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September VADA News 2018
Vermont Antiques Week takes place this month featuring 5 outstanding shows with over 175 dealers from all over the country. It promises to be a wonderful antiquing experience with great dealers bringing their best. It runs from September 27th through September 30th. Hope everyone can attend all the shows. The Weston Antique Show in Weston kicks off the week with a preview on Thursday, September 27th, 5-7:30 pm, Admission $75 and continues Friday, September 28th and Saturday, September 29th, 10am to 5pm, Admission $10. The show is at the Weston Playhouse on the Green, Route 100. The Black River Antique Show in Ludlow is Friday evening, September 28th, from 7-9pm, Admission $15 which includes a catered dinner. The show continues Saturday, September 29th, 10am to 3pm, Admission $7. It is located at the Ludlow Community Center, 38 South Depot Street. The Okemo Antique Show in Ludlow opens with a preview party celebrating its 25th year on Friday, September 28th, 2-6pm, Admission $15. The show on Saturday, September 29th is from 10am to 3pm, Admission $10. The show is at the Okemo Lodge, 77 Okemo Ridge Road, Ludlow. The 43rd Annual Antiques at Stratton Mountain Vermont Antiques Dealers’ Show is Saturday, September 29th from 8am to 5pm, and Sunday, September 30th, 11am to 3pm, Admission both days is $10. It is held at Stratton Mountain Base Lodge, 5 Village Lodge Road, Stratton. The Vermont Picker’s Market, Sunday, September 30th is from 8:30am to 3pm, Admission $10. It features many of the dealers who previously exhibited at the Riley Rink show in Manchester. The show is at Okemo Lodge, 77 Okemo Ridge Road, Ludlow. For more information on these shows, as well as places to stay, restaurants, and area attractions, visit the website www.vermontantiquesweek.com The new membership Directory Brochures are now available. You should be receiving one soon. If you would like a number of them for shows or your shop, please contact Brian at www.bittnerantiques.com Many VADA members have reported receiving emails supposedly from VADA concerning “invoices or invoicing”. These are NOT from VADA and should be disregarded, unopened, and deleted. The Norwich Antiques Show is Saturday, September 15th, 10am-3pm on the grounds of the Norwich Historical Society, Main and Elm Streets. In addition to great antiques, there will be appraisals ($5 per item), a raffle, live music, and delicious food. Admission is $5 Adults, children 12 and under admitted free. The show benefits the Norwich Historical Society. If you’re in Maine or want a reason to go to Maine, the 2nd Maine Antiques Exposition at Thompson’s Point Event Center in Portland is on Saturday, September 15th, 10am-5pm and Sunday, September 16th, 11am to 4pm. The show features over 65 dealers from 7 states offering quality antiques. News from California from VADA member Halliday House: during this year’s annual grape harvest in the Napa Valley, Halliday House will be hosting a Gala Party to celebrate the opening of their new shop in a historic stone block creamery. The party is on October 13th, 11am to 3pm at Big Ranch Road, Napa Valley. Gail and Sue say the shop will be loaded with Americana and folk art. Be sure to drop by if you live or are in the area. As always, I look forward to hearing from you with news of your business or shop events. Hope to see you during Vermont Antiques Week. Happy antiquing! Vesta Urband vkurband@gmail.com
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August 2018 VADA News
I hope that everyone is having a great summer and preparing for some serious antiquing in September. The Norwich Antiques Show takes place on September 15th (a week later this year) on the grounds of the Norwich Historical Society from 10am to 3pm, admission $5 Adults, 12 and under admitted free. The many exhibitors will offer formal to country furniture and accessories, Oriental rugs, linens, fine art, and jewelry. William G. Smith of Smith’s Auctions will be giving informal appraisals from 1 to 3pm, $5 per item (maximum of 3). The show benefits the Norwich Historical Society located at Main and Elm Streets. In addition to great antiques, there will be a raffle, live music, and delicious food! Brimfield is coming up September 4th through 9th. Look for Vermont dealers exhibiting in many of the fields. The Vermont tent is in Green Acres. Vermont Antiques Week takes place September 27th through September 30th and features 5 outstanding shows with over 175 dealers from all over the country exhibiting quality antiques. For those wondering what happened to the Vermont Antiques Dealers’ Show, previously held in July, it has joined the Vermont Week Shows and has a new name: Antiques at Stratton Mountain Vermont Antiques Dealers’ Show. The Ludlow Antique Show also has a new name: