Auctions and Antiques Examiner

  Westinghouse Coca-Cola cooler in just the right size. $2,395

• If your a serious buyer, it's a great show to shop, sales are slow and sellers are eager to unload something, anything. Strangely enough, there are always  just about the same amount of vendors and offerings in July as the other two shows, so you'll have plenty to pick from!
• Furniture is still the slowest of all the areas of collecting, so it's a bargain shoppers paradise if you're looking for antique furniture. On a pan-fry day like today the last thing a dealer wants to do is re-load his/her vehicle with un-sold furniture, so they'll be eager to sell. Be bold with your offers, but be fair, you don't want to get someone that is miserable from the heat much madder than they may already be. You could find yourself stuffed in a blanket chest before you can ask, "Is that the best you'll do?"
• Hot items: smalls and lemonade!
• Best advice: see you in September.

    Looking for swimming hole!

Wooden cigar store Indian, vintage
but not an antique, still it was a
steal at $1,095.

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    These 7 must have tools will fit in your pocket.

1. Flashlight: Your a rookie without one! Even on a well lit day at a flea market they can come in handy for looking under tables, in cupboards for signatures of furniture makers etc.
2. Cigarette Lighter: For pin tests for "Plastic or Ivory" checks, also a great tool for identifying synthetic or organic fabric. IE: If you need to know if a blanket is pure cotton or has a rayon in it, fray a very small thread and take the lighter to it, if it curls into a ball, it's a synthetic. If it ashes away, it's organic.
3. Pocket Knife: There are so many uses for this one it's not even funny, but my favorite is using it to threaten the competition in a crowded buying situation. Just kidding! I like  a small folding knife that fits right on a key chain so it won't get lost.
4. A  magnet: Lots of uses, but my favorite is to tell whether or not something is brass or copper plated or solid. A magnet won't stick to solid brass, bronze or copper. There are other metals it won't stick to, but those are usually the ones you'll need to verify for value.
5. A jewelers loupe or magnifying glass: Again, this tool has many uses, one way to tell whether or not an antique item is gold plated is by using a strong loupe. Under good magnification you can often see brass, copper or another base metal showing through most old gold plated items, especially the edges and places where the item is handled most.
6. A note book & pen: Among it's many possibilities, you may want to jot down info for and item you wish to check out and come back later for, but be warned the good stuff sells quick!
7. A pocket scale: If your buying gold or sterling silver these days as many people are, this is a must.
   

• Most agreed that there was an exceptional amount of very good quality items this year. The reasons given were that,  "high end" is selling, and selling well.
• Furniture overall is still soft.
• The opinions on why high quality items were selling well mostly came in two categories. The first is that those with money in this tough economic season are looking to invest in antiques and art. I also heard many old school dealers pronouncing the "death of eBay" at least the antiques part of it and have opined that this is the main reason for the increase in quality items at this year's show.  Many believe that with eBay's new policies confusing and alienating so many, that antiquers are looking once again to market there better items at big shows. Some I talked to said they've seen an increase in quality items at other shows earlier in the year, and the same reasons were given.
• This year there seemed to be an above average amount of European and Canadian shoppers at the show, no doubt due to the value of those country's currencies versus the US dollar. One woman from London, filled 2 suitcases with $25,000 worth of Sterling Silver from one dealer. Suffice it to say that most of the foreign shoppers are not buying furniture, another kick in the head to the struggling antique furniture market at this show.
• Art, art, art. People were buying paintings, great US Art Pottery and other Object d'Art  in what seemed like record number.
• The market for good antique musical instruments appeared to be very strong.
• Early toy and games dealers were doing well.
• Anyone with good, unusual smaller items priced right, probably did well at this show.

Items and asking prices.

Here are a few things I found interesting and their asking prices. The dealers contact info appear next to the item if I was given permission to print that.

Wendy & Chuck LaVigna of Stone Cottage Antiques did well and had the following items for sale.
stonecottageantiques.net

A wonderful faded yellow painted primitive foot stool $165

Super pair of Torino mfg Chrome Retro Lamps $375


A large Petit Point of a Biblical? scene. $375


A dealer from Maine offered one of the nicest spool cabinets I've seen.
Belding Bros. 3 foot tall spool cabinet, $1500


George Clark spool cabinet $1495

The Great American Game an early tin Baseball Game by the Hustler Toy co. of Sterling Illinois. $295

There was a companion Football game priced at $295 as well

Antique Slot Machine $1500


Dennis Carlson Antiques of Moodus CT had a very interesting display which included the following

 A circa 1920s Mr Wood boat model $850

A fully working 3 foot long Railroad Steam Engine circa 1920s - $4250


From dealers who did not wish to have contact info published I found.

A Hurdy Gurdy cart fully working at $950


An antique motorcycle, (the dealer was not at the booth, and this item did not have a price tag

A miniature hand-made cupboard $475

A White's 4 gallon crock with cobalt blue floral decoration $485

Clark Jr Crock of NY also cobalt blue decorated  $475

An Oak bow-front curio cabinet with applied lions, $1295


What I took away from the show was this.

 

• Big Antique Shows are back.
• High end is selling.
• Art is selling.
• Smalls are selling if they are unusual.
• The foreign antiques investment market is aggressive and looking to buy good quality.
• Sterling and gold, name your price.
• Coins are selling.
• Don't talk about gas prices and don't talk about eBay.

Thanks for reading.
AW

For a complete 2008 Brimfield Shows Schedule click here.