Date: Fri 20-Nov-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: JUDIR

Quick Words:

Davis-Jackman-Salem

Full Text:

Davis Show In Salem

(with 16 cuts)

By Bob Jackman

SALEM, N.H. -- On October 24 and 25, Paul Davis's Coastal Promotions presented

The New England Fall Antiques Show at the Expo Center with 100 dealers

offering a wide range of good and fine antiques. Despite a balmy Indian summer

day, attendance was good and dealers were widely satisfied with sales.

For the last two years the show had been located at a Methuen, Mass.,

facility, now converted to other uses. The Salem venue was created by

renovating a portion of the grandstand at the Rockingham Park racetrack,

immediately off interstate route 93, and one mile from the Massachusetts

border. About half the residents of eastern New England live within an hour's

drive.

Most exhibitors who had participated in the Methuen show followed Davis to

Salem. While the Methuen show had 300 booths, Salem had only 100 booths, and

that was sold out within a couple of weeks after the show was announced.

Folk art and country dealer Diana Higgins reported selling many items during

setup.

"Since opening, it's been so far, so good. We see this as a replacement for

the Methuen show, and we've brought the type of merchandise which did well

there. For example, our 1881 miniature chest with fauve painted ivory knobs by

Peter Hover of Lee, Mass., is unique and fun."

Other dealers shared her perspective. Karen Wendhiser of Ellington, Conn.,

offered an exceptional, large, covered storage basket by Northeast Indians.

Created between 1830 and 1840, it was handpainted with blue and salmon in the

pattern of medallions and strawberries.

Exhibitor Jonathan Thomas of Towne Apprentice Antiques was among the dealers

who praised the traffic flow. "The meandering works well," he observed. "The

curving flow encourages people to move slowly and visit each booth. The show

has been going well for us. I sold three American surveying instruments in the

first couple hours. That's very good."

Ceramic specialist Henry Callan of East Sandwich, Mass., reported that the

show was as he expected. "Paul has done a wonderful job adapting the show to

the hall. The quality is excellent, and the gate has been good." Print and art

dealer Gert Wirth of the Ingeborg Gallery added, "The shape of our booth is

unconventional, but it works well for us. We're having a good show."

While there was merchandise in every price range, the "flea market"

merchandise found at some large shows was absent. When Davis was asked if some

dealers were vetted or culled, he responded, "We didn't want merchandise that

approached the flea market level, but people sorted themselves. We only had

spaces for people who responded quickly, and the quick responders had quality

merchandise."

According to Kathleen Rose Tarr of the Victorian Rose, "It's been a good

crowd, and the show has gone very well for me. I do almost all of Paul Davis's

shows. He advertises well with show supplements, and he gets a good crowd,

even when the weather is very good or very bad.'

"I was very happy with the attendance for a first-time show," echoed Davis.

"The attendance was a bit less than the fall Methuen show, but it was

comparable. It's a great location, and most of the public followed us. We'll

be back next fall. Our winter show has also been moved here and that will be

January 9 and 10. In Methuen, the winter show always had a larger attendance

than the fall show."

Some dealers felt that the show needed to create its own identity to attract

all the specialized buyers who shopped Methuen. Don Bruckner of Bardon

Antiques in Hicksville, N.Y., commented, "We have lithographs which are a

specialized type of merchandise. Most of what we sell is Currier and Ives, so

we need very specialized buyers. We're doing all right, but it will take a

couple of shows at this location for our buyers to find us."

While dealers were satisfied with the facility, it has been converted to its

new use with a limited design. Overhead lighting in many booths was sparse.

All dealers were offered the opportunity to purchase electricity, and most

brought lighting fixtures. Booths without additional lighting or bright

windows were generally dark.

Dealer setup and breakdowns were moderately convenient. Exhibitors reported

that there were plenty of cargo doors, and generally they were able to park

within 150 feet of their booth. Setup was throughout the day on Friday.

After the show closed, all dealers were out of the building in three hours.

Some typical first-show confusion was created by errors in floor plan

measurements, but those issues were smoothly and efficiently resolved.