Malcolm Magruder, Millwood, Va.
Carol T. Trela Antiques, Baldwin, Md.
Sheppeards Antiques, Placloa, Fla.
By JMW Fletcher
YORK, PENN. – The weather was beautiful Labor Day weekend for The York Antiques Show as it held its 37th semiannual show and sale that ran through September 2 at its customary site at the York Fairgrounds and Expo Center. Under the management of Melvin (Butch) Arion since 1996, the show featured 93 selected dealers.
It was interesting to note that only about a third of the exhibitors were Pennsylvania based. The exhibitor list showed the majority being from the Eastern seaboard states, with Bill and Bunny Nolt, and the Kembles and Harbaughs driving in from Ohio. The Sheppeards drove all the way from Placioa, Fla.
The dealers featured a large selection of Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century American, English, primitive and period furniture and accessories. Also offered was a plethora of fine early china, glassware, Oriental rugs, antique silver and other collectibles.
Many of the dealers have exhibited at the York Show for more than a decade, and some for two or three. The Memorial Hall East is an ideal location for an antiques show. The hall is hanger-size with adequate lighting, wide aisles with the dealers treasures displayed in room settings. From a dealer’s point of view, it’s “an easy in and an easy out.”
According to Arion, “The show was started in 1934 by Mabel Renner. It was bought by Paul Ettline here in York, Penn., In 1958.” Arion bought the show from Ettline in 1996.
As one enters the show, the very first exhibitor in sight is Sally Good of Ambler, Penn. Good has been an exhibitor for the past six years, and always brings fine English china. The top two shelves of her wall cabinet held a collection of Gaudy Welsh.
Below were some pieces of pearlware and Falopian ware, circa 1810, which according to Good is even hard to find in England.
On Saturday, Good sold a tiger maple table, a chest of drawers, plus majolica and spatterware.
Dorothy Radany offered a crib quilt in the star pattern, baskets, and a circa 1800 “Splt Box,” (aka apple box).
Radany also reported good sales on Friday, including a Delaware Valley high chair, a carrier and two quilts.
Strong sales were also reported by six year exhibitor Sheppeard’s Antiques, selling a dry sink, a jelly cupboard, and a group of country store rdf_Descriptions. Sheppeard also featured a three piece Dutch cupboard dry sink.
Tempora Farms, Newtown, Penn., brought an oil on canvas portrait of a young woman, stated to be the inspiration of the song, “Blue Eyes.” Also on display was a strawberry cream soup tureen, a circa 1810 Philadelphia Sheraton games table and a tole tray and stand, plus a Lancaster County tall case clock by George Brenelsen, Adamstown, 1810, and a miniature Nineteenth Century blanket chest boasting a secret drawer.
Sally Cornell of Plums and Lemons, Potomac, Md., specializes in “smalls,” such as children’s Staffordshire. According to Cornell, “At the time, it was just ordinary china. On Saturday, I sold a miniature chest and a set of china [for a child].”
Seldom seen in quantity was the large grouping of pickle casters in the booth of Oakleigh Antiques, Aberdeen, Md. Almost all are silver plate, but a rare one may be found in silver.
Three fine tall case clocks were featured in the booth of Kelly Kunzle, New Oxford, Penn.
“Attendance was good,” said, Joyce Bishop of Militia Hill Antiques. On Saturday, Bishop sold a dry sink and a wood box. Featured was a unique child’s ice sled.
For over three decades, Doris Haug has exhibited at the show, and that may be a show record. Her display included a Lancaster County chest of drawers and a group of hooked rugs. Some rugs, Haug said, go on the floor, “but mostly people are buying them for wall hangings. I mat most of mine so that people can hang them.”
Joseph Lodge, Souderton, Penn., had a tiger maple chest of drawers, an inlaid cherry corner cupboard, and a blanket chest. A circa 1815 tall case clock by R. Whitit, a dough box and a cherry Hepplewhite chest with French feet were also available.
Norma Chick of Autumn Pond Antiques, Bolton, Conn., said, “This is a very good show. Yesterday I sold a post bed, a blanket chest, a weathervane, some delft.” Adjacent to the main booth, Chick used a small alcove to place some rdf_Descriptions. “I fixed this up as a garden. We have a confidence decoy, two zinc spires with morning glory directionals and a weathervane on top, and a copper horse weathervane. We also have a fireplace surround, early Eighteenth Century, consisting of 22 blue and white tiles that came from Amsterdam.”
The distinguished and unique circa 1810 folk art oil on canvas, painting depicting a scene of the Boston tea party dominated the wall in the booth of Thurton Nichols, Breinigsville, Penn.
Carol T. Trela, Baldwin, Md., has exhibited for the past 15 years. She sold an Eighteenth Century saw buck table and two tavern stands. Asked where and how she would replace the sold inventory Trela mused, “I just can’t call the catalogue and order ten more. But the good stuff is out there, if you are willing to pay. We have been doing this for 35 years.”
