More than 150 antiques dealers gathered at the Radisson Hotel for Music Valley Antiques Market March 1″, offering a mixture of early American antiques, Americana and folk art. Co-managers for Jenkins Show Management, Jon Jenkins and Kay Puchstein, were pleased to say, “It was the best dealer count and audience of the century.” Noting that the century was only seven years old, they still believed it was a good accomplishment, showing the renewed strength of this national antiques marketplace that is conducted twice each year in the shadow of Opryland USA.
Dealers at the show were also generally pleased with the visitors and their buying activities. Benting and Jarvis, Amesbury, Mass., dealers of early furniture and household accessories, had a good show. It began with a sale for an early antique long gun and continued through the weekend with sales of a Queen Anne blanket chest, a desk and chest of drawers of the same period, a Victorian hall rack with full-size deer head mounted on it, and an oversized Pennsylvania step back cupboard. Al Benting said, “The show is very well run, well organized and that seems to help with our success there.”
With the jocular business name Leftovers, Michael Breddin and Ed Fulkerson from Brenham, Texas, came with a full load of furniture and accessories. According to Fulkerson, they “had a great show&⁴he second best ever!” He said, “We sold lots of furniture and smalls. There was a good buying frenzy at the beginning.” The Texans brought furniture of a varied assortment of styles and forms. There was a set of firehouse arm chairs, a hutch top converted into an occasional table, several other sets of chairs, wall cupboards and full cupboards, and sales in all categories.
On Friday afternoon, Michael Malloy was removing a sold cupboard to a loading area when a freelance reporter for a northern New England publication stopped him and asked, “Are you loading out already?” He replied that he was merely moving a sold piece. When she noted, “But your booth is half empty,” Malloy replied, “I have been having a very good show. I’ve sold most of the furniture I brought.” The Dunbarton, N.H., dealer said the show was among the best he has had for quite some time. He added, “I made very good deals to be sure I had the sales. I went there to sell what I brought, not bring it back home again, and I did just that.”
Exhibiting in the ballroom of the hotel, Peter Moses of North Syracuse, N.Y., said he “did real well.” He sold the mustard painted cupboard in the center of his display, several blanket chests, a red Hepplewhite table, a stand and quite a few paintings. This was all in addition to a quantity of the small antiques he is best known to carry in inventory.
Weathervanes were popular at all three shows in Nashville during the week. David Evans sold his running horse weathervane early in the show. A valuable rod back Windsor child’s high chair and an eyeglass trade sign were among his most significant sales. This Cincinnati, Ohio, dealer has been doing the show for about six years and believed this was one of his best to date.
A charming barn red painted settle bench was placed at the front of Richmond House Antiques’ exhibit. Priced at $3,200, it sold, along with three large cupboards and many other small antiques, including some American pewter, according to the Ashford, Conn., dealers, Karen and Edd Oberg. This show is relatively new for them, but they were pleased with the results, doing, as Karen said, “really well.” Also in the same conference room was Kenyon’s Antiques from Wymore, Neb. Their sales included a large cupboard in old blue finish that had been tagged at $3,995.
Plain and Simple Log Cabin Antiques is an open shop in Lebanon, Ohio, operated by Jack and Betty Rhodus. Exhibiting in the show for many years, Jack said their sales were “down some from October, but still profitable though.” Their sales included a big cupboard in old varnish that dominated their hotel room display, a bucket bench, a whale tail shelf and hanging cupboard and a large selection of treen ware. Nearby, Betty Stansbury from Nederland, Texas, said she “came home with only two pieces of furniture, I had a great show.” She also sold a significant amount of the small items and an oil on board painting of a woman from the early Nineteenth Century priced at $2,300.
Folk art was also popular, as evident by the sales reported by Oakland Art and Antiques from West Bloomfield, Mich. It is also the specialty of Decatur. Ill., dealer Halsey Munson. Kathy and Dan Roe, Springfield, Ill., sold a set of hooked stair treads, priced at $7,500. Bill Houckes, Lancaster, Penn., was offering a sponge ware cup and saucer at $9,500, which found a new owner at the show. He said the art work was unique and condition was nearly perfect.
While reports overwhelmingly praised the sales and customer base for this show, Jon Jenkins said that the fall show, set for October 25′7, will not accommodate as many dealers. He added that some dealers skip the fall show, so there may be a few openings. For information, www.jenkinsshows.com or 317-598-0012.
