Tag Archives: Los Angeles Antiques Show

The results of the Los Angeles Antiques Show, April 14-17, 2011

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Heidi Klum and Thomas Gottshalk viewing etchings in my booth

The Los Angeles Antiques Show ended on Sunday, April 17, 2011, with most exhibitors smiling. The show, very professionally managed by Rosemary Krieger and her Dolphin Promotions staff, ended a four-day run, which began with a preview party last Wednesday night.

If you follow my blog, you know I’m not a fan of preview parties (that’s saying it mildly). For the most part, the attendees are there to see and be seen. Most preview parties benefit a specific charity, with the guests usually having little interest in purchasing antiques. After the Los Angeles Antiques Show preview party, I may have to stop bitching (or at least slow down). This was a high-powered party with a lot of famous, wealthy, and powerful people. There were more beautiful women than usual, many of whom were all legs (not that I noticed). Heidi Klum (lovely in person) and Keanu Reeves were in attendance, as well as billionaire businessman, Eli Broad.

Sunday afternoon in my booth

Sales were good at the preview party, a phenomenon I am not used to, but could get used to pretty easily. I’m throwing down the gauntlet – a challenge to preview party guests at all shows — buy something from me and I will stop bitching about preview parties. Wouldn’t that be a kick? Me writing about looking forward to a preview party? Not likely to happen.

I hoped the excitement would continue to the show, but attendance was very light to moderate most days and never came close to the preview party. The good part is that the right people showed up, so sales continued slowly and erratically (Saturday was a complete bust). As usual for most shows, the hours and days were too long and brutal – 4 hours at the preview party, 8 hours on Thursday, 10 hours on Friday, 8 hours on Saturday and 6 hours on Sunday, for a total of 36. Both dealers and the public would have been better served with shorter hours and a later starting time of noon.

Lia, Arnold Schwarzenegger and me

Sunday was fun with a couple of nice sales and visits by celebrities, include Jaclyn Smith (who at 63 still looks great), Arnold Schwarzenegger, and jeweler Neil Lane. It would have been even more fun if they had made purchases. At least Arnold and Neil were kind enough to pose for photos.

In asking around, most dealers did well. One dealer in 19th century decorative objects had a great show. London dealers in jewelry and silver did very well. A dealer in Asian antiques had substantially improved results from last year. A dealer of fine antiques at full retail prices and another of fossils did not do well. Personally the show was a moderate success – better than last year and good enough to return next year. Sales were best for Tiffany Studios glass and objects and Icart etchings.

Check out my new Tiffany, Daum, and Gallé acquisitions. I just listed a couple of important Tiffany vases, straight from a private home. I also listed about ten Daum and Gallé vases plus about 10 Tiffany Pine Needle and Grapevine desk pieces. I’ll be listing even more Pine and Grapevine pieces within the next few days. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

The Los Angeles Antiques Show will run from April 14-17, 2011

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The post on the results of the Los Angeles Antiques Show will be posted during the day on Tuesday as I was traveling all day Monday.

The Los Angeles Antiques Show, April 14-17, 2011

The best antique show in Los Angeles will be opening this week — The Los Angeles Antiques Show. The preview party will be held on Wednesday evening from 6-10 PM, to benefit PS Arts, an organization dedicated to restoring arts education to public schools in Central and Southern California. It will be held at the Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Air Center and will run Thursday: 11 AM to 7 PM, Friday: 11 AM to 9 PM, Saturday: 11 AM to 7 PM and Sunday: 11 AM to 5 PM.

My booth at a recent show

The show will have 60 outstanding dealers from around the United States and Europe, including one from Italy and six from England. The categories will be very diverse and will include silver, glass, lamps, art and Asian. All of the objects will be vetted by experts. Only the very best shows in the country are vetted, so you can shop with assurance.

A Tiffany 10-light lily, almost identical to the one I'm bringing to the show

I’m bringing some really great items this time. I just picked up a Tiffany 18″ Peony lamp, to die for. Also a Tiffany 18″ Oak Leaf & Acorn table lamp. Oh, and a Tiffany 10-light lily table lamp. LA will be the first show for them. Don’t forget that I have an incredible selection of French cameo glass, including Daum Nancy and Gallé, and American glass, including Tiffany Studios, Quezal, and Steuben.

