The new owners of Marburger Farm Antiques Show, held in this small Texas town, celebrated with dealers and customers for the great success of their most recent show, September 30⁏ctober 4. Margaret Marsh and her family, including son-in-law Rick McConn and daughter-in-law Ashley Ferguson, managed this, their third show since they purchased the show from the founder, John Sauls, in August 2007.
Created first as a tailgate to other activities in Round Top and adjoining towns, Marburger Farm, through Sauls’ dedication, has become one of the largest single shows in the twice yearly festival for antiques lovers and sellers.
The show had a full house, with more than 400 exhibitors in the big tents, buildings and a few in their own tents. Exhibiting dealers are not just local folk, as the reputation of the show has made it a part of what antiques dealers call “The National Tour,” bringing dealers from around the country and Mexico.
In the Southwest and Mexico, wall hangings are made to cover the coarse stone of interior walls. These hangings are often like murals, the size of the entire wall, but on a canvas. Obelisco was offering such a piece along with a variety of other art and antiques from their Guadalajara, Mexico, home.
Bleeker Street Antiques is actually from Chicago, but the name is an attitude for the designer and antiques dealer, Denise Odell. Her collection included more than 200 years of styles and purposes. There were leather travel bags from the Nineteenth Century, a Welsh cupboard from the Eighteenth Century, lighting and small accessories from the last three centuries and art from the Twentieth Century. In her booth the mix looked good and by day two of Marburger Farm she was pleased with the customer acceptance of her taste and style.
One of the longest church benches ever displayed at an antiques show was outside the booth of Hoffman House Antiques. It was too big to fit into the space, and since their exhibit was at the end of a tent, it could stick out without being in the way. Dealer Jim Hoffman, from Brighton, Colo., was also offering some early advertising pieces and a huge old anchor, probably not from Colorado.
The Orwigs, Corunna, Ind., set up in their usual spaces, which were filled to the brim with early novelties. What else could their collection be called when it included a sign in the shape of a huge tail of an arrow, more than eight feet long? In addition, there were several paint decorated wood pieces, which may have been cornices inside a building, such as a stage or arcade; an early horse pull toy; a very unique coffee grinder; watercolors and prints and some iron apparatus that had been part of the machinery in some grain silos repurposed as table bases. But there was more, a big box truck full of things Don and Marta found and, with a little imagination, can see in a new decorative purpose.
Staci Davidman’s Foxglove Antiques and Gallery at Miami Circle showed the popular pale shades of white and tan in wood and upholstered pieces so very much in demand now. Located in Atlanta, Ga., her inventory included sets of prints, a complete dining room ensemble and the small accessories needed to complete the room setting.
Transatlantique from Costa Mesa, Calif., was offering a Nineteenth Century ticket seller’s booth found in France. Owners Bob Watson and Kathy Klingaman shop there as often as they can get away. And it was apropos that Apropos, Inc came from its Richmond, Va., home to sell a collection of early American and English antiques.
Brooklyn, N.Y., was represented by Bernice Cohn, with a collection of early boxes, tea caddies, snuff, toys and even some boxes for the sand box that were all offered in her display. Stuart Cropper sells at some American shows as The Englishman, for that is what he is and where he lives †Seaford, England. His inventory is predominantly small important wall hangings, silhouettes and samplers.
Even with all the dealers from outside of Texas, there were plenty of Texans as well, with local and international collections.
Canterbury Court Antiques is a family business with Pam Dunn, her son Lowell, daughter Carrie Kindle and her sister Becky Myers all participating. They keep a shop in Corsicana, about 50 miles south of Dallas and shop in England and Europe. A Jacobean desk at $675 and stool at $255 were both sold at this most recent show. Sales were good overall for them, so Lowell and Carrie went back to England immediately after the show to shop for more.
The show’s founder, John Sauls, was there in one of the buildings selling from his extensive collection of American-made quilts. Dee Coates Poole, an Austin dealer was exhibiting in a room setting full of dining room furniture and furnishings. Antiques Row from Dallas had a sofa made from old stag antlers and moose paddles (that is what moose horns are called) with a hairy horse hide as the seat covering, for only $3,995.
Early piece of outdoor furniture, including two matching spring cushion chaises, was offered by Maggie Langdon of Austin for $2,995.
An additional boost was from Country Living Magazine, sponsor of this show, with several senior staffers present and Editor-in-Chief Nancy Soriano on hand to meet and greet customers.
Marburger Farm Antiques Show is held twice each year, ending on the first Saturday of October and April. The opening is the prior Tuesday, so the next gathering of the faithful antiques sellers and buyers on these grounds will be March 31 to April 4. For more information, www.roundtop-marburger.com or 800-999-2148.
