Several inches of snow on Friday, January 7, the opening day at Birchwood Manor Antiques Show, resulted in “a minimal gate on the first day,” according to show manager Allison Kohler. The show then went on to have good attendance and great sales on Saturday and Sunday.
Often considered a New Year’s tradition, the show was conducted the following weekend, January 7‹, at the popular central New Jersey restaurant and ballroom, which hosted more than 70 dealers exhibiting fine early American, European and Asian antiques, fine art and early home furnishings.
JMK Shows, now a second-generation antiques show business founded by Allison’s father and mother, Jesse and Rona Kohler, has been producing this event every January since the late 1960s, first at the Meadowbrook in Verona, N.J., and here since 1979. This year’s show had typical response, with all available space filled with antiques and the aisles filled with customers on the weekend. Many of the exhibiting dealers are so loyal to the show, they could not remember how many years they have been there.
Marvin Baer from Ridgewood, N.J., has a very large and assorted collection of early porcelain, much of it Chinese Export and Imari. One large area was just Imari: dishes, vases, serving pieces and decorative pieces. He had another table covered with a similar assortment of Chinese Rose Medallion and Rose Mandarin.
A very large assortment of early display pieces of porcelain was part of the collection offered by Ros-Al Floral, dealers from Forest City, Penn. Selling too fast to be interviewed, Christopher Glinton was showing Staffordshire bocage figurines, lamps fashioned from early ginger jars, wall-hung bud vases from Asia and even some novelty wall hangings made by mounting parts from old clocks on wall plaques.
Mahjongg Antiques, Alexandria, Va., trades in Asian earthenware, predominantly Imari and Chinese Export.
Mimi Gunn Antiques, Chatham, N.J., was also too busy to talk, selling from her collection of Americana, folk art and furniture. Her collection included an early American chair table, carved marble figurines, game boards and even some outsider art. One such piece was a double exposure photograph of a child, over the letter charts from an elementary schoolroom of the early Twentieth Century, framed in folio size, ready for hanging.
J&M Antiques was selling so many objects it seemed the dealer might run out of “sold” signs. By Saturday, two large chests of drawers were both sold, along with several paintings and more. This East Amherst, N.Y., dealer’s success continued into Sunday as well.
Several dealers were showing and selling folk art. Debbie Turi, Roseland, N.J., was doing very well by Saturday afternoon. Betsy Barkocy of The Old Crow, Warwick, N.Y., said, “You should have been here two hours ago,” as she believed her early sales were some of her favorite pieces of folk art and outsider art.
Several whirligigs and a weathervane were in Coleman and May’s collection. From Annandale, Va., the dealers also had a large assortment of fine art.
The show had two book dealers, Colophon Books, Exeter, N.H., and Nicholas Riccio Rare Books and Prints, Florham Park, N.J., exhibited in adjacent booths. Each was selling from its collections at a good pace. Riccio sold several books, a few Nineteenth Century American maps and some ephemera.
Bill Union was another exhibitor too busy selling to talk. At one point Saturday, he and his associate were finishing the sale of two oil paintings, both pastoral scenics, and there was an inquiry from another possible customer. Based in Worcester, Mass., Art and Antiques Gallery sold several more pieces over the weekend.
Coming from Northfield, Ill., a Chicago suburb, Elegant Reflections did a good deal of business with Russian icons. The owner, George McLeod said his art porcelain was not too popular, but sales of the icons were sufficient for a good show.
From New Ipswich, N.H., Appleton Manor Antiques sold furniture. A chest of drawers and pier bench were among the early Saturday sales, with more progress on Sunday.
Kimerling Antiques, Ridgefield, Conn., showed a very large collection of fine silver flatware and hollowware, along with its staple, fine European porcelain. One large area was devoted to Meissen, where Bob Kimerling took the time to show the various differences in the crossed saber hallmark Meissen used, also noting where it appeared on the pieces and what that meant in dating each piece. Their sales were very good over the weekend in a variety of their collection.
Offering just silver †hollowware, flatware and many other items †was Henri Michell of Jenkintown, Penn.
Jewelry from Brad Reh of Southampton, N.Y., was selling well. His collection is an assortment of antique, vintage and some new pieces, all of high quality and value.
Vintage Babes is three sisters from nearby Morristown with a collection of early textiles and textile-related items. Mary Anne Newman, Madison, N.J., was showing an extensive collection of fine dining table linens.
JMK Shows produces antiques events in the New York suburbs throughout the year and in Sarasota, Fla., each winter. Coming up will be shows in White Plains, N.Y., February 12‱3; Morristown [N.J.] Armory, February 26′7; and its biggest show, Atlantic City, March 19′0 at the new convention center. For details, www.jmkshows.com or 973-927-2794.
