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September VADA News
Vermont Week shows are just around the corner! Mark your calendars for September 28th through October 1st. There are lots of shows to choose from—you can go to one or two, or better yet, go to all of them! Each show has fantastic dealers from many states offering a wide range of interesting and unique antiques: country, primitive, formal, folk art, and paintings and other artwork. The Weston Antiques Show at the Weston Playhouse kicks off the week with a preview on Thursday, September 28th. The show continues on Friday and Saturday. The Okemo Antiques Show and the Ludlow Antique Show and Sale both have their previews on Friday, September 29th and both shows are open on Saturday. Antiques at Stratton Mountain is open for early buying on Saturday, September 30th at 7:30am and is open on Sunday as well. The new Vermont Pickers Market at Okemo will be on Sunday, October 1st. The Vermont Pickers Market has many of the same dealers who used to do the old Riley Rink show in Manchester. More information on all the shows and their times and admission prices can be found on the Vermont Antiques Dealers’ website www.vermontantiquesdealers.com or find us on Facebook at Vermont Antiques Dealers’ Association. Our VADA members have had a busy summer setting up at shows throughout New England, New York, and elsewhere. Happily, reports of good sales have been abundant. Gail Laird of Halliday House, Napa, California writes that they are hosting their annual Napa Valley Harvest Barn Day on Saturday, September 16th. For those fortunate enough to be able to attend, it should be a fun day as it coincides with the grape harvest in the vineyard. What could be better than looking at beautiful antiques in a redwood grove amid gorgeous views of vineyards? Barb Johnson, Pewter & Wood Antiques, and Tom Baker, Baker & Co. Antiques, will be holding a Fall Open House at Barb’s shop on Crystal Lake, 51 Algonquin Road, Enfield, New Hampshire on September 27th, 9am to 4pm. The shop will be filled with fresh finds as well as sale items. Refreshments are promised and I can vouch for their being delicious from having attended previous open houses! You can make this your first stop on the way to the Vermont Week Shows! For directions and more information call 602-677-5686 or email info@pewterandwoodantiques.com. Mary Fraser is known to many, if not all of you, but perhaps there are a few things you don’t know about Mary. Mary and Bob started selling antiques 54 years ago. They were both teachers; Mary taught private kindergarten and also worked as a social worker. Mary relates that after their third child was born, she turned the private kindergarten room into an antiques shop and put out a sign and within half an hour, they had their first paying customer! One of my favorite stories was of an iron bed Mary and Bob had when first starting out—Mary said it was so ugly that she threw a huge bedspread over it, headboard and all! One of their first antique splurges was on a copper teakettle which was sold long ago. Mary and Bob did many shows and also managed shows for many years. They had a shop at their home in Taftsville before moving to Chester and opening a shop there. They made many friends throughout the years and were mentors to many younger dealers. I still have the first antique I bought from them in 1995 at the Country Antiques Show in Danielson, Connecticut—a small wooden cat pull toy. Sadly, Bob died in 2015. Mary continues to sell antiques at the Stone House in Chester and by appointment at her shop in Chester. She loves the antiques business but says that the friendships she’s made and the people she’s met have been the most gratifying part of the business. Our condolences to Greg Hamilton and his family on the death of Greg’s mother, Sheila Hamilton Rowland, who died at the age of 92 on August 22nd. The weather here in Vermont has been beautiful and promises to be a spectacular fall foliage season. Come to antique at the shows and see our wonderful state in all its seasonal glory. Vesta Urband, vkurband@gmail.com
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