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As I write these blogs weeks in advance, I am often behind in my review of events of interest in my dealing life. I wrote so much about the lead up to the Winter Show that I think it only fair that I tell you how it went. I am sitting here the day after the show trying to assess my shortcomings and my successes, wondering if I can somehow make the formula of my presence in the show more rewarding than it was. This year was similar to last year in that I came close to breaking even on the show, although last year, people that I'd met at the show bought several quite good things in August, flipping the 2024 show into profit. And, of course, the PR is invaluable as people remember you and word of mouth, etc., all factor into the equation of what one is paying for. So to assess success merely by dollars and cents is a little short sighted--legitimate, but the intangibles are not to be ignored.
The Winter Show is important for a number of reasons. The number of antique shops in New York City and specifically English furniture shops is hovering close to full scale extinction. If all the nabobs in New York City wanted to furnish with English antique furniture today, they would not be able to do it with dealer merchandise that could be found in this city and that would only marginally improve by including all the shops in London. There are four major dealers in the mix in New York and that number is about to diminish by one in the next year or so. London isn't much better, but there are more shops to look at there. (Two of us in New York only have websites.) Hence, the show allows us to demonstrate the level of quality that we sell and also that English furniture remains as interesting as it ever was, all the current fads and other styles notwithstanding.
The start of the show for exhibitors is the set up. which is on Monday and Tuesday. Some people have complete layouts of their booths, some go into the show knowing what they want to show but playing part of their booth by ear. I knew what I wanted to do before I started setting up and I was pleased by the way my booth looked, for the most part, once it was all in place. On Wednesday, there is vetting. For anyone who has read my blogs, I feel that vetting is problematic as an obscure anomaly can cause for the expulsion of the object. I had no problems this year, but vetting needs to be simplified. The opening night party is on Thursday evening and it is a cocktail party, something I'm not crazy about as I'm deaf and it is hard to hear people in the din. No business, at least for English furniture, is done at the opening as far as I know. Friday is when the show opens and that is what all of us look forward to as that's when the buying customers roll in.
My goal is always to create visual excitement, but what excites me doesn't always excite the customer. For example, I had a 1760's Chippendale style serpentine chest on my booth last year that was literally the post card for the best 18th century mahogany color that you can find anywhere--the piece did not sell. (It has since.) The disappointment (at least from my point of view) for me this year was the spectacular 1750's mahogany open armchair ("Gainsborough" style chair) which was carved from the dense mahogany often called Cuban--a stunning chair as regards color and condition, but a single. (I revert to my mentor who always bought single chairs that were super examples, knowing how rare they are.) Visual excitement, in other words, is seen differently by different people. I play to connoisseurs who do get excited by my booth--the auction experts that I talked to loved it--but alas, they aren't buyers. Vultures, really, but I haven't breathed my last just yet.
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