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Sturbridge, Massachusetts

Show Offers Wide Variety of Vintage Textiles

by Ed Pfeiffer

Most categories of antiques and collectibles have subsets, groups of specialized objects within the general subject. Silver, for example, has a dinnerware subset that in turn divides into flatware and hollowware. Furniture has many subsets, including case pieces, tables, chairs, and upholstered items. It is probable, though, that no other category has more subsets than textiles. At least that was the impression gained from the Antique Textiles and Vintage Fashions Show & Sale staged by Linda Zukas in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, on July 10. There were quilts, window treatments, trimmings, linens, and laces; a whole range of vintage costumes, including Victorian gowns, 1920's flapper outfits, military uniforms, and vintage baby clothes; and a variety of special items such as hats, shoes, handbags, belts, gloves, buttons, and scarves.

The show was held in the Sturbridge Host Hotel, and there were 75 exhibitors, eight of them in the area just outside the show entrance. The other 67 dealers were in a large ballroom where there were long but rather narrow aisles of interesting displays overflowing with colorful textiles, creating an impression of a Middle Eastern bazaar. The exhibitors came from 15 states, including Florida, Texas, Iowa, and Minnesota, plus one each from England and Italy.

John Moore of Letty & John's Vintage Collection, Milan, Italy, said that until recently he and his partner, Maria Letizia Locatelli, had sold textiles to trade buyers in the United States by visiting them in person. That was "complicated," he explained, so in recent years they have begun doing shows in the U.S., letting their customers "come to us."

A number of exhibitors were doing the show for the first time. One of them, Joan Krainin of Barnstable, Massachusetts, has been an interior designer for many years. She said that she had accumulated a great many valuable but not needed vintage textile items and had decided to do a show as a way to sell them.

Linda Zukas has been managing the Sturbridge textiles show for 16 years. The show is now well established, with a loyal following of exhibitors and visitors. She presents three textile shows each year, in May, July, and September, with two of them timed to coincide with the shows in Brimfield, about six miles to the west.

The events are unusual in that most of the visitors are not individuals buying at retail for their own interest but professionals whose businesses, in one way or another, involve vintage textiles. They include, for example, clothing designers, interior decorators, dressmakers and seamstresses, and costume managers from television, theater, and films. Exhibitor Sarah Dyjak of the Golden Peacock Boutique, Springfield, Massachusetts, said there had been an "early rush" of visitors when the show opened. She felt they were not shopping randomly but were searching for some specific type of textiles.

Dressmakers, for example, may have been looking for vintage garments that could be restored to fine condition and resold. For costume managers, an old garment might be ideal as an authentic costume or as a pattern to be replicated. Interior decorators might find interesting vintage window treatments or fabrics that could be used for upholstery or to make pillows. For a clothing designer a classic garment might serve as inspiration for an updated version in modern style.

It was not unusual to see would-be buyers trying on and modeling vintage costumes. The visitors seemed to be enjoying the experience, and several said they were surprised at the rare and unusual things they had found. Overall, the show had the flavor of a business trade show rather than a typical antiques show.

Exhibitors at the July event reported strong sales, although most noted that results at the summer show are usually lighter than those at the shows in the spring and fall.

Connie Marks of Rocky Point, North Carolina, had buyers for baby items, lingerie, a blouse, and lace. Maureen Jordan of Thoroughbred Threads, Corning, New York, said she had sold "a little bit of everything," including velvet and other vintage fabrics, buttons, and linens. By midday, Monica Seggos of Monica's Vintage Fashions, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, reported selling a Victorian wedding gown, a chiffon gown, a lamé gown, and a cape, all in the $500 to $900 price range.

For information on future Sturbridge textile shows, phone (207) 439-2334 or see the Web site (www.vintagefashionand textileshow.com).