The results of the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show, February 11-16, 2016

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Philip Chasen

grove-park-2-2016 Hello from the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC, where we’ll be opening the National Arts & Crafts Conference tomorrow.

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show finished Tuesday with a whimper, not a bang. We made a couple of small sales the last two days, but we still finished with a loss. Lots of time, effort and money, with no reward.

A billboard on the main road, Okeechobee Blvd., advertising the show

The show attracted many attendees partly because the PBSG gave out thousands of free tickets, but also because they did a good job of advertising. The problem was the show attracted thousands of the wrong people. The purpose of spending a lot of money to exhibit at a fancy show in a wealthy neighborhood is to attract qualified buyers, but that didn’t happen. This is the second year in a row that we either failed to make expenses or barely eked out a profit. Extending the show to six days made the problem worse. I can think of much better ways to spend my time and money.

Unfortunately the expenses killed my show. Remember I took a smaller booth to trim my expenses. Good thing I did or I would have had an even larger loss.

The business of exhibiting at shows has become really tough. As a result, we will not be exhibiting in Palm Beach next year. Many shows have failed, or will fail soon, leaving very few where we can make a profit. I’ll be beefing up my Internet presence in the hope of attracting new clients. If that works out well, there will be even less incentive to travel to marginal shows.

Mondays blog will have the results of the National Arts & Crafts Conference in Asheville, NC.

Our next show is not until April 15th, when we’ll be at the Chicago Botanic Garden, in Glencoe, IL, for the Garden, Antique & Design Show. It’s one of our two remaining shows in the greater Chicago area. We really like exhibiting in Chicago and look forward to seeing all of our old friends.

If you’re selling, please let me know. If you have what I’m looking for, I’m paying the highest prices. My decisions are quick and my payments just as quick. Just snap a photo and email it to me.

I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. I will continue to list more as often as possible. Please click here to take a look.There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

A progress report on the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show

Posted on February 15, 2016 by Philip Chasen

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show has been open to the public since last Thursday and will remain open until tomorrow, Tuesday, at 6 PM. Following is a contemporaneous account of the show.

Thursday, opening day, 2:15 PM
The show started with very few people, probably because there were so many attendees the previous night at the preview party. It got more crowded as the day progressed, but the quality of the inquiries has been poor. No sales. One potential sale.

Thursday, 7 PM
The first day is over and it’s been quite disappointing. Only one small sale. Attendance petered out later in the day. Hopefully things will improve or this show will result in a loss of both time and money.

Friday, 2:30 PM, in my booth

Friday, 2 PM
Surprisingly, attendance seems better today than opening day. The quality of the inquiries has been better and there’s hope for some sales later in the day, but none as of now.

We sold this important Daum Nancy Impressionist vase at the show

Friday, 7 PM
Strange day. Didn’t work out at all the way I thought it would. None of the early clients returned to make a purchase. However, one of my clients who hasn’t purchased anything in a few years made a special trip to visit the show and made a major purchase. So the day ended well. It’s still scary that we’ve made only two total sales.

4 PM Saturday. That’s my booth on the left.

Saturday, 3:30 PM
Attendance has been good, but not with the right people. Too many people are looking to appraise their own items and are not interested in purchasing. A man who spent 30 minutes with us yesterday because he was “interested” in a bronze, came in today to tell me he disagrees with my attribution of the artist and showed me photos of his identical bronze. Give me a break! Some people are clueless.

Saturday, 7 PM
What a depressing day. Lots of people walking by, but nobody serious. PBSG gives out thousands and thousands of free tickets, so why not come and visit a prestigious antique show if you don’t have to pay? Great for the public. Awful for the exhibitors.

Sunday, 1:30 PM
Attendance is better today than any previous day. We’ve had some good early interest, but so far everyone is a “be back”. Hopefully this day will end better.

