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Bellevue, Washington
Spirit of the Past Antiques Show
by Cathy Aldrich

Some things shouldn't be kept secret, and you can bet keeping their show a secret isn't the intention of promoters Kathy Hind and Jay Chambers. Yet it seems the evolution of the Spirit of the Past show from the former Spirit of Country show keeps it "a well-kept secret." Those were the words used by Bob Johnston of Olde Good Things when describing how he felt about the show's offerings and promise, and he felt it shouldn't be a secret.

Held September 17 and 18, 2005, in Bellevue, Washington, the show's venue was the gym at Bellevue Community College. Compared to fall shows of the recent past, turnout was very good-although the show was not quite as heavily attended on Saturday as the spring show was. Unfortunately, it was a weekend full of events: two college football games (the University of Washington had a home game and Washington State University played in the Seattle area) and on Sunday professional football (the Seahawks had a home game).

Add to this list respectable late summer weather, many local road construction projects, and the temporary part-day closure of Interstate 90 (which is a stone's throw from the campus), and lower turnout wasn't too surprising. Still, there was a good line awaiting the show's 10 a.m. opening, and a steady trickle of customers kept up for the half-hour following. After that, things did slow a little, but you'd hardly have noticed once inside since the floor bustled with showgoers until the early afternoon.

The space had been slightly reconfigured for this show. By placing a curtain wall further back than it has been, more floor space was given to the dealers and customers. This also allowed for chairs to be placed in the outer aisles, affording spots to rest. It was a change welcomed by those who took the time to notice, and having more open area made the floor feel far less crowded.

Longtime dealers at the show were quick to note that while there were many familiar faces in the crowd, there were many more that were unfamiliar. That bodes well for the show, since it changed from a strictly country show to a more varied show specifically to attract more people.

Gone was the former grumbling from dealers and customers alike as to the show's offerings. Many felt the old Spirit of Country show was going in the wrong direction and the goods being offered were increasingly not up to par with the name the show had made for itself. The new Spirit of the Past has, for the second time, managed to increase the menu and up the ante, while attracting more of the country dealers that many customers still come looking for. For a change, there was not a bit of shabby chic to be found-to the delight of just about every dealer and customer attending.

Sunday, usually the slower and quieter day of the two, still saw a decent draw. In fact there was more traffic on Sunday than the show has seen in several years. Dealers new to the show were pleased with the turnout; they had expected far less.

As has been the case elsewhere, some dealers did very well, and some did not. The economy is still such, especially coupled with gas prices, that some people are just not as willing to open their wallets for a desired item. Still that didn't keep others from delighting in a wonderful treasure, and several larger ticket items were sold.

Peter Storey Pentz of Woodinville, Washington, had offered a delightful little Federal card table that ended up selling to a dedicated local collector. This was one of two pieces of furniture that Pentz sold at the show. Needless to say, Pentz was delighted, since at the show he generally ends up making contacts for his restoration business rather than selling his furniture.

Paul and Kathleen Johnson of Home Again Antiques again had their "best show ever," with sales topping the spring show (the tally included some of the author's dollars as well).

Even new dealers that were somewhat disappointed with their sales said they would like to do the show again. They were impressed with the traffic and with the show's production. Jay Chambers has made a good fit with the show since he joined it a year ago. It would seem change, indeed, is good. Now all the promoters need is for this so-called "secret" to be let out.

The next Spirit of the Past show will be held in March 2006. For more information, contact Kathy Hind or Jay Chambers at (360) 330-9365 or visit the Web site (www. spiritofthepastantiques.com).