Black River Antique Show, and it is still held at the Ludlow Community Center. For more information on these shows, as well as places to stay, restaurants, and area attractions, visit the website www.vermontantiquesweek.com. Tom Baker has been a member of VADA for many years and a dealer for many more years! Tom was in the banking industry for 12 years, living in Albany, New York and then Boston. He and Sheila were avid collectors starting back in 1978 filling three houses, each bigger than the last, to house their collections. They finally decided that in order to keep collecting, they would need to start selling (sound familiar??). They rented booth space in an antique center in Groton, Massachusetts in 1986 and instead of bigger houses, their space in the antique center got bigger and bigger. They eventually moved to California and then back to the East coast to the Albany area where they now live. Tom is co-manager of the Antiques Market Place, a group shop with 20 dealers, in Lake George, New York on Route 149. He also maintains a number of websites: www.bakerantiques.com, www.digantiques.com, and www.antiques-market-place.com. In addition to the shop and websites, Tom does about 7 shows a year in the Northeast. He specializes in game boards, firkins, pantry boxes and other painted pieces as well as American folk art, textiles, and items of local historical significance. Like many of us, Tom laments the changes in the current antiques market—fewer collectors/dealers and fewer new ones to take our place, as well as the need to attract a younger audience. When I asked Tom what he liked most about being a dealer, he replied “Being always on the hunt for the one thing I can’t live without.” Sadly, Joseph E. Doppman, Sr. died on July 22nd at the age of 80. Joe restored and sold antique lamps, maintaining a booth at 5 Corners Antiques in Essex Junction. Our condolences to Joe’s family and his many friends and associates. See you next month with more information on Vermont Week shows. Vesta Urband vkurband@gmail.com July VADA Newsletter 2018
Summer is here and with it comes antique shows throughout New England! The closing of the Middlebury Antique Center in July was a sad day for me and other dealers as well as the many people who have been customers there over the years. The Middlebury Antique Center has been a mainstay in East Middlebury and of antiquing in Vermont for 34 years. We will all miss Francis and his sidekick, Mr. Gibbs, better known as Gibby. Somehow Gibby always knew I was coming even before I stepped through the door. Perhaps it was the cookie I brought that gave me away! Francis enjoys gardening and adding to and cataloging his ever-growing stamp collection so it doesn’t sound as if he will be bored anytime soon! As for Gibby, I’m not sure what his interests are, but I understand he has a cat at home to keep him company and to play with. All of us at VADA wish Francis and Gibby all the best in retirement. Recently while up in Maine for some antiquing, I stopped by the offices of Maine Antique Digest (MAD) in Waldoboro to introduce myself and say hello to Clayton Pennington, Kate Pennington, and their staff. I received a very warm welcome and was introduced to those members of the staff there that day. The offices are in a very spacious building right in town with lovely sculptures in the front garden. It was great seeing where all the work of putting out MAD every month is done and to meet the creative people who do it. The New London Garden Club Antiques Show and Sale takes place on Saturday, July 28th, 9am to 3pm on the New London Town Green. This year’s show features antiques from 50 exhibitors from 7 states, including many from Vermont. It’s sure to be a great show. If you are planning on attending the Vermont Week Shows, September 27th through September 30th, check out the new website www.vermontantiquesweek.com. There you will find information on all five of the shows as well as information about the area including lodging, restaurants, and local attractions. The Ludlow Antiques Show and Sale now has a new name: Black River Antique Show. Happy antiquing and enjoy your summer! Vesta Urband vkurband@gmail.com June VADA News 2018
