Antique & Vintage for the Holidays

My earliest memories include being around the antique business. I set up at my first show at age 3- selling $19 and buying a Christmas tree (dad was in the booth next to me- these were much simpler times). As I grow older and now have a child of my own, I look back and realize that most of my special Christmas memories don't necessarily involve toys, electronics, clothes or money, but presents from family members that were gifts from the antique world. Whether it was cast iron still banks, T-206 baseball cards, marbles, cool college sports memorabilia or things that still are in our home. , those things stand out as deeply personal gifts, rather than mass produced items that come and go with time. This holiday season, think about giving something from the past, which might have a great chance of creating memories into the future.

Kind Words

The show in Harwinton this weekend was perhaps both the most difficult and rewarding show we have produced in 30 years of show management. I will write the details in the blog in the next few days, but suffice it to say that challenges were immense. The show would not have happened without extraordinary efforts of a lot of people-

1. A great staff that went without sleep and dry clothes for far longer than they should have.

2. Stacy Expo- who stepped in and conducted themselves far above the call of duty.

3. Sturdy Tents- if you need tents installed in the middle of the night with a few hours notice, call them.

4. Patient Dealers- a determined group who were not afraid to stick out their necks on a new venture in perhaps the most challenging circumstances many have dealt with.

Below are the very kind words of dealer Victor Weinblatt who penned them after the show and shared them with me today. Perhaps the nicest comments I've ever read after a show:

"I am happy to report some GOOD news, particularly in a moment when we all could use more of it: the birth of a very promising new show. Childbirth is not without risk & peril, and this one was complete with tents blown down and swept up into tree tops (fortunately on the evening before dealer arrival & set up), flooding rains and bone chilling cold. Antiques show managers, whose lives would be relatively blissful if they could control the fickle New England weather, are but one of the heroes of this narrative. Jon Jenkins, energetic, upbeat, dauntless and imaginative was our fearless young hero, and with grace & inextinguishable humor kept things, quite literally, from flying apart. He found new tent vendors to appear miraculously in the middle of the night. He had the vision to conceive of a new show in the best-suited-for-a-show fairgrounds I have seen in my thirty-two year career as a show dealer. A half dozen dealer-friendly skylit buildings of manageable, human scaled proportion with high ceilings and cross ventilation (more on this later) from large sliding doors made for an ideal summer venue for those of us who want or need to be indoors. Scenic fields afforded flexibility for those dealers wishing to be in larger management provided tents or smaller individual tents. In short, the perfect venue. The somewhat biblical, old Testament-like avenging God of weather had a slightly different agenda.
After the pre-set up phenomenon of airborne tents propelled into tree tops, the dealers lucky enough to be in those handsome fairgrounds structure were subject to their own purgatory. At 5 a.m. Saturday morning, those of us silly enough to check the weather forecast donned shorts & lightweight shirts appropriate to temperatures predicted to be in the 70s. What we got were a bit less balmy damp & windy 50s. As an alternative to hypothermia & frostbite, our ever resourceful & eminently fashionable band of brothers & sisters donned packing blankets (at least those of us who had not driven our trucks home the night before). The hands-down couture winner was Steve Smoot who looked quite fetching in a donegal-like woolen blanket skirt, which he should feature in his fall collection. Despite our suggestions to add a slit to the skirt to improve mobility, he steadfastly held to the purity of line & form, sacrificing comfort to aesthetics. To heighten show drama, and forestall the brain freeze of falling temperatures, the ever zealous fire marshalls decided just a few minutes before opening that all the dealers in the large tents had to re-orient their booths outwards. Which brings us to our second hero of the day, Sandy Klempner. With a beautifully designed (walled) booth (for which she is known in the industry) facing toward an inner aisle, the firemen ordered that her walls be taken down & reversed. All the tent flaps were ordered removed (despite the rain & wind) and with the show opening delayed and cars lining up all the way to Route 4, a doorway was cut in her back wall and her booth looked none the worse for it. Sandy was just one of the many dealer heroes of that morning in the tents, who despite ungodly pressure and the somewhat arbitrary demands of the officials, managed to subscribe to the 'show must go on' antique dealer motto, and carried the day with humor, grace and just a few real (fairly well-concealed) tears. Which brings to mind yet another dealer hero team, Lynn & Mike Worden. Late on Thursday night before dealer set-up, Lynn on the fly & on the road sent out an emergency e-mail with adjusted storm related information to all the travelling dealers. Lynn & Mike are dealer's dealers: their folk art is extraordinarily graphic, with brilliant form, exquisite surface, superb color and the freshest merchandise in the trade. Their booth designs are the best, bar none, with presentation that is jaw-dropping in its artistic impact & visceral stimuli. It is far more than 'eye-candy', it is an 'eye-feast', show after show. And if that is not enough to keep them busy, they are the unsung & anonymous authors of the most extraordinary show blog in the industry, The Antique Wanderer. In their travels they photograph hundreds of booths at the shows they exhibit at and shop, and then post them to the blog with the most profoundly witty & deeply moving captions. With a mid-western modesty, humility and selflessness they are my personal and artistic heroes. Now that I have set the stage, you might ask, with all the drama and heroics, was the childbirth worth the pain? The medical evaluation & prognosis is very positive. I was fortunate enough to have an encouragingly good week-end, with sales of three sets of polychrome architectural
shutters, a nineteenth century dough box in robin's egg blue, a square nailed diminutive bucket bench in dark green, a double schoolroom desk, a large double sided elaborately tavern-styled trade sign for WEST FARM HATCHING EGGS, a circus wagon polychrome panel touting GOOD SPORT & PLENTY OF IT, a polychrome gargantuan gear form mirror, a mid-19thc weavers skarn, a polychrome parchesi, a set of tops, and a healthy selection of smalls.
Hilary is right (as always), it does take a village, and this child named Harwinton clearly has a very bright future as it took its first baby steps this June. It will make its second public appearence on Labor Day week-end, and prospects for its healthy growth & development are excellent."

