The American Collection, East Hartford, Conn.

Elmwood Antiques, Haverhill, Mass.

It’s Wednesday evening, August 11, and all of the exhibitors from The Start of Manchester Antiques Show have left The Event Center at C.R. Sparks. John and Tina Bruno of Flamingo Promotions are now two-thirds through their schedule of shows for Antiques Week In New Hampshire with only The Bedford Antiques Show remaining.

The Bedford Show, a new happening for Flamingo, actually tailgates “Start,” taking place in the same building and using the same walls. “We did make a few adjustments to the floor plan, made it easier to see the show, and by 1 pm on Thursday we were ready to open the show with a new set of exhibitors, dealers who had not taken part in any other Antiques Week event,” John said. He did allow that three of his exhibitors had done his first show, “but all came in with a complete change of merchandise.”

Twenty-two dealers exhibited at The Bedford Show, most of them living up to the “Country and Americana Theme” advertised in the program. An exception was Ledoux Trading of Mount Morris, N.J., with an extensive and colorful display of art glass ranging from large bowls and pitchers, to vases of all shapes and sizes.

Those shopping for beds had a choice of a large pencil post tester example, old red surface, a low post single bed with turned and block posts and one-board headboard from The Cooperage, Townsend, Mass., or a three-quarter bed with turned and block tall posts, double rail head and foot board, from Country Americana, Robesonia, Penn.

The trade signs offered by Nutmeg Treasures, Glastonbury, Conn., covered electrical contractors, general contractors, and Sam Philipson who carried “General Merchandise.” A variety of clocks decorated the back wall in the booth of Erlenbusch Haus Antiques, Millstadt, Ill., while a nice bow front sideboard was among the formal pieces shown by B&D Johnson Antiques of Greenwich, Conn.

What will not go on next year is their New England Antiques Festival, staged this past August at the JFK Coliseum on Saturday and Sunday, August 7-8. “We are pulling that show,” John said, “it does not have the quality we are looking for and it is best put to rest.” The Granite State Antiquarian Book and Ephemera Fair, run in conjunction with the Antiques Festival, will remain on the Flamingo schedule.

“First years are always tough, wrinkles have to be ironed out, and that will be done. We will be back next year with much stronger shows and Flamingo Promotions will be well represented in Antiques Week in New Hampshire,” John said.