New Low-Overhead Venture in Boston Speaks to the Future

by Jeanne Schinto

Promoter Marvin Getman of New England Antique Shows, based in Lexington, Massachusetts, will launch a new Boston venture in the spring. Always forward thinking, Getman has designed it as a low-overhead show in the city's South End, known for its contemporary art galleries, restaurants, and hip, young residents. "I see it as being a fun, inexpensive way for dealers to meet new customers," Getman said.

Of course, it's not a new idea to suggest that dealers rent a one-day spot, bring their own tables, lay out wares, and return to that same spot week after week. But this time, because of its location, it has the potential of spawning a whole new generation of collectors in Boston.

The older folks are accustomed to making the rounds of other long-established Sunday markets outside the city. One of the most storied is Todd Farm, an outdoor venue in Rowley, Massachusetts, that opens at 5 a.m. and runs from April through November (www.toddfarm.com).

The grand opening of what will be called the SoWa Antiques Market will bring that sort of thing, on a limited scale, inside the city. (SoWa is an acronym that comes from the neighborhood's location. Just as SoHo means south of Houston Street in New York City, SoWa means south of Washington Street in Boston.)

The grand opening is scheduled for the weekend of May 16 and 17, 2009. It is a special two-day affair, intended to coincide with the annual SoWa Art Walk (www.sowaartwalk.com), when South End artists open their studios to the public. Every Sunday thereafter, from May 31 through October, except holidays, dealers will be able set up from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. inside the shell of a massive old brick trolley repair "barn" at 540 Harrison Avenue. Given the mid-morning start, people accustomed to going to Todd Farm could still retain that habit and be in time for the early cracks at this market.

Getman isn't putting down stakes in virgin territory, and that's part of his idea's charm. About five years ago, the SoWa Open Market (www.sowaopenmarket.com) was established in the outdoor area right alongside the building that Getman's show will occupy. Inspired by New York City's weekly open-air markets in places like Chelsea, it is a gathering of approximately 100 craftspeople, local food purveyors, and other artisans that was organized by another promoter, Chris Masci. Those vendors, whose wares are juried, will continue to set up under white tents during the same seasonal period and for the same number of hours as Getman's dealers will.

"When I met the owners of that interesting building, they were very excited about the prospect of my developing something in it," Getman said. "They are in the process of putting a new roof on it and laying asphalt. It will remain a shell. It's from the days of horse-drawn trolleys in Boston."

According to research supplied by the Boston Public Library, the building was designed by William G. Preston in 1889-92. Once part of a transportation system that served Boston and its adjacent towns with 9000 horses and more than 1500 wagons, it became a powerhouse when the horse-drawn trolley system was replaced by an electric one. After a new powerhouse was built in another part of Boston, it became a maintenance facility.

Getman's space in the building can accommodate 55 dealers. They will pay $100 or $125 for a 20' x 12' space, depending on their length of commitment. Dealers will be able to drive in and out during setup and breakdown, although they will need to park elsewhere.

This is a low-overhead venture for Getman as well as for his dealers. He will not do the same market push that he does for his regular shows. Nor will he charge admission to shoppers.

"Hopefully, over time, the continuity of it will carry it," mused Getman. "Once the marketing push is done at the beginning, and the publicity is out there, hopefully it will carry on, on its own. That's what has happened to the artisans' market, I was told."

A couple of Getman's dealers already sell their antiques at the artisans' market. "They encouraged me to do this. I know that other regular dealers of mine are very interested in this, and I think I'll pick up a new base of dealers who may not be ready for my regular higher-end shows."

Who knows where this may lead, given our national financial crisis. Imagine someone in that neighborhood recently out of work, sitting at home with his or her collections. Making a small investment in a table would be a way to audition as a dealer, see if the life was a fit, and make a little money on the side. A new colleague is born, and our industry is infused with new blood.

The downturn isn't upturning soon, all indications say. Younger people will inevitably be on the prowl for cheap used goods, ready to learn, as older folks did, that buying secondhand is a way to economize-and to reduce our impact on the bruised environment at the same time.

For more information, phone (781) 862-4039 or see the Web site (www.SoWaAntiquesmarket.com).

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