Antiques returned to Mystic January 5‶ when Trish McElroy hosted the new Mystic Antiques Market at the Hilton, with more than 50 dealers filling ballrooms to overflowing with antiques and customers. Dealers were exhibiting large collections with great variety at McElroy’s premier performance.

Marilyn Bierylo was not sure if the miniature sofa was a child’s piece or a salesman’s sample, but she liked it for her Falcon’s Roost Antiques, Grantham, N.H.

There had always been a show at the Hilton the first weekend of the year since the hotel was built in the 1980s, but the customer following had been slowly evaporating in the last few years. This year, however, the news was out about the show and on Saturday the aisles were full immediately after the 10 am opening and remained that way until close to the day’s end. Sunday hours were 11 am to 4 pm, with good attendance again from the buying public throughout the day.

There was no show last year, so McElroy simply contracted with the hotel for the space and as an established promoter went to her dealer list to refill the ballroom. The response she received was so strong she had the halls and entry ways filled, as well as the two ballrooms. Dealers were anxious to return to Mystic and to selling in the first show of the year for most of them.

Hope Antiques, Wickford, R.I.

Sally Van Den Bossche, trading as Ashaway Antiques from Ashaway, R.I., was exhibiting with her son, Kris, in the entry, offering a collection of furniture and small accessories. Their sales, according to Sally, “were good. We sold some furniture and some other wood, as well as smalls, so we did well.”

“We did fine,” was echoed by John Sideli, now living in Wiscasset, Maine, who sold several paintings, an Oriental rug and more small objects. He even had a sale as a result of the show several days later.

Hope Antiques is a dealer new to the business, from nearby Wickford, R.I., with a fine collection of early antiques and folk art. Its sales included a self-supported barber pole at $2,500 in good original paint, a clock and several more items. The Obergs of Richmond House Antiques, Ashford, Conn., also had a good show, selling an early primitive cupboard in original blue milk-based paint as part of their weekend success.

After a shopping and touring trip to England in early December, Marcia Armstrong was offering some of her latest acquisitions over the weekend. Her shop, Lyme Creamery Antiques from Lyme, N.H., is so far north she keeps it open only from May to October and then does a few shows in the winter for the extra activity. Some of her sales included small English pieces, such as a couple of figural nut crackers, an early traveling perfume caddy in flint glass and some silver pieces.

Linsey-Woolsey Antiques is the business of Judy Robertson of Noank and Kathy Olson from North Haddam, Conn.

Also from the North, Marilyn Bierylo sold several major pieces of furniture. Trading as Falcon’s Roost Antiques from Grantham, N.H., she sold a chest of drawers and a desk, each early American, made in hardwoods.

There was an unusual form for a piece of redware offered by Charles and Nancy Thorpe of Windham, Conn. The piece was that of an elongated heart, in excellent condition, showing signs that it had been used for baking something. Nancy thought it was probably made for some special menu item, but she did not have the history on it.

McElroy was very satisfied with the results of this first time event for her. “I was pleased with the dealers we had, the gate was excellent and sales were good,” she said. She added that this is the first of a new series of shows planned for the New Year. Her objective is to have several more where the dealers will be able to exhibit with reasonable rents in simple displays, and offer the buyers †dealers and collectors †great antiques at reasonable prices.

Look for this show to return again in the first weekend of January next year. Contact tamevents@yahoo.com or 603-778-8842.