The Pier Antique Show
November 23rd, 2013
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This mixed-media work, The New York City Marathon, was displayed by Antique Elements, Roslyn, New York. The painting and the frame were made by Loren Munk (b. 1951) in the 1970’s. The dealers asked $12,500 for it.
Glen Leroux of Westport, Connecticut, had the first booth as one entered the “modern” wing of the show. He offered this Kem Weber loveseat from the 1930’s flanked by a pair of 1950’s ceramic lamps. A Curtis Jeré steel sculpture from the 1970’s is on the wall and had an asking price of $3400. Leroux also sells 20th-century jewelry.
These flags were displayed at Michele Fox American Antiques, Weston, Connecticut. Top left is a 44-star parade flag from 1891, after Wyoming became a state. Below that is a 13-star 1876 centennial parade flag. In the middle on the top is a 45-star 1896 parade flag from when Utah joined the Union. On the bottom is a 1912 Teddy Roosevelt “Rough Rider” bandana. On the top right is a silk campaign bandana, circa 1888, for Benjamin Harrison’s presidential campaign. At the bottom is a 42-star flag, 1880’s, which was a flag for only seven months, explained Fox. |
New York City
The Pier Antique Show’s infusion of new blood appeared to pay off for the almost 500 dealers showing their wares on the far west side of New York City on the weekend before Thanksgiving, November 23 and 24, 2013.
According to several dealers, the change from Stella Show Management, which ran the event for years and sold it in 2013 to U.S. Antique Shows, part of GLM Shows, was seamless. There were long lines of ticket buyers, and the gate surpassed the show manager’s expectations.
“The gate has been fabulous today,” remarked a dealer from Maine, who has been doing the show for over 20 years.
Another dealer, who has been exhibiting “for decades,” was pleased that his booth was in the same spot as years prior. “We’ve been under one roof for a while,” he said, making reference to when the show used to be held on three separate piers. “We see people at this show we haven’t seen all year,” he stated with a smile.
Dealers love this show—the ones who exhibit as well as the ones who don’t but who come to buy. “The Pier show is where we find treasures,” said an American fine arts dealer. “It’s a great show.”
The atmosphere was buoyant inside Pier 54 as collectors and dealers reconnected.
“So, what’s up?” asked a dealer to a collector. There was a reunion-like quality in the aisles, all thousands of square feet of them, and a homey atmosphere that belied the notion of New York as unapproachable.
An exhibitor from Michigan, who explained that he brings more traditional items to the shows he does in York, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire, stated, “Here anything goes.”
The Pier show is a great leveler because of the vast range of products offered. It’s a “take-all-comers” kind of show, where celebrities stroll the aisles alongside families from the suburbs.
Where else could one get a free health screening while attending an antiques fair? An announcement came over the PA system several times during the weekend alerting attendees that Rite-Aid was offering screenings at a booth next to the show’s café.
Categories offered included folk art, Americana, ceramics, furniture, jewelry, vintage clothing and handbags, rugs, lighting, and kitsch. The show’s aisles were divided by category, making it somewhat easier to navigate. Americana and decorative arts were located across from modern merchandise. Fashion Alley had its own area. Classic and formal antiques booths were located to the left of the ticket booth in a separate area.
For more information, contact U.S. Antique Shows at (239) 732-6642 or see the show’s Web site (www.pierantiqueshow.com).
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There are more tie bars, tie clips, tie tacks, tie pins, and cufflinks than one can count at Michael Rodriguez’s booth, the Missing Link. Located in the heart of New York’s Chelsea on West 25th St., it is the place to go for anything tie and cuff related. Prices for tie bars ranged from $25 to $65, while cufflinks averaged $150. Diamond and platinum cufflinks were priced at up to $8000.
The Art Deco Society of New York had a membership table at the entrance to the show. The group encourages the study and understanding of the Art Deco style through tours, lectures, films, and book events.
This étagère held pieces of 19th-century white ironstone and Wedgwood at Paula Cohen’s stand, Your Grandma Had It, Brooklyn, New York. They ranged in price from $175 to $225.
Hamish Hog Antiques, Plainfield, New Jersey, specializes in Aesthetic Movement pottery and silver plate items, 1876-90. On the top shelf is a collection of American Victorian silver plate from the 1880’s. On the bottom shelf is a display of ceramics by Dr. Christopher Dresser, a designer who worked for Minton, Linthorpe, and Ault. The other picture shows examples of Dresser’s designs for Linthorpe. Helen Hersh of Hamish Hog has done the show since it began over 30 years ago. The items pictured are priced at several hundred to several thousands of dollars, depending on rarity and condition.
Steven Thomas, Inc. Fine Arts and Antiques, Woodstock, Vermont, had an impressive collection of woodblock prints. The one shown here is Summer Clouds by Margaret J. Patterson, an American artist who was born in 1867. The color woodcut, circa 1918, is number 30 of an edition of 100. It measures 8 7/8" x 11 3/8". Thomas asked $10,750 for it.Originally published in the March 2014 issue of Maine Antique Digest. © 2014 Maine Antique Digest
