Tag Archives: Chicago International Art

Setting up at the Chicago International Art, Antique & Jewelry Show, April 23, 2014

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The show is starting to get set up

The show is starting to get set up

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.

This is what our booth looks like when we start setting up

This is what our booth looks like when we start setting up

The Palm Beach Show Group will hold their first-ever Chicago International Art, Antique & Jewelry Show at Chicago’s Navy Pier, starting tomorrow, April 25th, at 11 AM, and ending on Monday, April 28th, at 4 PM. They were able to attract some of the country’s top exhibitors, so the public should get their money’s worth. This is a show that is important enough to warrant travel from any distance. It takes the place of the now defunct Merchandise Mart Antiques Show.

And what it looks like at the preview party

And what it looks like at the preview party

We haven’t exhibited at the Navy Pier in many years. It’s not as comfortable as the Merchandise Mart, but it’s fine, just like other modern convention centers. Setup was smooth, without any of the all-too-frequent annoyances that can slow us down. It will all be worth the effort if business is good. I expect attendance to be good, but that doesn’t always translate to sales. Tune in on Tuesday for the results of the show, as the show ends on Monday.

We'll have this wonderful, rare Daum Blackbird vase for sale at the show.

We’ll have this wonderful, rare Daum Blackbird vase for sale at the show.

Click here to view my new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps

The Chicago International Art, Antique & Jewelry Show opens to the public this Friday, April 25, 2014

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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.

An aerial view of Chicago's Navy Pier

An aerial view of Chicago’s Navy Pier

The Palm Beach Show Group will hold their first-ever Chicago show, The Chicago International Art, Antique & Jewelry Show, this coming weekend, April 25-28, 2014, at Chicago’s Navy Pier. It will begin with the preview party on Thursday night, and follow with the show opening on Friday at 11 AM and continuing until Monday at 4 PM.

The aisles were jammed at the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show. Hopefully we'll see the same crowds in Chicago.

The aisles were jammed at the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show. Hopefully we’ll see the same crowds in Chicago.

The Palm Beach Show Group is good at promotion, so look for a lot of advertising, including radio, TV, and print, plus free tickets in the mail. The promoters bring in lots of people to their existing shows, especially Palm Beach. However, it’s a double-edged sword, as many of the attendees are there just to have a good time or appraise their own collections. They have no interest in buying, but take up a lot of time and effort on the part of the exhibitors. On the other hand, there’s a chance of making a sale to someone who attends and no chance if they’re not there. A big crowd creates excitement and there are always serious buyers mixed in.

We'll have this wonderful, rare Daum Blackbird vase for sale at the show.

We’ll have this wonderful, rare Daum Blackbird vase for sale at the show.

I promise you the trip to visit this show will be worth it, even if you have to drive a big distance or take a plane. Many of the country’s top exhibitors will be there. You’ll get a chance to see (and purchase) some of the finest antiques and jewelry available anywhere in the country. Additionally, the weather is usually great at the end of April. Thousands and thousands of tulips should be in bloom on Michigan Ave.! Come to the show, introduce yourself to me, consider purchasing something at the show, then go to a great restaurant and enjoy Chicago!

Can I tell you about one of my pet peeves? Someone will come into the booth and inquire about the price of an item. THEN they tell me they have the same thing at home. Ugh! I feel tricked and used. I charge $125 for appraisals and now someone sneakily got the information for free. What they should have done is FIRST tell me they have the same item at home. Then I have the option to answer a question or not. I have the price of every object marked on a sticker underneath. If you’re just looking for a free appraisal, look at the sticker underneath and leave me alone. OK, now that I have that off my chest, I’m feeling better. Thank you very much.

Thursday’s blog will be from the floor of the Navy Pier and next Monday’s blog, with the results, will be postponed until Tuesday, as the show ends on Monday.

This rare R. Lalique blue Piriac vase is a recent purchase

This rare R. Lalique blue Piriac vase is a recent purchase

Click here to view my new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps

The results of the Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair, April 11-13, 2014

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chicago-botanic-garden-3-2014(2)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.

There was a long line of cars to get in on Friday morning

There was a long line of cars to get in on Friday morning

The Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair was held this past weekend, April 11-13, 2014, under the management of Stella Shows. The weather was considerably improved over last year, with mild temperatures in the 60s and 70s and not too much rain. You might remember there was terrible flooding last year at this time.

