What better way to start a new year than by buying something old? The venerable Birchwood Manor Antiques Show proved, in the first of its two annual outings in 2008, that good antiques and art continue to attract buyers.
More than 3,000 people passed through the elegant gates over the weekend of January 4‶ into the stylish building that houses the state’s oldest antiques show. The event makes use of every ballroom and all of the upstairs rooms. Show manager Allison Kohler of JMK Shows & Events called the show “very successful” and said, “People love the look of the show †the diversity and the mix. It was a good, positive show.”
Efficiently managing the show, she was assisted by her mother, Rona Kohler, who chatted with dealers upstairs while attending to last-minute details before opening Friday morning. Jesse and Rona Kohler, now semiretired, took over management of the show formerly known as the Meadowbrook show. The elder Kohlers were on hand assisting their daughter at the show before heading back to warmer weather in Florida. Their Sarasota, Fla., antiques show opens this weekend.
Carol A. Kooperman, Blue Bell, Penn., filled her booth with majolica from American Etruscan to French in all forms from cheese keepers to butter pats, teapots, cups and plates, which beckoned to buyers with their whimsical motifs and vibrant hues.
“I did very nicely,” she said in a postshow interview. A noteworthy sale was a covered French bowl with pansies that she had just gotten in and not often seen. She also reported strong interest in a George Jones butterfly tray.
The Ivory Tower, Ridgewood, N.J., said traffic was excellent and strong all weekend with some good pieces finding new homes, including a large Fukagawa bowl, several choice pieces of Satsuma and a large piece of Sumida. Dealer Marvin Baer was encouraged to see many new faces.
Lakeside Art & Antiques, Princeton, N.J., had an impressive show. Highlighting a long list of notable sales that included much art and jewelry was an 1869 Steinway square grand piano. Before it sold, dealer Christopher Madison turned his booth into a piano bar, took requests from guests, and even offered wine and cheese.
“JMK did a wonderful job of bringing together a diverse group of dealers from all over the country, providing the guests with an amazing experience. Several first-time attendees mentioned how they were impressed with the breadth and quality of the displays,” he said. “It is always a real pleasure to do the Birchwood shows.”
For the customer who wants an instant collection with little effort, Chimney Corner Antiques, Newburyport, Mass., offered a booth full of unique and interesting collages of antiques and ephemera that dealer Don Lutz assembles into attractive shadowbox frames.
Nautical enthusiasts found a White Star Line menu mounted with a ticket and an original fork and more; there were also circus, animal and other popular themes represented.
“The show went very well, Sunday was as strong as Saturday,” Lutz said. “We have these instant collections that people must have.”
Making its debut at the show, Michael E. Sams Interiors, Gorydon, Ind., offered an eclectic booth with a pair of exotic figures standing sentry. The turn of the Twentieth Century figures were hand carved and decorated and each supported a 12-light candelabra. They drew much interest during the show.
A memorable sale was a Nineteenth Century portrait of a young lady holding a book in its original frame. “The portrait came from one of the great mansions in Savannah, Ga., the Caldwell estate. The couple who purchased it were as appreciative of it as I,” said Sams.
The most interesting sale at L&Z Jewelry and Gifts, Farmington Hills, Mich., was a Victorian slide bracelet to a customer who had scoured shows around the country for a particular style, said gemologist and dealer Janet Dunayevich.
The customer had asked about the item at the July Birchwood Manor show and five months later, Dunayevich obtained one. “We searched high and low to find just the right bracelet for her. This bracelet was a great success. She loved it right from the start. It had all of the right slides, with just the right stones and pearls in it,” she said, noting that the width was a little small but Dunayevich easily remedied that by adding two loops.
“I always travel with my jewelers tools and extra jewelry parts. She was so happy and she was showing it to everyone that was passing by our booth… It truly made our day and hers.”
Tiffany and other fine lamps were spotlighted at Philip Chasen Antiques, East Norwich, N.Y. “Interest was good at the show, with Saturday being the busiest,” said Chasen, whose best sales included a Tiffany linenfold counterbalance floor lamp, and an original Louis Icart etching titled “Sweet Mystery.”
Drawing customers into the show that might not otherwise come to an antiques show, Paul M. Nulton was not selling antiques, but he was busy all weekend repairing them. Offering an on-site glass repair and polishing service, Nulton worked nonstop most of the weekend and right after the show opened, he was booked up for that day’s work and had to turn customers away Sunday if there was not time to finish a job.
Furniture seemed to be selling well at the show, according to Kohler. Jaffe & Thurston, Wawarsing, N.Y., had its usual well-appointed booth mixing fine art, porcelain and furniture. A Sheraton-style mahogany and curly maple veneer server, circa 1920, bearing a label from Potthast Brothers, Baltimore, Md., was offered.
Fardin’s Oriental Rugs, Fairfield, Conn., offered an always lush and eye-dazzling assortment of rich textiles.
The show returns to Birchwood Manor July 25′7 and again January 2‴. For information, www.jmkshows.com or 973-927-2794.
