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UPCOMING EVENTS
Antiques & Design in the Hamptons
August 14-15-16, 2009
The Country Living Fair
September 18-19-20, 2009
The Modern Show
October 16-17-18, 2009
The Pier Antiques Show
November 14-15, 2009
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| Pier Show Raves from Exhibitor Victor Weinblatt |
March 17. 2009
To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the death of New York City retail have been greatly exaggerated, and Stella’s Pier Show this week-end was living proof. Manhattan is still the place to be, period. A younger, very sophisticated, well-informed and self-confident buyer has emerged, one spoiled only in the sense that it expects all of the worlds treasure to appear at its doorstep within Manhattan. And, boy were they ever hungry for country treasure last week-end at Stella’s Pier Show. Pre-show was surprisingly strong, Saturday was good, and Sunday afternoon was an absolute blow-out.
Among our many sales was a sand-painted and gilded 19thc century Boston provenance HOME BAKERY sign, an early 20thc life-size Amish farmer farm stand trade sign (ex. Fred Hansen), a set of 8 large Pennsylvania Academy drawing studies of the male physique,, a 5 foot diameter sand cast industrial mold mustard & red mirror, a 7 foot apple green farm stand produce table, a large circular Kentucky crotched bulls eye motif rug, a polychrome country Art Deco stool, a Midwestern SANDWICH sign, a New York KIDDIE MATINEE sign, a 19thc gilded on canvas window shade DRUG STORE trade sign, two mid 19thc weaver’s skarns, a six color child’s parchesi, several hooked rugs, and a healthy selection of smalls.
The panic that threatens the marketplace is simply the other side of the same coin of greed that brought the world to its knees in the past year. Would it be heresy to suggest that value and fair pricing might clean up an antiques and art world soured by hype and an emperor’s new clothes mentality? Or, that some good may be in the process of emerging from all this pain? I vote to put Michelle Oswald and Irene Stella in charge of the antiques business stimulus plan. Only they can perform the herculean task of whisking five hundred dealers in and out of a New York facility with efficiency, grace, speed and good humor. And boy do they deliver the buyers: from a who’s who of the political, entertainment and art worlds to the affluent, perpetually youthful New York demographic.
One economist writing in the Atlantic Monthly describes what I witnessed first hand in my own booth as “compensatory consumption”. Perhaps our clients are not buying new beach houses or fancy cars, but the pent up demand for satisfaction makes them all the more eager to buy wonderful objects. As one antique dealer wag put it years ago, ‘there is no tail like retail’.
-Victor Weinblatt
Right back at you VW for presenting a great looking booth with attractive, desirable, well priced merchandise. We are nothing without great dealers like you.
-Michele & Irene
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| Jeanne's Tips For New Pier Show Shoppers |
If you can't be there early Saturday, come later...Your Saturday admission includes a courtesy pass to return on Sunday.
Pick up a show guide or just bring a pen to note where you want to go back to - it's a big show, you think you'll remember but it's hard.
Bring a shopping bag - there's shipping for the big stuff but there are TONS of fab smalls at great prices. I think you'll find something.
Park in one of the neighborhood lots or on the street on Sunday (when you don't have to feed the meters) instead of on the roof of the Piers - it's cheaper... or if you came by cab take our free shuttle back to midtown (runs every hour till 3 and then every half hour till closing.)
Bring your measurements and paint chips - The furniture, art and textiles are incredible. I'm still kicking myself over the pink, yes pink, kitchen table that sold while I was seeing if it would fit.
There's an ATM and many dealers take checks and credit cards but cash is still king with antiques dealers. (The ATM has been known to run out of cash)
Bring a friend and pick a place to meet before you go in - There is not a PA for folks who lose each other.
It's fun to just look too. Each booth has a different style and dealers come in from all over. It's like going to 500 shops as different as Tiffany is from Target.
-Jeanne Stella
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| TREND ALERT:
Jewelry Designed for the Runway |
We've been seeing a lot of fabulous jewelry lately designed specifically for the runway. Pictured above: Chanel Runway Bracelet; poured glass and resin. France 1981. From Skyscraper/Catwalk Couture, NYC.
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| Third Generation at the Pier |
Nine of Irene Stella's twelve grandchildren were at the Pier Show in March with six of them even on the payroll. Irene is the founder and QUEEN of Stella Show Mgmt. Co., a business she started when she was pregnant with the youngest of her seven children. She's pictured above with her two youngest grandchildren and one of three sixteen year old grandsons. Anyone wondering how you organize an undertaking as large as the Pier show should know that Irene has been organizing and promoting for as long as any of us can remember, merchandising, running church and club events super successfully before she started a business... and her children were even color coded in the home.
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Don't miss Stella Shows' FUN & FABULOUS
Shopping Events
NYC - Ohio - The Hamptons
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| TREND ALERT:
Objects Designed by
Known Artists
Jewelry, Furniture, Textiles, Ceramics |
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The Modern Show and The Pier Show are two shows that are a great source for new trends. Don't miss them!
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See Vicki Turbeville NOV. 14-15 @ The Pier Show in booth 2110. She'll have a great selection of the southwestern jewelry that had the LUCKY office buzzing.
www.southwesternjewelry.net
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| CLICK HERE to read a great article in the Village Voice by our fave writer LYNN YAEGER - "Gilt-Free Shopping for the Coming Depression" |
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My mom and I attended the Country Living Fair, all I can say is
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!