More than 170 exhibiting dealers were greeted by the largest audience in the last five years at the most recent Tailgate Antiques Show at Fiddler’s Inn from February 28⁍arch 3. Show manager Steve Jenkins of Jenkins Show Management said, “It was rewarding to the dealers and gratifying to us that we all did so well. Dealers were selling very well, with generally great weather keeping the guests comfortable during the four show days.”
With two more shows opening later in the same week on the other corners of this Opryland Crossroads, there was brisk buying and selling. A Baltimore, Md., dealer, American Stars, was planning to have four weathervanes as the focus of his exhibit, but sold three on the first morning. A Pennsylvania step back hutch in pine, very large at more than 4 feet wide and 7 feet tall, sold that first morning. The exhibitor found another hutch at Fiddler’s to replace it, and sold that one first thing Thursday morning.
For 22 years, Lou and Jack Vye of Mount Morris, Ill., have exhibited together with their eclectic mixture of antiques. Jack likes early firearms and iron implements, while Lou collects a wide array of early kitchen articles. Their sales at this most recent gathering included one of Jack’s muzzle loaders and many smalls.
Ware House Antiques is the business of Kathy Hanlon and Ken Ware of Boylston, Mass., with a specialty in early American furniture. Their display for many years has included all they could carry in a large trailer and van, with excellent examples of period pieces. For this spring’s installment of Fiddler’s Inn, they sold three hutch tables, blanket chests and, as Ware described it, “a wonderful sack back comb top Windsor armchair right off the truck, first thing.”
Newcomers to the show were Neil and Barbara Finbloom. Recently retired from the education field, they have been collectors for many years and had attended the show in the past as customers. Their first experience exhibiting was rewarding and satisfying, and they reported that their sales were good †a tavern table, farm table, two candlestands, a late 1700s blanket chest, a game board, an 1860s quilt in indigo blue and yellow and lots of smalls. Neil Finbloom added, “Fortunately, on the way home, we made a stop in Kentucky to replenish the smalls, so we can do our next show.”
Iowans Dale and Colleen Frese have been in the show for many years with early pioneer and country collections. Their collection at this spring edition of the Fiddler’s show was filled with early painted furniture. A red and green corner cupboard dominated the room with several other cupboards, a wall cabinet and shelf units, all from the early Nineteenth Century, and in the center a modest farm table with primitive plank seat chairs. Colleen Frese, from Amana, Iowa, accented the display with both period and contemporary small accessories to make the room complete for the Twenty-First Century home.
John and Ellen Williams, Troy, Ohio, offered a collection of early small porcelain items. Their offerings include decorative pieces, such as Staffordshire figurines and early transfer ware. Additionally, they had some early toys and lighting. Another Ohioan, David Good from Camden, shared his space with Sam Forsythe, together offering valuable and unusual small antiques. Early stoneware included a pair of stackable bowls, figurines, some tole ware and treen ware.
Thistle is the business name for Marilyn Draper Carr of Barrington, Ill. She finds art and interest in many objects simply for their form and construction. In many cases, the original purpose may not even be known, nor is it important. She focuses only on what it looks like and how the viewer might consider it. Framed weeds as art, clay tablets as sculpture and a mask for a wall hanging were among her featured objects at this most recent show.
Magoun Brothers were there from South Paris, Maine, offering moose heads, canoes and early furniture. Laura Schoene and Robert Trites came from Red Rock, N.Y., with early hooked rugs, and household items. The Malchiones, Kennett Square, Penn., were there with sporting antiques and early decoys.
This is a show with vast variety and depth of inventories, dealers from half the country offering what they have from back home †and customers came to buy some of it for themselves. On opening morning, there were nearly 200 people at each of the four entry gates and, according to show manager Jenkins, “This was the most customers we have had in over five years.” He added, “Our fall show, October 24′7, should be as strong as ever for most dealers, knowing we sold out of space for this show wanted to save their position. Of course, there are always some who can’t come, so I expect we will have some openings, but we are really excited about the prospects.”
Jenkins Show Management has several other shows, including Springfield, Ohio, every month and Farmington Antiques Weekend, this year June 9‱0 and Labor Day Weekend in Farmington, Conn. For general information, www.jenkinsshows.com or 317-598-0012.