All the news from Brimfield was good! It was a successful week—beautiful weather, lots of sales, and happy dealers! Great start to spring and the summer season antique shows. The Vermont Antiques Dealers’ Association held its annual spring meeting at the Middlebury Inn on May 29th. A number of topics were discussed and voted on by those present. It was approved that in future there will be only one meeting per year which will be held in the spring. In other business, a subcommittee has been formed to review the association’s by-laws. The revised by-laws will be emailed to all members for review and voting by return email. The Member Directory/Brochure is being revised and will be available in about a month. VADA welcomed a number of new out-of-state members this month: Shirley Quinn of Shirley D. Quinn Antiques, Hopkinton, New Hampshire and Betty Anne Lavallee of American Pride Antiques, Hampton, New Hampshire. Both Shirley and Betty Anne have been dealers for many years and exhibit at shows as well as in a number of antique centers in New Hampshire. They sell American country antiques and textiles. Another out-of-state member is Robert T. Foley of Robert T. Foley Antiques, Gray, Maine. Robert sells 18th and 19th century furniture, accessories, and nautical items. New members from Vermont are: John and Lisa Hauenstein of Early Preservation, Charlotte, Vermont, who specialize in pre-1840’s building materials as well as early folk art and weathervanes; and Jim and Suzan Mulder of Liberty Hill, Reading, Vermont, who deal in furniture and woodworking tools. They also make custom-made cut and pierced lampshades. VADA also welcomed two new museums as members: Vermont Granite Museum, Barre, Vermont, located in a turn-of-the-century granite manufacturing plant; and the Arnold Zlotoff Tool Museum, South Hero, Vermont, which includes more than 3,000 objects relating to 19th century American crafts, trades, and occupations. VADA always welcomes new members--for Information on membership or to become a member, contact Jeff Noorsdy at jeffnhol@shoreham.net. The mission of the Vermont Antiques Dealers’ Association is to promote the antiques business in Vermont and our member dealers. The VADA website www.vermontantiquesdealers.com has been updated--thank you Brian and Rhiannon! The Vermont Antiques Week shows at the end of September, beginning September 27th, now include Antiques at Stratton Mountain/The Vermont Antiques Dealers’ Association Show. A new website is coming soon www.vermontantiquesweek.com that includes information about all the shows during Vermont Week. There you will find information about all the shows as well as information about places to stay, restaurants, and other places of interest. Thanks go to Bill Sherhag for all his work on creating this website. Meanwhile, there is a link to this new website on the VADA website under “Antique Show”. The 56th Annual Islands’ Antique show will be held in South Hero Friday, July 6th, 9am to 5pm and Saturday, July 7th, 10am to 4pm at the Folsom Educational and Community Center, 75 South Street, South Hero. The show will feature antiques from 21 dealers, and appraisals will be offered by Rene Vallee from 10-12. The cost of each appraisal will be $5. Admission to the show is $3 Donation. Proceeds from the show help support C.I.D.E.R. (Champlain Islanders Developing Educational Resources). C.I.D.E.R. provides resources and assistance for older adults and persons with disabilities who live in the five rural towns of Grand Isle County, enabling them to live independently in their own homes. Wishing everyone a great summer of fun activities which of course includes lots of antiquing! Lots of great shows coming up so stay tuned! Vesta Urband vkurband@gmail.com May VADA News
Happy May and welcome spring! The 52nd Annual Maple Festival Antiques Show had a good turnout as well as good sales for the dealers. It’s always a fun show and this year was no exception in spite of the rain. Francis Stevens, owner of the Middlebury Antique Center, is retiring after 34 years! Francis and Dianne started the Middlebury Antique Center and it has been one of the best group shops not only in Addison County but also in all of Vermont. It has been an integral part of the antiquing experience in Vermont for all of its 34 years. There will be sales in the shop during the months of May and June and up until the closing in July. Many dealers are offering up to 30% discounts. The last day of business will be after the July 4th sale. Anyone interested in purchasing a display case or cases can contact Francis at 802-388-6229. I am sure that I speak for the many dealers and customers, and friends of Francis, when I say that he, Mr. Gibbs, and the Middlebury Antique Center will be missed. We all wish him the best in his retirement. The Vermont Antique Dealers’ Association (VADA) annual spring meeting will be held at the Middlebury Inn on May 29th. The Executive Board will meet at 10:15; the Show Committee at 11:00; and the general meeting will begin at 11:30, followed by lunch. The cost of lunch is $20. Trisha Koptiuch will be emailing VADA members about attendance at the lunch. Please email her at h121657@aol.com if you plan on attending as we need to inform the Inn on the number of people they can expect. You can send your $20 to Trish or pay for the lunch at the meeting. Everyone is encouraged to attend—it’s a great way to make your voice heard and to meet and chat with fellow members. For further information