Click here to subscribe to M.A.D.

Delafield, Wisconsin

New Venue Pleases Promoters and Dealers at Delafield Antique Show

by Sharon Verbeten

With a gleaming new venue chock full of charm, history, and antiques, the Delafield Antique Show made its debut in the Delafield Hotel, April 28-30. The upscale show, a presence in the southeast Wisconsin city since 1994, spotlighted 68 dealers from 11 states in the six-week-old luxury hotel, which just over a year ago was an old warehouse.

"I think most everybody liked [the venue]," said Ron Christman, who, along with his wife, Debby, has managed and vetted the show since 1994. The couple, who run a multi-dealer antiques shop in nearby Wales, Wisconsin, assumed ownership of the show in November 2005 from Robert Lang, owner of many buildings in downtown Delafield, a city of about 6000 located approximately 30 miles west of Milwaukee. "We try to have a good variety of merchandise, but all quality [items]," Christman said.

A large ballroom and several adjoining rooms housed dealers on two levels, with about two-thirds of the dealers downstairs. A few logistical glitches-and a somewhat blustery weekend-didn't dim the dealers' enthusiasm for the new site. Lights went on and off occasionally throughout the weekend in upstairs booths, due to some circuitry problems and power surges, according to Christman. And one dealer's electric cord shorted out on Sunday. While the "little scare" spurred an impromptu fire drill, Christman said, "It really did not disrupt anything."

Dealer Elaine DeWulf of Deer Run Antiques, Waunakee, Wisconsin, said the hotel "adds a touch of class" to the show. Likewise, Ann Soukup, a dealer from Darien, Illinois, loved the venue and said the Christmans did a fine job of organization. "It's unbelievable how well it's gone," said Soukup, who has set up at the show for 12 years.

"For anything in the Midwest," added dealer Barbara Vitrano of Sussex, Wisconsin, "this is topnotch."

Dealers on the lower level contended with slightly cool temperatures, but overall a steady flow of traffic seemed to keep dealers busy and happy. Christman said around 2200 attendees, including "quite a few" out-of-state buyers, flooded into the show with a steady stream on the show's final day. "Sunday was an extremely good day for us attendance-wise and sales-wise," he added. "We were very encouraged."

A busy Friday night opening amounted to sales for quite a few dealers, and "sold" tags were visible on some pieces at Saturday's opening, including a secretary desk in the booth of Philip Harbaugh of Colonial Antiques, Arcanum, Ohio. The desk, Harbaugh said, was purchased for use in the Delafield Hotel.

"There's still a market for quality antiques," said Harbaugh, who specializes in pewter from 1680 to the 1840's. Harbaugh literally grew up in the pewter world; in the 1920's his mother had a shop in Madison, Wisconsin, where she crafted pewter wares.

While he said the market has been "slow for the past few years," he was hoping a large display of plates, mugs, and decanters he offered at the show would entice attendees. "You need new buyers," he said. Three large antique wood showcases, including an 18th-century tavern back bar, displayed the pewter pieces. He pronounced the two-part New England cupboard, priced at $28,950, "a very desirable piece."

Pewter is a primarily decorative ware, and other dealers were counting on such decorative antiques to attract buyers. DeWulf, whose booth included everything from wood smalls to silhouettes to paintings, said, "In today's market, you have to branch out and carry a little of everything." She aims for more of the décor market today, rather than aiming strictly at collectors. The former, she said, "want pieces that make a statement. It's more of an emotional response."

Pauline Sparks, who occupied the booth across from DeWulf's, agreed that matching that one great piece with its perfect owner is the key to making sales. Sparks, who runs Sparks Antiques, Middleton, Wisconsin, offered everything from advertising pieces to a large painting of a Native American to a well-loved teddy bear in her booth.

Bringing new and younger buyers into the fray was a concern for Soukup as well, who has been in the antiques business 32 years. "I think the antiques market is changing," she said. A mix of costume jewelry, samplers, silhouettes, and other smalls created a mélange of decorator pieces at her booth. "We're eclectic," she said. "We buy what we like and what is good." Three especially attractive pieces on display were mid-19th-century alphabet samplers stitched by two sisters.

Folk art and primitives are a cornerstone of the show; many dealers bring their Americana finery-the items they hope to sell and the items they themselves love. "You buy what you love personally," said Sheridan Loyd, a dealer from St. Joseph, Missouri, who focuses on 18th- and 19th-century pieces, primarily from New England and Pennsylvania. "I have a passion for paint and folk art," she said. "It's hard to find the things you love; I buy from the heart."

A fine Queen Anne blanket box, still retaining its deep red paint, was one example of Loyd's passion. The 18th-century box was tagged $2195. In the center of Loyd's booth was a charming painted child's school desk from Maine. Still retaining its weathered green paint and children's scribbles on the inside of the desk lid, the piece from the early to mid-19th century was marked $4895.

Loyd said she's tried to interest her daughter in folk art, and such pieces peppered her booth. Making a bold statement was a 31" running horse weathervane attributed to Harris & Co. The piece, bearing a fine copper patina, was priced at $6500. "Weathervanes aren't hard to find, [but] they're becoming more expensive," Loyd said.

"Folk art is strong right now," concurred R.M. Broughman of Metamora, Michigan, who made the seven-hour drive to the show for the second time. He credited shelter magazines with having a major impact on the market. Hand-carved wood bowls, decoys, and furniture, most from the 19th century, were the highlights of his booth, located conveniently right next to the show's front door.

Another dealer focusing squarely on folk art and Americana was Patriot House Antiques, West Chicago, Illinois. Dealer Anne Bruser is also a collector-her home is draped in the red, white, and blue. But while she agreed with Broughman that some buyers might be influenced by what they see in magazines, she said, "I don't want to be chasing a magazine cover."

For her, patriotic memorabilia and the country style it exudes just fits. "The nice thing about country to me is what should be in, and what's not in, is what thrills. Country should be [personal].

"Each of these things can talk to us," she said. "They've had a life."

One of the things she exhibited that had a life of its own was a pair of wood apothecary cabinets in weathered deep green paint. Bruser said the circa 1900 pair had originally served their purpose in a drugstore. Later, a hardware store filled the spot, and the multi-drawer cabinets were filled with tools, widgets, and whatnots. Bruser priced the pair at $2800.

Her booth was heralded by an expansive red, white, and blue flag banner, which she had recently sold to decorate a local venue. She also offered painted wood furniture, wood smalls, and flag- and eagle-themed items.

But how does a dealer who collects patriotic memorabilia decide what to sell and what to keep for herself? "If it tugs at [my] heart," she said, "it stays in [my] collection."

The Christmans will host the second Delafield Antique Show of the year on November 3-5 at the same site. Christman said they will work to correct some of the minor disruptions, such as adding additional electrical circuits upstairs and possibly making alterations to the floor plan.

"We're going to take a look at traffic patterns," Christman said. "It's mostly just mechanics." They may also explore carpeting the aisles of the lower level, expanding the food service menu, and adding space for four to five dealers.

For more information on the Delafield Antique Show, call (262) 968-4913 or visit the Web site (www.antiquescenteratwales.com).