At times it was busy in the booth on Saturday

At times it was busy in the booth on Saturday

This year our booth was an end cap in one of the permanent buildings, Nichols Hall. It made a big difference, as we didn’t have to worry about the weather, the humidity, and the shaky floors of the tent. Attendance was strong on Friday at the opening, but it didn’t help business. Most of the attendees were women gardeners, more interested in the gardening section of the show. By the afternoon, the crowd had changed and we did some business, including some new clients. Saturday was better, with business from our existing clients and a new one. Attendance and interest was off on Sunday, but we did a little business. Overall, the show was fine — not a barn burner, but certainly worth the time, expense and effort. We’ll be back next year.

chicago-navy-pier-4-2014

The last show of the season will start in 10 days, at Chicago’s Navy Pier. It will be the first time in Chicago for the Palm Beach Show Group, but if history is any indication, the show will be a good one. The Palm Beach Show Group knows how to promote a show, so there will be plenty of advertising, publicity and free tickets. I’m sure attendance will be great and hopefully sales will be commensurate. The show opens with a fabulous preview party on the night of Thursday, April 24th, that I just can’t wait for. (Somebody should create a new symbol to indicate sarcasm. Wouldn’t that be cool?) The show opens to the public on Friday, April 25th at 11 AM and continues until Monday, April 28th at 4 PM. This is one show you will not want to miss, with some of the country’s most important exhibitors. It will take the place of the Merchandise Mart Antique Show, which closed.

This rare R. Lalique blue Piriac vase is a recent purchase

This rare R. Lalique blue Piriac vase is a recent purchase

Click here to view my new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps

The Chicago Merchandise Mart has canceled their 2014 spring antiques show

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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.

The aisles were jammed at the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show. Let's hope we can see the same crowds in Chicago.

The aisles were jammed at the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show. Let’s hope we can see the same crowds in Chicago.

The Chicago Merchandise Mart has decided to cancel their 16-year-old spring antiques show, at least for 2014, and likely for good. The news is so new that the 2014 dates are still listed on their website as of this writing, merchandisemartantiques.com. What a shame! This was one of my favorite shows of the year — elegant, personal, easy, productive.

So what happened? In one word, competition. The Palm Beach Show Group decided to hold a major antiques show in Chicago the same week as the Merchandise Mart. There aren’t enough good show dealers to fill both shows the same week, so something had to give. I couldn’t understand why the Palm Beach Show Group decided to hold their show the same week. I sent emails, I asked questions, but basically got the runaround. It wasn’t until the Merchandise Mart canceled their show that I probably got closer to the truth. Apparently the Palm Beach Show Group tried to buy the Merchandise Mart Antiques Show, but was unable, for whatever reason(s). It looks like they intentionally chose the same week to drive the Merchandise Mart out, and they succeeded. Too bad, because I think the Merchandise Mart would have been better off with the Palm Beach Show Group in charge. It would have been the best of both worlds — the Merchandise Mart is a great location and the Palm Beach Show Group are great promoters. Additionally the Mart may have soured on all art and antiques fairs. In early 2012 they shut down their annual modern art fair.

An aerial view of Chicago's Navy Pier

An aerial view of Chicago’s Navy Pier

Now that the winner of the duel has been decided, we wish the Palm Beach Show Group success with their new Chicago International Art, Antique & Jewelry Show at the Navy Pier, April 24-28, 2014. I’ve signed up, chosen a booth and listed the show on my website calendar. I’ve heard complaints about the facility — it’s hard to park, etc., etc. But now there’s only one good game in town, so buyers will somehow find their way. If history is any indication, attendance will surely pick up because of good promotion. We have to hope that there will be real buyers in the large crowds, which will make the dealers happy and the show succeed.

We’ve been buying for the last several weeks, and will continue to buy more, in anticipation of our four shows down south, starting with the Miami National Antiques Show on January 24, 2014 and ending with the wonderful Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference, February 21 – 23, 2014. We last exhibited there a few years ago and couldn’t exhibit again because of scheduling conflicts. This year there were no conflicts, so we’re happy to return. It will immediately follow the important Palm Beach Antiques Show.

Wonderful Tiffany Favrile vase with wheel-carved leaves, just in

Wonderful Tiffany Favrile vase with wheel-carved leaves, just in

Click here to view my new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps