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

Posted on February 18, 2016 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.

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 New York Art, Antique, & Jewelry Show is evicted from the Park Avenue Armory

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Philip Chasen

Happy New Year, everyone!

The Park Avenue Armory

The New York Art, Antique, & Jewelry Show has been running continuously at the Park Avenue Armory for 35 years under slightly different names and different promoters. (The current promoters are the Palm Beach Show Group.) Now Armory president Rebecca Robertson has decided to end antique shows in preference to live events. If she cannot be persuaded to change her mind, the show will have to find a different venue next year, which can only hurt. The Park Avenue Armory is an historic building in the middle of the wealthiest area of Manhattan. Billionaires (e.g. Carl Icahn and Ivana Trump) can just roll out of bed and walk to the Armory. It’s highly likely that the show will lose many of its best clients if forced to move to another venue.

Opening night at the New York Art, Antique and Jewelry Show

The New York Art, Antique, & Jewelry Show may not be the only show affected. The Winter Antiques Show, the New York Antiquarian Book Fair and the International Fine Art & Antiques Show may all lose their spots going forward. With a $65 million gift from the Thompson Family Foundation to encourage live events, Ms. Robertson is unlikely to change her mind.

Personally it’s quite disappointing. With rumors that the NYC Pier Antiques Show will be discontinued permanently, I was hoping to exhibit at this show next year. Now all bets are off. I have no idea what will happen, but you can help by signing a petition to restore the show. Click here to sign.

For the complete article from artnet news, click here. For the article from the New York Times, click here.

I’ve been quite busy buying and selling recently, partly because I’ve listed many new items on my website. I really need to buy more, so if you have something great, please offer it to me for sale. 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.

I will continue to list more as often as possible. Please click here to take a look.

We’re still very much in business between shows, especially since there are fewer shows nowadays. Please don’t hesitate to email or call. 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 results of the Chicago International Art, Antique & Jewelry Show, April 25 – April 28, 2014

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Philip Chasen

1:45 PM Saturday afternoon in my aisle

The Chicago International Art, Antique & Jewelry Show was held this past weekend, April 25 – April 28, 2014. Following is a log of the events.

It’s 1:30 PM on Saturday, as I start to write this blog. There’s plenty of show left, but as of this moment, it’s not going well. The show started with a preview party on Thursday night. I managed to make one sale and answer a few intelligent questions, but basically the preview party was a bust, as most of them are. What made it worse was the lack of food and drink. The only thing included was hors d’oeuvres and a poor champagne. Drinks were for purchase. The promoters don’t realize (or care) that the dealers are their most important asset and should be treated accordingly. Plenty of food and drink would go a long way to creating needed good will. It’s the wrong time and place to try and save a few bucks. We were expected to be at the show from 4:30 PM – 10 PM with little food. It’s a far cry from the delicious, unlimited food and drink at the Merchandise Mart show. (Scott, are you reading this?) Dealers, let management know your opinion.

Attendance has been light to moderate, which I didn’t expect. The bigger problem is that many of the attendees seem unknowledgeable, uninterested or unqualified to make a purchase. I rely on my loyal clients year after year, and truly thank them, but it’s really important to develop new clients. None so far, but that could change in a flash.

One of the fine Daum vases sold at the show

Update. Sunday, 5 PM. The show is almost over. Tomorrow, Monday, is likely to be a bust, as most Mondays are. We’ve done a reasonable amount of business, but only a tad more than we did at the Chicago Botanic Garden a couple of weeks ago, but at twice the expense. All of our business has been from our existing clients, except for one sale. The goal of doing a major show in a major city is to find important new clients and that hasn’t been the case. I don’t think our booth helped either. We were in the first row to the left of the entrance. Most of the clients visited us first and left quickly to see the rest of the show. The middle of the show was where the action was.

Late Monday afternoon

Update. Monday, 4 PM. The show is now over. Attendance was quite light on Monday, but a couple of dealers reported some business. We did OK. We made a few bucks, but nothing to write home about. In asking around, I found out the following. A NY dealer had an excellent show, in large part because an important client flew in from the West. Another East Coast dealer also had an excellent show. A major Southern dealer did not do well. An art dealer had a poor show, and two dealers from France had bad shows. All in all, a mixed bag. I did hear good things about show promotion. People told me about ads in the Chicago Tribune and on TV. Someone told me they received an email from the promoters offering a $25 voucher for cab fare to come to the show. It was a good effort, but the Navy Pier is not the ideal facility. I hope the promoters can come to an agreement with the Merchandise Mart to move the show back there. That would be the best of both worlds.

This wonderful Daum Nancy fall scenic vase is just in

The show season is now over. We’ll spend the next couple of months preparing for the summer antique shows that start in Denver and culminate with the wonderful Baltimore Summer Antiques Show, August 21-24, 2014. (BTW, it’s not too early to make your plans. Hotel rooms go quickly for the show, so make your reservations now.)

Spring in New York is a lovely time of year, so Lia and I will make sure we plan some playtime. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. But there’s still plenty of time for business, so feel free to call or write. Let us know what you’re interested in buying or selling!

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

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Philip Chasen

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 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.

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

The Chicago Merchandise Mart has canceled their 2014 spring antiques show

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Philip Chasen

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

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

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Tag Archives: Palm Beach Show Group

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 New York Art, Antique, & Jewelry Show is evicted from the Park Avenue Armory

The results of the Chicago International Art, Antique & Jewelry Show, April 25 – April 28, 2014

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

The Chicago Merchandise Mart has canceled their 2014 spring antiques show