More than 250 exhibitors filled two tents at the Big Red Barn and Carmine Dance Hall, which along with the buildings, collectively make up the Original Round Top Antiques Fair, which ran September 29⁏ctober 2, with great variety of antiques and the shoppers who were doing the buying.
Reports of strong selling accounted for the happy noises coming from dealers. Show manager and co-owner Susan Franks was extremely pleased with the results for this fall’s edition, saying, “We had the barn filled and the two tents were really big with great dealers offering great antiques for the huge crowds we had.”
Patti Walsh was in her usual two spaces with her collection of early New England primitive home furnishings. At the start, she sold several pieces of furniture, including an early Massachusetts-found tap table, a hanging cupboard and some small items. Her selling continued through the weekend.
Jim and Toni Stoma’s Lacham House Antiques, Waterville, Ohio, began selling hooked rugs and furniture as soon as the show began. One customer purchased a three-dimensional diorama of a sailing ship as Jim Stoma’s first transaction. Toni was not in attendance, as she was exhibiting in Manchester, Vt., for the weekend.
Early primitives from other parts of the world were available from Betty Stansbury of Nederland, Texas. The back of her exhibit featured a great pair of doors, complete with their hardware. These doors looked massive enough to withstand a cannon shot 200 years ago. Early primitives accounted for the bulk of her collection.
Southwestern Elegance was enjoying a new place in the Big Red Barn, where it was able to better showcase its collection. On view were early advertising pieces, furniture and early home decorating accessories. The big attention-getter, however, was a collection of marionettes from about 100 years ago featuring Punch and Judy, all in good condition.
June Ainsworth, Rockport, Texas, was showing an unusual small rug, about 2 by 4 feet with a Currier & Ives-like barnyard scene. The most unusual aspect of the piece was that it was all in needlepoint, not hooked, and in excellent condition. Katie Johnson, Westlake, La., had a similar-sized hooked rug with a kaleidoscope patterned background featuring Texas hearts and stars. Texas merchandise also was seen in the booth of Glenwood Vernon, Brenham, Texas, who was selling early Texas furniture.
From Fort Myers, Fla., Fred Cain could not keep his booth stocked, as he was selling most of the antiques he brought, except for a very large sofa from about 1840. David Herndon, Atlanta, Ga., was selling Chinese Export dishes and Black Forest carved bears.
Other Southern dealers found here included Richmond, Va., dealer Robert Martin, who was in the Big Red Barn tent with an exhibition twice the size of most and filled with early furniture. Fanshawe Blaine Antiques, Raphine, Va., in the Continental tent, was selling from its collection of early English furniture and accessories. Black Sheep Antiques, Madison, N.C., sold early English furniture in such good quantity that the dealers needed to keep restocking their exhibit.
Guns and other antique weapons are the stock and trade for Bob and Rebecca Axelrod, Charlotte, N.C. Bob said their show “was very good †there isn’t any recession in Texas, at least not for our collection.” Their sales included several long guns, all made prior to 1898, as well as antique knives, swords and armor. They also sold a 1920 Iroquois outfit that was reportedly made for a Wild West show back then. It was buckskin with intricate beadwork.
Marcella Guerra, the proprietor of Virreyes, Mexico City and San Antonio, Texas, was selling religious artifacts that she found in Mexico. The centerpiece of her display was an oil on canvas of the Virgin of Carmen, Mexican, circa 1820.
Carmine Dance Hall was the original show in this area more than 40 years ago, and it still caters to a loyal following of exhibitors and shoppers. Nedra O’Brien, Advance, Mo., is one of the many faithful dealers offering her collection of early textiles and linens. Her sales “were very good for the show, with lots of small sales. I sold a christening gown; it was an antique piece of good value, and offered a rare Battenberg coat.”
Hazel Giles, Glenville, N.C., offered “mostly smalls, because I didn’t have much furniture to bring this time.” Her sales of smalls, Nineteenth Century collectibles and jewelry were described as “good.”
Joan and Curtis Moore, Vaughan, Miss., were on the Carmine stage again, as they have been at this show for many years. Their collection featured Nineteenth Century painted furniture in a setting ready for breakfast on the veranda: colorful and comfortable.
Paw Print is another of the many regulars at Carmine. From Bandera, Texas, Debbie Keneson collects early Nineteenth Century home furnishings and store fixtures for her inventory and filled several booth spaces.
Susan and Bo Franks produce this show twice each year, ending the first Saturday of October and in the spring, ending the first Saturday of April. Next spring’s dates will be March 30⁁pril 2. There are also smaller antiques shows in January and June at The Big Red Barn. For more information, www.roundtoptexasantiques.com or 512-237-4747.
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