A week after Jock Hengst announced on November 5 the sale of his Madison-Bouckville showgrounds to the neighboring White Eagle Farm, a dairy farm run by Ed Carhart, it was decided that the show must go on.
Carhart and Tom Tarry of The Results Group confirmed that the antiques show will continue under Tarry’s direction with a three-year lease and additional three-year option. Financial terms were not disclosed.
In an exclusive interview with Antiques and The Arts Weekly , Tarry said he was “excited to be able to step in to run this huge August event after Jock’s retirement!” He said that having grown up in Utica, the show has been an important part of the area and his life.
He intends to continue the show’s prominence in antiques collecting and marketing with an aggressive marketing campaign, which will include more travel by The Results Group staff to find new dealers, expanded merchandise offerings, more advertising and eventually he believes “a resurgence of the show.”
This change came about when Hengst announced to all the dealers on his postal mailing list that after several years of trying to sell the land and show, he sold the land October 29. The sale was to the neighboring White Eagle Farm, owned and managed by Ed Carhart and his family, who operate a dairy farm with about 900 cows.
Immediately after the purchase Carhart was approached by several show promoters who wanted to lease the showgrounds from him to continue the show into the future.
“I had no idea how much would be stirred up by my purchase,” said Carhart, “but I was very pleased to work with promoters who could cover the crop loss, and continue the show for the community.”
Hengst also acknowledged talking to several show promoters and added in a phone interview, “Sometimes you have to stir the embers to start a fire…,” indicating his strong interest in working with a possible future promoter who leases the ground from Carhart.
Tarry has begun his new marketing efforts with a meeting of Madison-Bouckville area show promoters in the coming weeks and additional staffing in his firm to support this show. He is also meeting with Hengst in the interest of working with him to maintain the show similar to the 40-year history Hengst had with it. Hengst has lists, proprietary names and equipment that were not sold to White Eagle Farm.
The Results Group has Madison-Bouckville Antiques Show on its website, www.showswithresults.com, or call its Syracuse office at 888-334-2856 for information.
In a mailing to dealers, Hengst reaffirmed his intention to continue his two Salt City Antiques Shows in October and January. For more information, 315-824-2462 or www.bouckvilleantiqueshows.com .
