The sixth annual June Festival of Antiques hosted by Mullica Hill’s own Yellow Garage Antiques proved to be another success. Fine weather, large crowds and strong buying were the order of the day for the popular southern New Jersey event.
Conducted the second Saturday of June at the Gloucester County 4-H Fairgrounds, the June 9 show featured approximately 70 dealers under four pavilion roofs and outside dealers on the lawn, many of which set up under tents. “Most dealers reported good to excellent sales,” stated Steve Lipman, who promotes the event with his wife, Tracy Dodge. “The crowd was large and kept coming until late in the day. The few dealers that didn’t sell accepted the fact that it just wasn’t their day. There were almost no complaints,” he said..
Among the items that left the fairgrounds heading for new homes were a set of early Nineteenth Century bowback Windsor chairs sold by Rob Stevens of Boggs Boynton Antiques of Gibbstown, N.J.; a late Nineteenth Century game board and two painted bride’s boxes sold by Doug and Cindy Robinson of As Good as Old of Lower Gwynedd, Penn.; and an early Twentieth Century carnival game wheel and a Nineteenth Century Pennsylvania painted blanket chest that were sold by Todd Kibler, Country Antiques Two, Mullica Hill.
Peter Bourque of Melissa Bourque Antiques, Garrison, N.Y., sold an Eighteenth Century scrubbed top tavern table and a Nineteenth Century splay legged stand, while Patti and Nate Doughty of Pine Lake Nursery and Antiques, Cape May, N.J., sold outdoor furniture and antique garden accessories. Marianne Kuzmenchuk of Walker Valley Antiques, Cherry Hill, N.J., sold an early teddy bear, cast iron doorstops and shooting gallery targets.
Hugh Alan Luck of Pine Street Studios, Wenonah, N.J., sold an early watercolor portrait of a young boy, a four-color game board, an apple basket in original red paint and Halloween collectibles. Luck, who makes his living as an artist, is well known among holiday collectors. He has done all six June Festivals and said that this was his best to date.
Dealers Dordy Fontinel of Nellysford, Va., and Bob Lutz of Greenwich, N.J., who also promote shows elsewhere, both sold well. Lutz indicated that he sold all his redware, an early sawbuck table and an outdoor furniture set, as well as other items. George Hawriluk of Pittsgrove, N.J., had a display of furniture in Pavilion 2 and said he had a good show.
Three dealers specializing in glass †Lon Knickerbocker of the Coast Antiques, Dansville, N.Y.; Dale Murschell of Springfield, W.Va., and Thomas C. Haunton of Wilmington, Mass. †also reported good shows. Knickerbocker brought a good selection of art glass, while Murschell’s tables had many pieces of early hand blown items. Haunton, who wrote 20th Century South Jersey Glass , was selling Clevenger Brothers glassware, as well as copies of his book. The now-defunct Clevenger Brothers began in the 1930s, making reproductions of Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century southern New Jersey glass and commemorative bottles at its factory in nearby Clayton. Tom’s trip from Massachusetts to New Jersey was a bit of a homecoming for him.
Members of the Harrison Township Historical Society purchased a sign that read “For Sale †Lippincott †Mullica Hill.” The sign now resides in the Old Town Hall, which is next door to the Yellow Garage Antiques. The historical society is responsible for the upkeep of the building that has several ever-changing antiques displays, plus an old general store. Some historical society members are involved with the festival, and, in turn, Yellow Garage donates a portion of the proceeds from the festival to benefit the organization.
Two of the first-time dealers to the show were Jackie Everett of Glenwood, Md., and Bernice Conn of Voorhees, N.J. Everett specializes in dolls, dollhouses and miniatures, and loved the show. She was appreciative of the help at setup, the complimentary breakfast and great sales. Conn is a veteran south Jersey dealer, who had choice items on display, including American schoolgirl samplers, sterling silver and fine art.
Returning to the show were Pennsylvania country dealers Linda Grier of Langhorne, Benji Kidwell of Ottsville, Elizabeth Ayscough of Chadds Ford and Mark Teller of Wallingford. Similar dealers from New Jersey included Royal Port Antiques of Salem, Patrick Murray of Brick, Hewlings House Antiques of Marlton and Connie and Harry Gould of Newfield. Chris Lovrinic of Lovrinic Antiques, Lambertville, N.J., returned this year with period furniture, theorems and other artwork, samplers and early iron.
Other festival veterans included Chuck Johnson, who made the trip from Silver Spring, Md., Carol Berkoff of Doylestown, Penn., Donald Osburn of Easton, Md., and New Jersey dealers Sam and Brenda Priem of Fairton, Perry Conant of Deptford, Steve and Mary Ann Gring of Ocean City, Peggy Miletta of Mauricetown, and Gordon and Normandy Schell of Galloway, N.J.
Many attendees made the one-mile trip to the Historic District in Mullica Hill after the show where they did additional antiquing. The shops reported the best sales day of the year.
For more information, www.yellowgarageantiques.com or 856-478-0300.
