Antique aficionados convene at annual show

Author: Kelly Janis

On Oct. 6 and 7, the Robert E. Miller Expo Centre in Essex Junction, Vt. boasted the highest concentration of Navajo wedding sets, 19th century hand-cut doll dresses and vintage sewing machines for miles as it played host to the annual Champlain Valley Antiques Festival.

The two-day event, sponsored by the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce and named a Top 10 Fall Event by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, welcomed 175 dealers from throughout the Northeast to showcase their wares at the heavily-attended show, the largest of its kind in the state of Vermont.

"I just like doing it, even though it's a lot of work - loading, wrapping, all the time, continuously," said Stephen Renda of SJR Antiques as he stood in front of his meticulous display of early Japanese porcelain pottery. "A lot of times, you feel like a mover."

Occasionally, all of this hustle and bustle takes its toll in the form of coveted items sustaining damage beyond repair. Renda attempts to take such setbacks in stride.

"It's just part of the business," he said. "You have to take the good with the bad."

Fortunately for Renda, there has been plenty of good. Several years ago, the lucky sale of a single Irish table allowed him to remodel a substantial portion of his home.

Renda equates a foray into the antiquing business with opening up an extensive library. "There's everything in everything category, so you never know what you're going to sell and what you're not going to sell," Renda said. "That's why I bring a huge display of different items, to try and draw more traffic."

According to dealers, a practical value underlies their trade.

"Antiques are a good investment," said Robert Kelley of Century House Antiques & Toys in Alfred, N.Y. "You get your money out of them."

Naturally, some venues yield more money than others. None of the sales imprinted most vividly on Kelley's mind - that is, the ones fetching sometimes as much as $8,000 in revenue - have taken place in New England. As a consequence, he was less-than-enthused by his surroundings, and his prospects for a profitable day.

"I don't know what we're doing here, to be honest," Kelley said. "We're a little strong for this kind of show. I mean, the show is a nice show and everything, but we have expensive stuff. And generally speaking, we haven't seen the clientele here to support that."

Fortunately for penny-pinchers - and anyone else unwilling to spring for a 19th century rare rabbit form at the affordable low price of $4,500 - other dealers adopted a considerably more welcoming approach to finances.

"If somebody comes through and they only have five dollars to spend, I've got something for five dollars," said Jim Mazalewkski of Partners & Friends Antiques. "If they have $500 to spend, I've got something for $500. I try to meet all of the markets. Some people can't afford an awful lot, but they want to add to their collection. I love adding to people's collections."

Alba Antiques's Sir Alasdair T. Munro - a distinctive presence at the show, given the Scottish kilt in which he was festively clad - employs a simple formula in determining which pieces will be suitable additions to his own collection.

"If it's Scottish, and I can lift it with one hand, and it's antique, I'll buy it," said Munro.

Munro wrote the book on Scottish antiques Ö literally. His hardbound collectors' guide, aptly-titled Scottish Antiques, is the only full-length publication to focus specifically on merchandise from his native land. It was on display on Saturday, next to a wide array of what he deemed "all things Scottish" - everything from jewelry and swords to bottles and cans.

"It's been a good crowd so far this morning," Munro said. "Not a lot of people for us, though, because we're so specialized. Only one in 100 is a prospect for us, so we don't usually do as well as the general antiquers."

Munro said that after more than 20 years of antiquing, it is "greed unfulfilled" which keeps him coming back for more.

For Kathy Brangwynne of Country Cousins Antiques, it is "the fun of the hunt. You never know what you're going to find, and you're always learning something new."

Growing up in a large family, Brangwynne did not own many toys, dolls and stuffed animals. Now, she is making up for lost time by buying and selling them.

"I didn't grow up with antiques," Brangwynne said. "I just developed a passion for them. It's a lot of fun, and you meet a lot of nice people."

Brangwynne suspected that many individuals were intimidated by the prospect of a show such as the one in Essex Junction. "I know the word 'antique' is kind of scary sometimes, but people often don't realize what these shows have to offer until they get here," Brangwynee said. She noted that dealers are bound to have something to appeal to every taste, "whether it's an old postcard, a nice piece of linen or an old toy. And we give out free chocolate Hershey's Kisses, too."

To this end, Brangwynee urged adventurousness.

"I encourage anyone to go to an antique show and just see what's there," Brangwynee said. "Maybe you'll get the antique bug."