America now sets sights on Antique Week in Nashville

Now that the Superbowl is over, America can now rightfully focus it's attention on Antiques Week in Nashville. Unlike the Super Bowl, Nashville can live up to the hype. Pack your bags and get ready to be amazed.

When you find the best word- use it.

There is a hubbub in the Antiques business over the uses of the words antique and vintage. What is antique, what is vintage and why does the word vintage scare the be-jeeeesus out of people who love the word antique. (Full disclosure)- I grew up with the word antique and in fact, we were childhood friends. Like many childhood friends, you are friends simply because of the fact you grew up together. Being drug to nearly every show, shop and auction imaginable made me comfortable with my friend. But now, 30 plus years later, the friend I have had all these years has changed. My friend hasn't kept up on style, trends, marketing and now seems to be kind of a drag. Other people in my age group have become friends with words like vintage, design, art, repurpose & recycle. Although I'm familiar with those words, they make my friend antique feel scared. I need to have a talk with my old friend and tell him that those new words shouldn't threaten him. He should get to know these new words and make friends with them. Those words might help him connect with a whole new generation of actual real young people friends. One of the definitions of the word vintage is-a period of origin or manufacture. Everything produced is therefore of a "vintage".

In business we strive to frame ourselves in the best possible light. If my old friend antique is keeping potential customers away, then we need to find a better word. Not exactly sure what the word is, jusk asking for the license to use it when needed. Antique- I'm not leaving you, but just want to add some new friends.

Back from the road.

After a brief, cold road trip up to the Hudson, Ohio show Sunday- it's picture time. Exceptionally nice stuff at Hudson, with great dealers. I'll be posting photos today so enjoy. These two photos from Newsom/Berdan and Missouri Plain Folk.

Antiques & Garden Show of Nashville

Happy New Year- just want to let everyone who doesn't already know about Antiques Week In Nashville 2010. Along with our two shows, Music Valley and Tailgate, we will be joined by the Antiques & Garden Show. This important show, now celebrating it's 20th anniversary, will take place February 10-13 at the Nashville Convention Center. This is just a few minutes away from our location at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. The combination of these 3 events in Nashville and their 350 exhibitors makes February 10-13 a can't miss destination for collectors, dealers and designers. Enjoy this picture from Lana Smith's booth and make plans to attend now.

Congratulations Jon!

Last evening I was so excited to learn that Carrell, at Country Charisma has passed along the "Proximidade" Award to the Antique Show Insider, as an Honorable Mention.

This award focuses not on the glory and fanfare of blogging, but in the PROXIMITY to one another through this on-line world (kind of a Six Degrees of Separation sort of thing)."Blogs who receive this award are 'exceedingly charming' say its authors. This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement.

The Antique Show Insider is honored to have been dominated and proudly accepts this award. Thank you so much, Carrell for thinking of this blog! And, congratulations to you as well, for your own nomination.

These are a few of their favorite things!

I sent out a question to a group of dealers for Nashville- What is your favorite thing that you are planning to bring to the show. Below are some
responses.


Steve Smoot:

Ca 1890-1900 finely detailed folky tugboat model with its crew of four which includes the captain at the wheel. Incredible paint condition and surface. Approximately 13 inches long.