Last year’s show was interesting. It didn’t appear that I was doing very well, but then a flurry of activity on the last day convinced me I should try the show again. If you’re in LA and would like for me to continue to exhibit there, come to show and consider making a purchase. At least come to the show and have a look!

Check out my new Tiffany, Daum, and Gallé acquisitions. I just listed a couple of important Tiffany vases, straight from a private home. I also listed about ten Daum and Gallé vases plus about 10 Tiffany Pine Needle and Grapevine desk pieces. I’ll be listing even more Pine and Grapevine pieces within the next few days. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Results from the Los Angeles Antiques Show, April 22-25, 2010

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Bernard Steinitz, from Paris, set up a great exhibit in a fully walled room

Bernard Steinitz, from Paris, set up a great exhibit in a fully walled room

The Los Angeles Antiques Show is a small, but very upscale show, with a high percentage of European dealers, some of whom were really impacted by the travel ban caused by the smoke from the Icelandic volcano. A couple of the dealers set up fantastic booths, that had to cost tens of thousands of dollars, especially coming from Europe. I wish I knew how they fared.

My booth at the Los Angeles Antiques Show, 4/25/10

My booth at the Los Angeles Antiques Show, 4/25/10

The show started off slowly on Wednesday night, with the usual preview party — many guests, very few sales. Opening day attendance on Thursday was poor, which was surprising. Friday was quite slow too, but that’s usual for a four-day show. I was told that attendance and business would pick up on the weekend and it did. Saturday was a decent day, but far from a barnburner. Attendance on Sunday was moderate, with commensurate sales. Overall, the show was decent, with interest across the board from Tiffany to Icart to Grueby pottery. As the show is a big investment in resources and time, I’m not sure I’m willing to try it again. I’ll make that decision later.

Icart Eve

Icart Eve

Icart Venus

Icart Venus

A little humorous aside. Louis Icart produced an etching called “Eve”. As everyone familiar with Icart knows, the mate to “Eve” is “Venus”. A decorator, who was not familiar with Icart, came into my booth and admired Eve. I told her that I had the mate to Eve, so she asked if it was “Adam”. I haven’t had that good a laugh at an antique show in a long time. (Now that I read it, I think this joke is only funny to devotees of Icart. The rest of you will just have to take my word it’s funny.)

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.

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.

Setting up at the Los Angeles Antiques Show, April 19, 2010

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The Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Air Center

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.

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.

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.

The Los Angeles Antiques Show is coming next week, April 21-25, 2010

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The Los Angeles Antiques Show, April 21-25, 2010

The Los Angeles Antiques Show, April 21-25, 2010

The 15th Annual Los Angeles Antiques Show will be held next week, April 21-25, 2010, at the Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Air Center. The show has developed a reputation as the finest show in the greater Los Angeles area. What the show lacks in size, it makes up for in quality. The list of exhibitors is impressive, with a few new big names, including Bernard Steinitz of Paris, specializing in 17th to 19th century European furniture and decorative arts. London dealers are also well-represented in the show, making it truly an international event.

My booth at a recent show

My booth at a recent show

I once railed about the lack of a singular important show in the greater Los Angeles area, and was told by a client, that this is the one. The quality will be ultra-high and the merchandise vetted, insuring that the public will be treated to a special event. This will be my first time exhibiting there and I’m excited about the prospect. It’s difficult to get the right people to attend a show in the Los Angeles area, so a special show is what’s needed, and this one fills the bill. The notable list of supporters of the show includes celebrities David Arquette, Courteney Cox and Tobey Maguire.

The Los Angeles Antiques Show is open to the general public from April 22-25, 2010. Show hours are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $15 and includes return entry and show catalog.

Look for my post on the results of the show on Monday or Tuesday, April 26 or 27. I’ve got my fingers crossed it will be a rave review.

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.