We sold this fine Tiffany Studios inkwell on Sunday

Sunday, 7 PM
The show clouds parted and the sun shone. Thank goodness we finally had a decent day. We still haven’t made our expenses, but at least it’s not a disaster.

You still have until tomorrow to visit the show. Please accept two free tickets by clicking on the image below.

Click on this image for two free tickets to the show

Tune in Thursday for the final results.

grove-park-2-2016 The National Arts & Crafts Conference will run from February 19-21. It’s a beautiful show in an amazing 1910 historic hotel. The focus is Arts & Crafts, both antique and new. It’s a very pleasant show that we enjoy doing. Attendees fly in from all over the US.

I’ve been quite busy buying and selling recently, partly because I’ve listed many new items on my website. I need to buy more, so if you have something great, please offer it to me. I am paying the highest prices of any dealer. My decisions are quick and my payments just as quick. Just snap a photo and email me a jpeg.

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show opens today, Thursday, February 11, 2016

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Philip Chasen

In front of my booth at the preview party last night

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show will open to the public today, Thursday, February 11, 2016, at 11 AM and close on Tuesday at 6 PM, for a total of six days. I’m writing to you now from the preview party on Wednesday night.

8:45 PM at the preview party

It’s 7:30 PM and the show is crowded. There have been a few inquiries, but no sales. It’s possible some of the inquiries were serious, but it’s too soon to tell. We’re jammed into a small booth because I wanted to trim my expenses. Not sure if that was smart or dumb. There’s no room to move and the booth is very crowded with merchandise. I’ll let you know later if I did the right thing.

I have to hand it to the Palm Beach Show Group. The show is really fantastic, with some of the most beautiful displays you’ll ever see. The exhibitors are the best of the best, with museum-quality displays. The whole look of the show is a cut above most shows you’ll see anywhere.

The show runs a day longer this year, so you have six full days to visit. It’s worth a trip from anywhere. Please accept two free tickets to the show by clicking on the image below.

Click on this image for two free tickets to the show

9:30 PM update No sales. What else is new for a preview party? Hope the rest of the show is good. Tune in Monday for an update on the show’s progress (which I hope will be a good report). The final results will be published next Thursday when we’ll already be in Asheville, NC, setting up at the National Arts & Crafts Conference.

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show opens this Thursday, February 11, 2016

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Philip Chasen

Last year in front of my booth

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show will open to the public this Thursday at 11 AM and close on Tuesday at 6 PM, for a total of six days. Personally I think the extra day is a mistake, but I hope to eat my words when I give you the results of the show next week.

M.S. Rau of New Orleans will be one of the high end dealers at the show

If you’ve never visited this show, it’s stunning. The exhibitors are the best of the best, with truly impressive, museum-quality displays. It’s smaller than the Original Miami Beach Antique Show, but higher quality. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not small, just smaller than the huge Miami Beach Show.

It’s worth a trip from anywhere. As a small incentive, please accept two free tickets to the show by clicking on the image below.

Click on this image for two free tickets to the show

This Thursday’s blog will follow the preview party on Wednesday night, while next Monday’s blog will be an update on the show’s progress. The final results will be published next Thursday when we’ll already be in Asheville, NC, setting up at the National Arts & Crafts Conference.

The results of the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show, February 13-17, 2015

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Philip Chasen

The blog schedule will be modified for a while because the Florida shows started and ended on unusual days. The next post will be this coming Friday, February 20th, from the floor of the Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference in Asheville.

There was a decent opening crowd on Saturday morning

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show ended yesterday after a 5-day run from February 13-17, 2015. Attendance was decent, but below the levels of some previous years, when it was difficult to walk down the crowded aisles. Sunday was the busiest day, but business was not in line with the number of inquiries. It was amazing how many times we heard “We’ll think about it.” or “We’ll see you later. (or tomorrow)”. We gave out so many business cards that we ran out. I’m sure there is a relationship between the business cards distributed and the show results. More cards = worse show. The real purpose of a business card should be to get in contact with a dealer. Too many people use them as a “polite” way of excusing themselves from making a decision. I would much rather deal with a no decision on the spot.

