The Summer Show in Winnetka

June 13th, 2015

Winnetka, Illinois

What is it with summer antiques shows and Winnetka? There must be a black cloud hovering somewhere. But take cheer, collectors, the clouds may be lifting!

First, a little history. In 2010, we covered here the launch of a new show in Winnetka’s Ice Arena run by the North Shore Antiques Dealers Association (NSADA).

Winnetka was an auspicious place to start a summer show. An upscale suburb about 14 miles north of Chicago, Winnetka and the North Shore area offer proximity to wealth plus access to a discerning pool of collectors throughout Chicagoland and a tristate area.

That first show was an ambitious undertaking that promised great things for discriminating collectors. It seemed a perfect match of location and sellers with better goods. Many dealers already enjoyed long, profitable relationships with area buyers.

That June show filled a void. Up until 2009, the Woman’s Board of the Winnetka Community House had held two shows a year in the Community House. There was an antiques show in March and a Modernism show in November. Planned and staffed totally by volunteers, the shows ended with the 40th anniversary spring show.

The cancellation left Winnetka with zero shows in the spring. November was picked up as a combined Antiques + Modernism show managed by the Antiques Council and produced by the Woman’s Board at the Community House; the dates for 2015 are November 6-8.

The five shows NSADA held in the ice arena were top-grade and ambitious, especially considering that converting the Winnetka Park District’s ice arena into a show setting meant that the group had just days to transform the 17,000-square-foot space after the ice floor was melted. Closing on Sunday meant a rush to evacuate so that the floor could be refrozen for use.

As happens with groups, dynamics change. NSADA members aged. Priorities changed. Egos clashed. Buying in 2014 was lackluster. Long story short, in March of this year the summer show was canceled.

Longtime show dealer Doug Supinger got wind of dissension among NSADA members and decided that no matter what, the show could not be allowed to die.

Ohio-based Supinger of Mad Anthony Books had sold at the NSADA show and at another, now moribund, Winnetka show. He does over 30 shows a year, works with promoter Jon Jenkins on shows, including Tailgate, and is also a veteran of Round Top in Texas and Fiddler’s Antique Show in Nashville.

Of the NSADA show he told us, “If you let it go one year, that’s the end.”

NSADA was not forthcoming on if/when the 2015 show would happen, so in the winter Supinger contacted the ice arena to ask if the show was scheduled. They did not know.

By March, when the official drop finally happened, Supinger decided he had to go it alone with the help of dealers. He straight up told potential sellers that he was about to undertake a huge gamble and that the point was to not miss a year.

Supinger had no mailing list. He’d offered to buy it from NSADA, and the list was promised but never materialized. He had no way of getting show signs or a dealer contact list nor anything that would have been helpful.

“The closer the show got, the more they dragged their feet,” he said. You get the idea—it became a hostile situation.

What saved the day was Supinger’s absolute conviction that the show had to happen. To that add dealers, including NSADA members, who shared his vision.

“It was put together so fast. I told the dealers I took a huge gamble. I didn’t give them any illusions,” he said.

The show, held June 5-7, was cobbled together, and, honestly, the facility looked it. Gone were elaborate booths and carpeting covering the unsightly floor. There were no show programs, no booth signs, no air conditioning, and no usual amenities.

And yet it was a good-looking show because dealers who participated brought their best, including visually attractive setups.

Most of all—and this is critical—it was a refreshing show because it brought sellers new to the area. Known to Supinger because of his wide-ranging contacts, they were a sight for sore eyes. “I tried to bring ones not from the Chicago area,” he added.

The new variety was welcomed by visitors, who also commented on the range of prices and variety of  merchandise.

Michigan/Georgia seller Bim Byers, who has done the ice arena show “since the beginning,” did well at this show, selling a small 1820 bachelor’s chest for $2200, a French 1920s pâte-sur-pâte lamp for $795, and more. People bought “across the board,” plus he and his wife, Nancy, picked up several items.

“I hope this show runs forever,” he told us. “It’s certainly held in the right area.” All his sales were to local buyers. None were dealer sales.

Seller Lynda Dehler of Lake Forest, Illinois, a founder of the original NSADA show, now retired from the organization, told us that many of her sales were to Chicago-area dealers who came to buy.

A specialist in luxury accessories, vintage, and estate jewelry, Beth Poindexter of Greensboro, North Carolina, was selling in the Chicago area for the first time. “I think the show has potential,” she told us. “Everybody I spoke with commented on the nice mix there.” Because she has concerns about a lack of promotion, the jury is out on whether she would return.

For a different point of view, Bim Byers told us, “I thought the show was well run, with excellent crowds.”

Supinger pegged his gate at “a little over 750,” which is not shabby considering the short lead time.

As Dehler put it, “A lot was lacking, but none of it was vital to the show. They were things you can get along without.” People did come, not as many, but they appeared in person to complain about lack of advance notice.

Supinger already has plans for next summer’s show. “Save the date” cards will appear at shows starting this fall. Several Chicago-area dealers have already volunteered their mailing lists. For 2016, there will be air conditioning, booth signs, carpet, and other niceties.

“We want visitors to have more of a comfort level,” said Supinger. A show with new sellers plus a greater mix of sellers, merchandise, and prices, with emphasis on visuals and attention to the comfort of visitors? What more could anyone want?

For more information, call Supinger (937) 875-0808 or e-mail <[email protected]>.

Originally published in the September 2015 issue of Maine Antique Digest. © 2015 Maine Antique Digest