Since 1997 Gaglio has tailgated the long-established Philadelphia Antiques Show. He launched his first Philadelphia show at the 23rd Street Armory eight years ago. Then for three years, from 2001 through 2003, he held it at Philadelphia’s Navy Pier, an attractive and secure venue with free parking that, despite some traffic jams, drew an appreciative crowd.

In 2004, when the Navy Pier was not available, Gaglio moved his show to the second floor of the Pennsylvania Convention Center with 133 dealers for a two-day show. It was not an unqualified success, deemed too large and poorly attended.

The 2005 edition of the show he calls Antiques at the Center was smaller; there were 86 exhibitors set up on the street level of the convention center for a three-day show. As luck would have it, the show did not have to compete with Barry Cohen’s 44-dealer show at the 23rd Street Armory, which was canceled, but even with nearly 100 fewer dealers competing for collectors’ dollars in Philadelphia on the weekend of April 8-10 and some first-rate material for sale, Gaglio’s Antiques at the Center did not make all the dealers happy. Half a dozen dealers sold very well, and a few dozen more did OK, but those who did poorly said they would not return, and several of those who sold well said they would not come back next year unless the show was much smaller and at a different location.

The convention center is a workable site—easy to load in and load out and accessible by public transportation. The floor plan for the show this year was straightforward with wide aisles, and the dealers assembled very attractive booths. The right people came on Friday morning at 10 a.m., and many in the two short lines were Philadelphia Antiques Show dealers who bought quickly, took their purchases back to the 32nd Street Armory, and put them on their stands. An enthusiastic crowd shopped and bought during the first three hours of the show, and it seemed like the show would be a success. Some dealers said they had a good show before the doors opened, selling to other dealers. (The New England samplers by twins, bought early on Friday morning by Carol and Stephen Huber, had gone through three hands by the time Donald Heller sold them.)

By the end of the show, however, too many dealers said they did not do well and barely covered their expenses, which came to more than $4000 for booth rent, overnight accommodations, food, and gasoline "All my sales were to people with tax numbers. Where were the collectors?" asked George Spiecker.

Dealers said attendance was disappointing on Saturday and Sunday, the first warm, sunny weekend days this spring when gardens and the golf courses beckoned. Frank Gaglio said more than 400 came each day, but in the cavernous space of the hall, the show never looked crowded. "You can’t sell in an empty building; there is no urgency, so it is easy for collectors to walk away," Spiecker said.

Dealers with fresh folk art were the stars, but those with good formal furniture said it was not appreciated. Those who tried exhibiting at this show one more time this year said they doubt they will try it a third time.

It’s hard to explain why New Hampshire in August attracts a national audience and a big gate, while Philadelphia, a city with so much to offer—fine museums, historic sites, a world-class orchestra, great restaurants—does not get crowds from afar for a long weekend when two very good antiques shows are in town.

Gaglio did a lot of advertising, offered free shuttle bus service from the Philadelphia Antiques Show to the convention center, and had a shipper in place, but Antiques at the Center had no sizzle. Dealers said Frank Gaglio did his part; he attracted good dealers and did a fine job with setup and load out, making it relatively easy for the dealers, and there were few complaints about the union porters.

Show managers and show committees have just about given up attracting young collectors, calling then the "Young Neglectors" or the "Young and Checkless" who would rather take an expensive vacation than invest in a great antique. They are wined and dined at shows but rarely leave the bar and venture into a booth. The result is a lack of new blood in the market; only the best of the best is selling, and the middle ground is just hanging on.

"Our sales in number were low, but our dollar return was above our Philadelphia average," said Rye, New Hampshire, dealer Russ Goldberger. "I find the market is shifting to decorative objects that transcend their function."

At this show dealers blamed their failures on the fact that the convention center is in a gritty part of town. "Philadelphians don’t enjoy going to the convention center and parking, and they don’t take public transportation," said Ruth Van Tassel. "They need coddling and want to be in a lovely spot with free parking. Perhaps the depth of Philadelphia has been overrated as a marketplace."

Many said there were still too many dealers competing. "I loved this show when it was at the little armory on Twenty-third Street when there were just forty dealers," said James Grievo, who said he sold well because he brought fresh merchandise and sold good painted furniture, pottery, and needlework. Moreover, he hasn’t been seen at any show in six months. "Freshness and quality is what sells. Anything tired and seen before was left behind," he said.

Frank Gaglio said he was pleased with the show and pleased with the gate. He said he solved a small problem with the union when too many workers showed up, and he said he would be back in Philadelphia next year. Will he return to the convention center? He hasn’t polled dealers to see who will return.

"Perhaps the future of this Philadelphia show is a bigger challenge than just Philadelphia. Promoters and dealers must find a new formula to get the aisles full," said Spiecker.