We sold this lovely Daum blownout scenic vase at the show

Personally our show was quite mediocre. French glass sold well again while English furniture (not mine) fared poorly. We answered so many questions from knowledgeable, bona fide clients that it could easily have gone better, but it wasn’t our turn this year. We did much better last year. Next year the show is getting longer and the booth rent is going up, so we’re on the fence as to whether we’ll return. We won’t make that decision yet.

I like to get comments from dealers I know, but amazingly I didn’t personally know many of the dealers at this show. Consequently I solicited only a few comments. Lloyd Macklowe, Macklowe Gallery, New York City, a dealer in Art Nouveau decorative arts and jewelry, told me “We had an excellent show. Well attended. We were very happy.” David Lowenherz, Lion Heart Autographs, New York City, a dealer in autographs, was pleased as well. “I did very well. Very good turnout. Very interested and curious customers in a super elegant setting.” Michael and Ewa Cohen, Cohen & Cohen, London, England, dealers in Chinese export porcelain and works of art, were not pleased. “It wasn’t a disaster, but it wasn’t great. We were disappointed. Last year we had the best show ever and this year we didn’t see those same clients. We’ll be back. It’s still a show with great potential.” Bill Rau, Rau Antiques, New Orleans, LA, dealer in high-end quality items, told me “We sold a couple of very nice paintings and a lot of objects and nice jewelry. Traffic was very good. There was a lot of strong competition. I was 6.5/10 pleased.” Two dealers refused comment.

This week we’ll be in Asheville, NC, for the National Arts & Crafts Conference. It’s a beautiful show in an amazing 1910 historic hotel. The focus is Arts & Crafts, both antique and new. It’s a very pleasant show that we enjoy doing. Attendees fly in from all over the US.

Click here to check my website for the latest items and to look around. I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show opens today, February 14, 2015

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Philip Chasen

The blog schedule will be modified for a while because the Florida shows are starting and ending on unusual days. The next post will be this coming Wednesday, February 18th, with the results of the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show.

6:10 PM Friday, looking down my aisle. That’s my booth on the right.

It’s Friday afternoon, February 13th, as I write this post. We’ve had to be open to “special” guests for the last four hours. It was a bad idea. There were very few people walking around, with even fewer questions and certainly no sales. The show is long enough. Why extend it unnecessarily? It’s bad enough we’ll have to suffer through another preview party this evening. It’s my opinion that today’s activities will suck some of the oxygen out of the actual show. When the crowd is big and active, it creates excitement and electricity. Sales turn thinkers into buyers. Save the oxygen for the show.

8 PM, Friday night, in front of my booth

9:30 PM UPDATE: There was a nice crowd for the preview party, which included decent interest from prospective buyers. We even made one small sale, which hasn’t been paid for yet, but I’m optimistic will be shortly. I still prefer shows with no preview party, but I haven’t been able to convince any promoters yet.

If you read this post on Saturday, the show will open to the public today at 11 AM. It will run until Tuesday, February 17th, at 6 PM. If you want to see a classy show, with really great exhibitors, make it your business to come. It will be well worth the trip. You’ve got my word.

Next week we’ll be in Asheville, NC, for the National Arts & Crafts Conference. It’s a beautiful show in an amazing 1910 historic hotel. The focus is Arts & Crafts, both antique and new. It’s a very pleasant show that we enjoy doing. Attendees fly in from all over the US.

The results of the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show, February 15-18, 2014

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Philip Chasen

Preview night in front of our booth

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show ended yesterday, after a four-day run from February 15-18, 2014. The preview party was held on Friday night and unfortunately we had to suffer through it. Attendance was moderate, with some interested clients, but no sales. What else is new? Apparently all the A-list Palm Beachers were at another party — the Heart Ball at The Breakers. Oops!

