Setting up at the Denver Antiques Show

This is my second time exhibiting at the Denver Antiques Show. I came back because the July show went fairly well. What was best for me was that I was reaching new clients that I had never seen nor sold to before.

The first thing that I noticed during setup is that the show is bigger than the summer show. Apparently the summer show is the smallest of the three shows per year. This time the side room is full of dealers. The second thing I noticed is that the quality of the exhibits is surprisingly good — better than I thought it would be. I’m not sure why I ignored Denver for all these years, but I hope that business is good enough for me to want to come back regularly.

I heard a horror story from one of the dealers about the last March show. Apparently the snow and ice were so bad that when the dealers left the show, they were confronted by really dangerous driving conditions. It’s certainly a consideration should I decide to exhibit here next March. The weather in Denver can be fickle. I’ve been told that it may snow heavily, but that it will melt shortly after.

I’ll report on Monday about the results of the show. I’m cautiously optimistic because I see business getting better. Maybe it was just better in Chicago. We’ll see.

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

The Denver Antiques Show, October 23-25, 2009

This weekend, October 23-25, I’ll be exhibiting at the Denver Antiques Show at the Denver Merchandise Mart. This past summer was the first time I exhibited there and did well enough to return. It fit well into my schedule on my way out to exhibit in California at the Redondo Beach Antiques Fair and the Pasadena Antiques Show. Unfortunately, sales at San Francisco shows slowed to the point where it wasn’t worth the risk of exhibiting there, so I added Denver and subtracted San Francisco.

I find it interesting that most buyers at shows don’t feel any personal responsibility for the success or failure of any particular show. It’s always the “other guy”. Well, folks, that’s not true. If you attend a show and rarely purchase anything, or don’t attend a show that you used to attend, you are responsible. Paying an admission fee entitles you to attend and helps the show promoter, but not the dealers. If a dealer doesn’t sell enough to cover his costs and make a day’s wages, he probably won’t return. That doesn’t count the considerable time and effort expended to exhibit. If some dealers don’t return, the next show looks weak and the public is disappointed. As a result, the next show has fewer attendees and more dealers do poorly. For some shows, it’s a death spiral that goes round and round until the show’s demise (Atlantique City). I’ve seen it happen too many times. A show is like living organisms living symbiotically. When the show is healthy, everyone benefits – promoters, dealers and attendees alike.

The Morristown Armory Antiques Show, November 7-8, 2009

I just added a show to my schedule that I hope you will attend – the Morristown Armory Antiques Show in Morristown, NJ, the weekend of November 7-8. I’ve exhibited there before to wildly mixed results. I had one of the best show days ever at that show and also one of the poorest shows, so I stopped exhibiting there. After my excellent shows in the greater Chicago area, I thought that it might be time to try the show again. Allison Kohler, the show promoter, told me that she has a huge waiting list of dealers who want to exhibit there, but that she is completely sold out. She even turned the front entrance into an additional booth to accommodate the demand. It should be one of the best shows ever at the Armory. I’ll be bringing my best items, so try to make the time and visit.

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