American Spirit Antiques, Shawnee Mission, Kan.
Linda Ketterling, Toledo, Ohio.
Whitehall at the Villa, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Gauging the Mood in Chicagoland:
By Susan and Al Bagdade
HINSDALE, ILL. – The 44th Hinsdale Antiques Show and Sale, the primary fundraiser for The Community House, had 34 exhibitors, including nine newcomers, on September 6-8. This year, a lecture was included in the price of the show ticket. Gary Piattoni, formerly with Christie’s in Chicago and an appraiser on the PBS Antiques Roadshow, spoke on “What Makes Something of Value.” Several dealers gave booth chats during the afternoon hours.
Since the Hinsdale show starts the fall Chicagoland antiques show season, everyone was interested in gauging the mood of collectors and shoppers in these uncertain times.
Ron Lotz of Lotz’s Antiques from St Louis, Miss., was very pleased that he sold two grandfather clocks, a cottage clock and some smalls. Ron said he was showing “the best case clock we ever had. It is the finest of Federal period tall-case clocks.”
After an “excellent summer at the New England shows,” Ted Fuehr of American Spirit Antiques from Shawnee Mission, Kan., came to Hinsdale with high expectations this year. Although he brought similar objects to what he had shown last year, such as his leather bound books, Shaker boxes, weathervanes, paintings, peafowl spatter ware and fine American furniture, he did not sell too well this fall.
For Neil Zuehlke Antiques from Milwaukee, Wis., the preview was “a real strong buying night.” Zuehlke continued, “I feel like I stepped on a horseshoe.” He had planned his exhibit with black paper walls to showcase his five fine pieces of tiger maple furniture. A dealer, however, bought all of those pieces on move in, and Neil had to rethink his exhibit. Early sales included a country Sheraton all original drop leaf walnut table with a drawer, a walnut Queen Anne period candlestand with chamfered slipper foot, an early tiger maple tea caddy with nice inlay, a New London, Conn., four-drawer Chippendale chest of drawers with a honey colored mellow cherry finish and “one of the most dramatic ogee feet that I have seen in a long time,” said Zuehlke. He also had two handsome pieces of Galena pottery and he told us that “Galena pottery is going through the roof.” All in all, he had a great show.
Also from Milwaukee, Ralph Spano/Lakeshore Antiques sold well in preview and during the rest of the show. Going to new homes were a cherry Kentucky server, an English diminutive chest, a mahogany and bird’s-eye maple butler’s chest and some paintings.
Blaine Murell McBurney Antiques from Arrow Rock, Mo., was making his second appearance at Hinsdale and was in a better location this year. Early sales included some of his Paris porcelain, a drop leaf table and he had interest in some additional pieces. McBurney specializes in American classical furniture along with his Paris porcelains.
“A huge opening — it was gangbusters” was reported by Fraida Aland of Rare Finds, Ltd from Northfield, Ill. Aland sold many pieces of Victorian bamboo furniture, English wood furniture, including a set of graduated tables, a drop leaf table, antique fireplace equipment and mirrors to name a few rdf_Descriptions. She said, “It was my second biggest Hinsdale.”
Solomon Suchard Antiques from Shaker Heights, Ohio, displayed magnificent examples of Quimper pottery. Blake and Monica have also branched out into oil paintings from Brittany since Quimper is getting increasingly more difficult to replace once it is sold. They sold well at Hinsdale and will certainly be back next fall.
Lyons Ltd Antique Prints from Menlo Park, Calif., was doing well selling her botanicals as well as prints depicting early Chicago.
First-timer Ray Kisber Fine Antiques from Montreal, Canada, featured Art Moderne and Art Deco furniture also with Galle glass, Moorcroft pottery and Boch Freres Keramis. Important pieces included a streamlined Donald Deskey loveseat and chair tagged $8,500, a circa 1929 Mies van der Rohe pair of steel frame chairs with woven seats for $2,500, a Wiener Werkstatte designed screen dating circa 1920s for $2,900 and Art Moderne Dutch aluminum and glass sculpted lamp.
David Lindquist of Whitehall at the Villa from Chapel Hill, N.C., always has a successful outing at Hinsdale. This year his sales included a bureau bookcase, a Georgian chest, a Louis Philippe commode and two bamboo tables. Business was “slow on smalls,” Lindquist said. He continued, “In these times you can’t expect to sell out a booth unless it is filled with cheap stuff.”
Hinsdale is the only show that Pat Adams from Santa Fe, N.M., does. Adams was celebrating 30 years in the antiques business at this show. Antique English jewelry from the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian periods is her specialty. According to Adams, “young clients bought retro stuff” this year. She sold a lot of Persian turquoise and gold from the 1860 period as well as an Etruscan revival bracelet.
Another jewelry dealer was Carroll Isaacs Gallery from Louisville, Ky. Isaacs reported, “The most unique pieces are what people are buying. I sold unique diamonds and better silver. Pieces from the Art Deco era and signed pieces sold well.” Isaacs continued, “The most unique piece of coin silver I had was a trophy piece for a horse race dated 1861. It had more attention at an estate sale than any piece I have seen in 20 years.” It also got a lot of attention at Hinsdale.
Susie and Francois Lorin of Asiantiques from Winter Park, Fla., reported that “serious collectors came in to see them at Hinsdale.” They sold important jade pieces and other objects. Also on view were scholars table rdf_Descriptions, Peking glass, snuff bottles, Chinese furniture and some antiquities.
Newcomer Susan’s from New Cumberland, W.V., was pleased to sell Staffordshire pottery, tobacco jars, canes, a dramatic drapery rod and an entire wall full of blue and white 1845 transfer ware plates. We also noted an excellent collection of Pratt pot lids.
Most of the other new exhibitors were pleased with the potential that this show provides for them. Several mentioned that they would like to see additional advertising so that attendance could be improved.
