringing a wonderful selection of Tiffany, Galle and Daum Nancy glass, and American art pottery, including some great examples of Grueby, Newcomb College, Marblehead, and George Ohr.

Please come and visit me at the Redondo Beach Antiques Show and introduce yourself.

I recently added over 10 Galle vases to my website, 7 Tiffany lamps, 1 Grueby vase, 1 Newcomb vase, Daum Nancy glass and a fabulous Burgun & Schverer internally decorated vase. This coming week, I’ll be adding many new items. Please take a look. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your comments or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer you in a future blog.

The summer antique show season is about to begin in Denver, July 16-18, 2010

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Spring is always a slow time for antiques and antique shows. There just aren’t any good shows, so I redirect my attention elsewhere, but not too far astray. Mainly I spend the time trying to acquire wonderful new items for my summer show schedule of five shows — Denver, Redondo Beach, Pasadena, Chicago and finally Baltimore.

A rare Tiffany Studios tripod 10 inch Linenfold floor lamp

A rare Tiffany Studios tripod 10 inch Linenfold floor lamp

I’ve really succeeded this time. I’ve been lucky to find several fine Tiffany Studios floor lamps, including rare examples with unusual bases and fine Linenfold or Favrile glass shades. And how about a superb 18″ Tiffany Studios Belted Dogwood table lamp?

A rare and very desirable Daum Nancy Blackbird vase

A rare and very desirable Daum Nancy Blackbird vase

I always try to carry a large selection of the finest French cameo glass, which I’ve been able to add to with some recently acquired beauties. You can view photos on my website of much of the great Gallé, Daum Nancy, and pate-de-verre glass.

The Denver Antiques Show, July 16-18, 2010

The Denver Antiques Show, July 16-18, 2010

My first show this summer will be in Denver, July 16-18. I hope everyone comes out to support the show. I exhibited there last summer for the first time and had a pretty good show — good enough to return in the fall. Unfortunately that didn’t go well. This third Denver show will be the test — best of three. Two good shows and I’ll be back. Two bad shows and goodbye to Denver. Over the years, I’ve had to eliminate many good cities from my schedule because I couldn’t do enough business to make them worth my while. Gone from my schedule are San Francisco, Indianapolis, Detroit, Philadelphia, Boston, New Haven, Hartford, Sarasota, Houston and others. Too bad, because I really like some of those cities, especially San Francisco and Houston.

The week after Denver, we’ll be at the Redondo Beach Antiques Show, just south of LA. One week off and then back to the same general area — Pasadena. A couple of weeks off and then on to Chicago and finally Baltimore over the Labor Day weekend. Try to make the time to come and see us when we get to or near your city. Some of the shows are worth a trip from anywhere. For a complete list of my shows, please click on the following link. Philip Chasen Antiques show schedule.

I just added over 10 Galle vases to my website, 7 Tiffany lamps, 1 Grueby vase, 1 Newcomb vase, Daum Nancy glass and a fabulous Burgun & Schverer internally decorated vase. This coming week, I’ll be adding many new items. Please take a look. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your comments or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer you in a future blog.

Why do antique shows have preview parties?

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My booth at the April 2010 Los Angeles Antiques Show

My booth at the April 2010 Los Angeles Antiques Show

I don’t understand why fancier antique shows have preview parties. They are an enigma to me. Apparently show promoters feel they’re important. Perhaps if a show has the support of a non-profit organization, it will benefit the show. I just don’t see it. Let me try to analyze the different points of view.

From a dealer’s point of view, I’m totally in the dark. For the most part, preview parties are a waste of a dealer’s time. Almost nobody is there to look at antiques, much less buy antiques, so the evening is spent drinking (that part’s not bad) and scrounging for food. It depends on the show, so sometimes there’s plenty of food and other times not. At some shows, a box with a half sandwich and a couple of cookies is handed out to the dealers for dinner. What??? Give me a break — that’s insulting.