There were times when it was busy in our booth

Personally we had a very good show, better than our other two Florida shows, but with its own unique set of highs and lows. Set-up was very aggravating as we had no electricity for most of the time. Repeated attempts to have our electricity hooked up only resulted in increased frustration, even though we had properly placed our electrical order well in advance of the show. Then we had a client purchase a Tiffany lamp on Monday, only to call on Tuesday to cancel the sale. Ugh!! But even with these foibles, we’re very pleased. We sold fewer items than in Miami Beach, but better items, so total sales were up.

Attendance was down from last year, through no fault of the promoter. When do you see billboards on the side of the road announcing an antique show? When do you see full page ads in newspapers? The Palm Beach Show Group knows how to promote a show. Other promoters could take a few lessons from them. Lower attendance did not hurt our show, as the right people showed up. My guess is that many people were stuck up north because of the severe weather. Jeffrey Purtell, the well-known Steuben dealer, paid for a booth at the show and couldn’t make it. He got stuck in New Jersey on the way down. Sorry, Jeff, I feel bad for you. If you read my blog, you’ll remember that we almost got stuck up north four years ago during a nor’easter, but did manage to make it to the show. (Click here if you want to read about that adventure.)

This great Argy-Rousseau Poppy vase is a recent purchase

As you read this, we’re racing up to Asheville, NC for the wonderful Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference this coming weekend, 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.

We’ll have this wonderful Amphora portrait vase 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

Setting up at the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show, February 13-14, 2014

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Philip Chasen

This is what our booth looks like during setup

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. My next post will be on Wednesday, not Monday, to coincide with the end of the Palm Beach show.

Cohen & Cohen have a beautiful display

We’re in the process of setting up the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show. The show is gorgeous, with unbelievable displays, white carpeting, flowers and no overhead lights — great for a lamp dealer like me. The public will love what they see. There are important dealers here, who exhibit at very few shows each year.

Daniel’s Antiques has a wonderful, unusual display

The preview party is tonight. I’m looking forward to it. (NOT!) It’s rare that I make a sale at a preview party and it’s my belief that preview parties steal the thunder from opening day. But there’s no convincing show promoters that they don’t accomplish much, if anything, so I’ll just keep bitching on my blog. I’ll report next Wednesday on the results of the show and the preview party. Wish me luck!

A.B. Levy has a beautiful booth

It’s not too late to visit the show, as it ends next Tuesday. It’s a great show, worth a drive or a flight from anywhere. Did I mention the temperature is forecast to be 75° to 80° for the next 10 days? Please introduce yourself to me when you arrive.

We’ll have this wonderful Amphora portrait vase at the show

After the show, we’ll leave Palm Beach quickly and head to Asheville, NC for 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.

This great Argy-Rousseau Poppy vase is a recent purchase

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show begins this Saturday, February 15, 2014

Posted on February 10, 2014 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. My next post will be this Friday during set-up at the Palm Beach show (up by noon). The following post will be next Wednesday, not Monday, to coincide with the end of the Palm Beach show.

In front of our booth

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show opens to the public this Saturday, February 15, 2014, at 11 AM, and continues until Tuesday, February 18, 2014, at 6 PM. Prior to the Saturday opening, there will be a preview party on Friday evening — boy, oh, boy! My favorite! Does the sarcasm come through in print? :>(

The aisles were jammed

This is the one show of the year that reminds me of shows from 25 years ago. Attendance is unbelievable, with packed aisles. Unfortunately for the dealers, many of the people are just there for a good time, and a good time it is! The quality of the items on display in Palm Beach is always spectacular, with the best dealers from all over the world. And it’s better than a museum, because you can touch the items and get answers from experts. It’s no wonder that so many people enjoy attending a good antique show with no intention of purchasing anything.

