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"Happiness is an Antique Show" Part I

© Barbara Nicholson Bell

I couldn't resist borrowing that title from a webpage called Antique World's Events. It so perfectly expresses the pleasure an antiques collector or dealer feels just before the doors open on the first day of a show. Whether it's set up in the gymnasium of the local school or spread out over acres of lumpy ground, the tension and excitement is palpable.

If you're among the "early birds" on a chilly spring morning about 7 am, and the show doesn't open for another hour, you might grumble a little and stamp your feet to get the circulation going. But you just know in your heart that somewhere among the booths you're going to find that "goodie" everyone else overlooked.

As an antiques dealer, I do about four shows a year. I used to do as many as ten, but since moving away from New England I have fewer opportunities to do shows within easy driving distance of my home. It's okay - I get just as enthusiastic planning for fewer shows, and have more time and energy to devote to them.

Last weekend I shared a booth with another dealer at a small, very prestigious show in Manlius, New York. Only 31 dealers exhibit at this show held once a year by the town's Historical Society. I thought I'd share a little bit about the mechanics of doing an antiques show from the dealer's viewpoint, as well as a few tips for buyers.

This week's column will cover the process leading up to the show, which is fairly standard for antiques shows as well as crafts fairs, hobby shows, etc. If you do more than one or two shows a year, you'll want to keep organized files for your contracts and tax information. I like to keep advertising materials, brochures, etc. for each show in these files as well.

Perhaps six months before the show date, you'll want to apply for a space at the show - if you've done it in the past, you'll automatically get a contract from the promoter. The contract contains all the information you'll need. The prices depend on the size of the space you want - a single, booth-and-a-half, or double. If it's outdoors, the contract will specify parking for your vehicle, restrictions on canopies, etc. Sometimes two or three 8' tables are included in the booth rent, sometimes there is an extra charge for each table, as well as electrical outlets for your lighting. One or two chairs are usually included. You'll be provided with dealers' badges and a booth sign (if you don't have your own, these do nicely) on the day of the set-up.