The Los Angeles Antiques Show preview party, April 21, 2010

The Los Angeles Antiques Show preview party, April 21, 2010

From the attendee’s point of view, it’s a fun night out. See and be seen. Eat, drink and be merry. Why not? Attend an elegant social event, get fed, drink and have a great time. This part I understand.

My biggest problem is with the promoter’s point of view. I guess they’re trying to give the show a certain cachet. But is that really what they’re accomplishing? I don’t think so. Whether the show benefits a zoo or a children’s charity doesn’t seem to have any impact whatsoever on the success of the show. A show’s success is measured by other criteria. Is the paid attendance excellent? Are the dealers selling well? Is there a waiting list of dealers who are trying to get into the show? Some of the most successful antique shows in the country do not have preview parties and are doing great — the New York City Pier Show, the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show, the Miami Beach Convention Center Antiques Show. So if a preview party doesn’t seem to have much, if any, effect on these criteria, why have them?

Have I ranted enough yet about preview parties? I wish they would go away and promoters would get down to the business of running high quality shows that the public wants to attend.

I’ll post the results of the Los Angeles Antiques Show on Monday or Tuesday.

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.

The Miami National Antiques Show results

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2:30 PM on Sunday, 1/17/2010, at the Miami National Antiques Show

2:30 PM on Sunday, 1/17/2010, at the Miami National Antiques Show

I’m writing this blog at 2:30 PM on Sunday, so the final results are not yet in, but I have the preliminary results — the show is in trouble. Attendance was very light for most of the show, especially when I remember back 15-20 years, when the aisles were so crowded that it was difficult to move. Attendance at most shows in the US is down, but this one seemed down more than most. On a personal note, sales were good for me because the right people showed up. Almost all of my sales were to established clients (thank you to each and every one of you), with a couple to new clients. New clients are essential because established clients don’t remain clients forever.

Some shows enter what I will term a “death spiral”. It’s hard to say which comes first, but here’s the gist of it. Fewer clients show up to buy, so sales are disappointing. Disappointing sales lead some dealers not to return the following year. The following year the show is smaller and lower quality, so attendance goes down because of word-of-mouth. You get the point — one bad thing leads to another until eventually, the show collapses. So what can a show promoter do? Take the patient to the ICU and treat aggressively. That means NO business as usual. Give the right medication and treatment and save the patient. Take the Palm Beach Show Group as an example. They purchased the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show from Frank Farbenbloom. The show was OK when they bought it, but going nowhere. The new promoters were very aggressive in signing new, high quality exhibitors to the show, glamming up the look of the show and most importantly, advertising strongly. Now the Baltimore Show is on firm footing with high quality exhibitors, excellent attendance and good sales.

The Atlantique City Antiques Show entered a death spiral that wasn’t fun to watch. Each year the show got smaller and business got worse until finally the show collapsed. Allison Kohler of JMK Shows is reviving the show March 27-28, 2010 with many changes and hopefully a very large advertising budget. One big change is that the show will only be held once a year. Good move, Allison. I wish her the best of luck (and me too since I’ll be exhibiting there).

Rosemary Krieger is the very capable owner of Dolphin Promotions, the promoters of the Miami National Antiques Show. Rosemary, I know you read my blog, so take heed. This used to be a great show, so now you have to take dramatic action to renew and restore it and thereby break the cycle. Shorten the show to two days, Friday and Saturday, like the NYC Pier Show, so there will be bigger crowds and more energy. Greatly increase your advertising budget to include radio and TV. Increase free passes for the dealers to give out to their best clients. Make the parking free to the public. Sign new quality exhibitors with the promise of greatly increased advertising and a shorter show. Otherwise, my friend, the news is not good.