M.S. Rau of New Orleans will be one of the high end dealers at the show

The public needs to realize that there would be no show if everyone were just looking. An antique show is a business, the same as any other business. Those businesses that don’t turn a profit fail. It’s really amazing to me how many people don’t understand that. I’ve been asked the following question more than a few times. “Are these items for sale?” Yes, they are, and I’d love for you to purchase one of them!

You have a promise from me. If you visit the show, you will not be disappointed! It’s a great show, worth a drive or a flight from anywhere. Did I mention the temperature is forecast to be 75° to 80° for the next 10 days? Please introduce yourself to me when you arrive.

We’ll have this wonderful Amphora portrait vase at the show

This great Argy-Rousseau Poppy vase is a recent purchase

The results of the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show, February 18-21, 2012

Posted on February 23, 2012 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. Monday’s post will be about the fabulous Tiffany collection of the Morse Museum in Winter Park, Florida.

Monday afternoon, in front of my booth

As expected, Monday’s attendance at the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show was lighter than the weekend’s, but there was still a decent crowd. Attendance is never the problem with this show — it’s qualified buyers. Only a small percentage of the attendees are actually interested in making purchases. Unfortunately for me (and the other exhibitors), most are there for a good time or to appraise their own items.

Tuesday afternoon, 2 PM, in front of my booth

Tuesday was the last day of the show. Surprisingly, there were quite a few people in attendance — not as many as the weekend, but still quite good for a Tuesday. Monday was a bust with total sales of $300. (One dealer said to me that he didn’t even know that I had anything for $300. Yes, I do.) Tuesday was a better day, with a couple of nice sales, including an important bronze and carved wood cat lamp, signed and dated Jean Carrit, 1898, made in France at the dawn of electricity.

A fabulous 1898 Jean Carrit bronze and wood lamp, sold at the show

My show wound up being a moderate success. I sold enough to cover my expenses and earn a fair profit. In addition, I was able to make a private purchase, as a result of the show, that will ultimately produce revenue. Business wasn’t quite as good as the show two weeks before at the Miami Beach Convention Center, but still good enough to make me want to return to Palm Beach next year.

I did ask quite a few dealers about their results and found out the following. A Steuben dealer had a great show, including fabulous sales at the preview party. A majolica dealer, a ceramics dealer and a bronze and ivory dealer had fair shows, just making expenses and very modest profits — none was very happy. A dealer in art glass, lamps and jewelry was disappointed with his jewelry sales, but otherwise satisfied. A dealer in Russian items was disappointed — he did not make his expenses and lost money on the show. Other dealers told me their results were down from a year ago. There was lots of interest, but they just couldn’t close many of the potential sales. An important dealer at the show told me that his results were good, not great. He was hopeful that he would be able to make follow-up sales after the show.

Rob Samuels and Scott Diament (right), owners of the Palm Beach Show Group

One of the show promoters, Scott Diament, told me that some of the dealers had done exceptionally well, including one jewelry dealer who had sold millions (I can’t independently confirm that). He also told me that three important European dealers, who have exhibited at the world-renowned Maastricht Antiques Fair in the Netherlands, had plans to exhibit at next year’s Palm Beach show.

Happy to be back in New York. Our next show is the Pier Show in New York City on the weekend of March 17th and 18th. It’s always fun, so start planning your trip to the Big Apple!

In the meantime, we’re still in business, so don’t be bashful. Call or write!
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Very fine Daum blownout scenic vase with wheel-carved detail

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 Louis Icart etchings. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Tag Archives: Palm Beach Jewelry Art & Antiques Show

The results of the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show, February 11-16, 2016

A progress report on the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show opens today, Thursday, February 11, 2016

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show opens this Thursday, February 11, 2016

The results of the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show, February 13-17, 2015

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show opens today, February 14, 2015

The results of the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show, February 15-18, 2014

Setting up at the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show, February 13-14, 2014

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show begins this Saturday, February 15, 2014

The results of the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show, February 18-21, 2012