Dealers, promoter Susan Franks and customers were all cheering the results of their four days at the Original Round Top Antiques Festival, March 31⁁pril 3.
The village was swarming with shoppers †collectors, decorators, dealers and homeowners †the duration of the show, who filled their vehicles with fine English furniture, American classical antique furniture and a large assortment of American country and primitive furniture. Small accessories were also selling well.
The Original Round Top Antiques Festival, aka The Big Red Barn, is the foundation for a grouping of weeklong antiques shows in the area. Round Top has space for about 300 dealers, with another 20 or so exhibitors in the nearby Carmine Dance Hall.
This spring was “up over last year and, as I recall, the best totals in visitors since we have owned the show,” Franks said. Dealers were pleased with the sales, she said, adding, “We had a couple of dealers who were running out of antique furniture and another who restocked almost their whole exhibit in Carmine.”
Glenwood Vernon of Vernon’s Antiques, Brenham, Texas, brought more to the show several days in a row. Selling most of its first exhibit, the dealer replaced the collection more than twice. Sales included three early American country cupboards, three stands, all New England-made; two chests of drawers, several architectural pieces and many smalls. Vernon said it was their “best show in the building ever.” His only complaint was that now he has the problem of replenishing the inventory on time for the fall show in Round Top.
Fred Cain, Fort Myers, Fla., dealer, returned to the show for only his second time here and did well, with sales across the board. He sold a faux Chinese secretary, several paintings, small brass and silver items, some textiles and much more.
Christmas and early lighting were among the antiques in Dallas native Betty H. Bell’s collection and they went to new owners quickly. There was a miniature braided rug, several Christmas items and miniature lights sold in one transaction at the very beginning of the show, and then she became too busy to talk.
Sandy Worrell, Houston, Texas, showed early American primitives, including a small hutch, table and various chairs in a country kitchen setting.
From Austin, Texas, Grace Homan offered her collection of early painted furniture. Sales were “pretty good” and included a Nineteenth Century fireplace, an early pewter rack, a hanging cupboard and many smalls. As a regular here for many years, she said this was the best in a decade or more.
For a dealer who specializes in Chinese porcelain and Japanese Imari, the Higginses of Atlanta were selling furniture. Michael Higgins was quite pleased about their success at the show but said, “We sold all the furniture we brought to the show. That is a real surprise to us, for we don’t go there expecting that. We go with the best of our Rose Medallion and Imari and we did sell some of that, too.”
Rounding out the show were Dusty’s Vintage Linen, Holland, Mass., with a collection of early Twentieth Century table linens, Faith Viland, Phoenix, Ariz., who had several carved birds from Maryland carver Frank Finney, Eduard silhouettes from the first half of the 1800s and unusual Eighteenth Century iron rush lights and candleholders.
B. Hannah Daniel, Athens, Ala., was selling well. Offerings included a Bergen County, N.J., corner cupboard in original paint, a red grain painted apothecary signed as being from Chester, Vt., and a large hutch table in early green paint.
In the Carmine Dance Hall, Nedra O’Brien, Advance, Mo., is known for very small things, miniatures portraits and silhouettes, while H. Karl Scharold, Fredericksburg, Texas, collects things only slightly larger †miniature furniture.
Both shows will return for the fall edition September 29⁏ctober 2. The Big Red Barn will also host a show June 26′7. For details, www.roundtoptexasantiques.com or call Susan Franks at 512-237-4747.