Nancy Holleny:



My most favorite item I am bringing to Nashville is not exactly 100 yrs. old or older, maybe half that but it is in original finish, sturdy, well carved, has original construction, is articulated (mouth moves most of the time), hands and feet attached, no cracks or tears. It works like clockwork but you have to feed it several times a day. It is in the high-end price range and tagged "as is" only because it is expensive to maintain. Photo enclosed.

City Mouse Country Mouse:
We are bringing a fabulous blue cornercupboard original paint found in Michigan



Marie Miller:
My favorite quilt that I am bringing to Music Valley is this blue and white Feathered Star quilt, circa 1860.


Mary Debuhr:
Selecting my favorite item going to the show is a tall order. At this moment I'd have to say it is a tall chest of drawers. The piece is from New England, circa 1800-30 and has 6 graduated, dovetailed drawers and dovetailed case. It retains it's original red surface. It has a simple scrolled bracket base that at one time was replaced. I also have a fragment of the original which is identical. I have enjoyed using it for the last few years. Not only is it lovely to look at, it is a very functional piece of furniture. It has simple rosette mounted loop handles. Three drawers locked and there are escutcheons on all 6 for balance. This is an uncommon piece to find with color. I see lots of refinished ones but never thought I'd have the opportunity to own one. A few brasses are replacements but one has to look closely to distinguish the difference. The condition is very good and I'll be proud to offer it at our show in Nashville next month.

Interview with Jon...

I was recently interviewed by Kim Leggett from the blog rescripted. This is a great opportunity for all of us to get to know each other a little better. If you would like to be interviewed by me, follow the instructions at the end of the interview. It's fun! Let's keep it going.

1. Jon, we all know that many retail buyers today, especially the younger generation, shop at stores such as Pottery Barn, etc. If you could speak directly to one of those buyers what would you say to them to convince them to buy an antique instead? Do you think antiques will hold their value even in today's market?

The answer to this question is fairly easy. Take two examples - couple A goes to Pottery Barn to furnish their first home. They purchase several thousand dollars in contemporary furnishings. Couple B goes to a quality antique show and purchases a similar dollar value of well selected antiques. Ten years later both couples are moving into a new home and re-decorating. Couple A has a garage sale where they just hope they can get someone to haul their used furniture away, while couple B should, under worst case scenario, be able to get a significant portion of their purchase price back. If market conditions are positive, even show a profit. People shop at retail stores because of convenience. That is the struggle we have, to make what we are doing as an industry easier and more accessible.

2. Why do you think the antique show venue is the perfect place to shop for antiques?

Antique shows provide customers to a large assortment of dealers in a single location. A show gathers a great number of vendors with a huge inventory, a large base of knowledge and the ability for customers to shop, learn & compare. It allows access to a much larger amount of great material than a customer could see going to shops, malls or auctions.

3. Name some of the ways that you see the business of selling antiques is changing, or will be changing for dealers in the near future. And, what do you, as a show producer, feel that antique dealers can do to make their business stronger in this weak economy?

The only constant in this business is change. A tough economy forces vendors and customers to deal with a changing market. I think dealers need to try to visualize how potential customers might live with antiques. I am relatively young for my profession (38) and my friends seem to respond to the antiques in my home. We still struggle to market to this group in ways that make our business seem welcoming, affordable and accessible. Attracting a new generation of customers is our biggest challenge, but attainable with effort.

4. If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

My dream dinner table would be:

Bono(huge U2 fan)
Elmo (would help entertain Graham)
Nixon and Clinton (the parallels are astounding- brilliant but flawed)
The Statue of Liberty (hear she has great stories after a second glass of wine)

5. Are you a collector? And if so, what do you collect?

Having grown up and being surrounded by the business, I actually collect nothing specifically but a lot generally. I tend to respond to color, form, texture and affordability. I was reading Sotheby's catalogs before I was 10, so my taste clearly is beyond my ability to buy. So the key is fun and affordable. Kelly (my wife) really likes Moorcroft and sterling jewelry with a Southwest or Mexican influence.



Instructions:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the
questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview
someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

(please send me an email when your interview is posted, along with your blog name and URL...thanks!)

WOW Congratulations!

It seems there are some "antiquer bloggers" out there. Blogging is easy, fun, a great way to stay connected and increase your business. I encourage all of you to sign up for blogger so that you can comment on the posts and follow your favorite blogs too. You don't have to create a blog to sign up, but you should, because it is so easy to do and cost nothing! Soon you'll be on your way to meeting new bloggers who would love to meet you. You can post photos of your inventory and keep your followers informed on where they can meet you in person. You can even link your website to your blog. There's power in numbers. Let's all get excited about creating our own group of bloggers who share a common interest in antiques. Happy Blogging! Kim Leggett