The Original Miami Beach Antique Show, January 21-25, 2010

The Original Miami Beach Antique Show, January 21-25, 2010

This week the eagerly anticipated Original Miami Beach Antique Show, opens to the public. It will be held at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Thursday, January 21, to Monday, January 25, 2010. It’s a huge show that attracts both exhibitors and attendees from all over the world. I’ve done business at this show with people from almost every continent. There’s always a lot of action, with millions and millions of dollars of merchandise changing hands. Many dealers save their best items just for this show. Give yourself at least two days to see everything.

I’m taking a lot of time to add new items to my website. I’ve already listed new items under Gallé glass (including a blownout vase), Daum Nancy glass and Tiffany Studios glass. Soon I’ll be adding many Tiffany Studios desk pieces. 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 entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail.com or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Thank you, Baltimore

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My booth with a great new Tiffany floor lamp addition

My booth with a great new Tiffany floor lamp addition

I say thank you now, but for most of the weekend, I didn’t think I would say that. The show started off well on Thursday with good attendance, good interest, and moderate sales. Attendance stayed good throughout the four days of the show, but that was partly due to the promoter’s generous distribution of complimentary tickets.

I’ve got mixed emotions about that. On the one hand, you can’t make a sale to someone who’s not there, so good attendance is important. On the other hand, there are a tremendous number of people who attend shows because it’s great entertainment, either free or low cost. That’s great for the attendees, but surely not for the dealers. You can understand that, right? Shows are better than museums. You can hold and touch the objects and ask questions of experts. Try touching something at a museum and see what happens. Off with your head!#&*%

Sunday afternoon at the show

Sunday afternoon at the show

Business was much slower on Friday (to be expected) and non-existent on Saturday (not to be expected). Sunday is the day when I never know what to expect. Most of the time, Sunday attendees are out for a good time, so sales usually suffer. Occasionally, serious clients can only make it on Sunday, or clients who were in earlier return, so it can be a good day. This particular Sunday was the latter. So the result for me was a decent show, off from previous years, but good for today’s economic climate.

I spoke to several other dealers and asked how they did. One dealer was ecstatic and said it was his best show in Baltimore. Another one did very well and was quite pleased. The majority of dealers I spoke with described their results as mediocre. No big surprise there.

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 entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Setting up at the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show

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We do get around in this business — Chicago last week, Southern California before that and Denver a few weeks ago. Now we’re in Baltimore for the biggest and best show of the summer. But since I think like the teacher I was, for me it’s not the last show of the summer, but the first show of the new season.

My booth is almost ready for the public

My booth is almost ready for the public

Setup is much more interesting when a show is large and filled with top quality dealers. Dealers spend much of the time shopping from each other. You can tell how good business is by the pace of activity. Business was good during setup, but not cutthroat, which happens when business is strong. On a personal level, I was successful in buying some very nice items, including a fantastic 14″ diameter Acorn floor lamp and some fine Galle vases. The lamp has removable accessories including a magazine rack, ashtray, and drink tray. 12″ diameter is the usual diameter for double-harp floor bases, so this one must have been special order.

The main aisle of the show, just before carpeting

The main aisle of the show, just before carpeting

The show looks fantastic, with incredible quality and diversity. If you’re coming, and I surely suggest you do, give yourself plenty of time to see everything. Fine hotels, right in the Inner Harbor, are available for $67-105/night on hotwire.com. The show opens at noon on Thursday and goes through Sunday, 6 PM. There are some special exhibitors who exhibit at very few shows, including M.S. Rau from New Orleans. The trip to this show will be worth it!

I’ll post results for the show on my Tuesday blog. Monday is Labor Day, so I won’t be writing an entry.

Derek Jeter at the plate at Camden Yards

Derek Jeter at the plate at Camden Yards

So what does a tired dealer do after setting up? He goes with his beautiful wife to see the Yankees destroy the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, right next door. How about same day seats, bought on StubHub.com, directly behind home plate, row 5, at 1/15 the price of the same tickets at Yankee Stadium? It’s a tough business, but somebody has to do it.

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 entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com