or to join VADA, contact Brian Bittner at bittnerantiques@gmail.com Just a reminder of the Barn sale at Sunny Meadow Farm in Woodstock on May 26th. The sale is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and they ask that there be no early birds. The sale is hosted by Red Horse Antiques, Lavin Stickney Antiques, Spencer-Julien Antiques, and Heidi A. Lang Antiques and Fine Art. The barn is located at 2876 Hartland Hill Road. Any questions please call (802) 457-2274. If you’re planning a trip to California in June, be sure to stop in at Halliday House in Napa. Gail Laird has informed me that after many years they will be moving their showroom to an historic stone structure previously used as the creamery for a large dairy farm. They will be having an extensive moving sale at their current location and will be offering discounts on all items. They will be taking this opportunity to change their focus toward more home décor items. For more information contact Gail at info@hallidayhouse.com or call (707) 253-1092. Sports columnist to antiques dealer? That’s the path that Andy Gardiner of Gardiner’s Antiques took sometime in the 1980’s. Andy moved to Vermont in the early 1970’s for graduate school and was hired by the Burlington Free Press in 1975 as a sportswriter. Living in Vermont and needing to furnish his apartment in a vintage building, he began to frequent antique shops. After all, we all know that Vermont was the mecca of antiques back then! He met dealers in the shops and was mentored by many of them, gaining more knowledge as he went along. As he collected more and more, he began to replace some of his earlier purchases and soon found an outlet for his “extras” by participating in a few antique shows. In the interim, he moved to Washington, DC for 12 years, eventually returning to Vermont for retirement in 2012. Andy exhibits at shows where he features painted pieces, folk art, 19th century landscapes, and architectural elements. His main focus in his purchases is on form, color, and condition. Andy is also active in VADA, serving on the VADA show committee. Sadly, Barbara Fitzgerald died in April. Barbara and her late husband, Tim, owned and operated Fitzgerald’s Antiques in Vergennes for many years. Our condolences to her family and friends. Look forward to seeing all VADA members who can attend at the spring meeting. Vesta Urband vkurband@gmail.com April VADA News
The arrival of spring brings April showers and May flowers, but it also brings a number of antique shows throughout New England and New York. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to mark your calendars for the Maple Festival Antiques Show on April 28th and 29th in St. Albans, Vermont. Show hours are Saturday, 10am to 5pm and Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Admission is free. The show is at the St. Albans Town Educational Center, 169 South Main Street. While you’re marking your calendars for upcoming events, put Saturday, May 26th down for the 2nd Biannual Sunny Meadow Farm Barn Sale in Woodstock, Vermont. The sale is hosted by The Red Horse Antiques, Lavin Stickney Antiques, Spencer-Julian Antiques, and Heidi A. Lang Antiques and Fine Art. Items offered include 19th and 20th century antiques and accessories for the home and garden; textiles; jewelry; and horse related items. The sale runs from 9am to 6pm. They ask that there be no early birds. The barn is located at 2876 Hartland Hill Road, Woodstock, and there is ample parking available. For questions, please call 808-457-2274. The Norwich Antiques Show has changed its date for this year. The show will be held on Saturday, September 15th from 10am to 3pm at the Lewis House, Main Street, Norwich, Vermont. There is dealer space available—any interested dealers should contact Gail Torkelson at gail.torkelson@gmail.com or call 802-649-1787. The Vermont Antiques Dealers’ Association (VADA) executive board and show committee met on March 28th at Greg Hamilton’s new art gallery in Vergennes. The next Annual Spring Meeting of the members will be May 29th at the Middlebury Inn. The Executive Board will meet at 10:15; the Show Committee at 11:00; and the membership at 11:30. The cost of the lunch is $20. More information to follow in next month’s news. I encourage everyone to attend the annual meeting as participation of its membership is essential for any association. It was decided that the board would review and update its Code of Conduct and once finalized would send it out to the membership for their files. A new, enlarged brochure of the membership of VADA is being planned and it will include out of state members. The Vermont Antique Dealers’ show during Vermont Week will now be called Antiques at Stratton Mountain/The Vermont Antique Dealers’ Association Show. The show days and hours are Saturday, September 29th, 8am to 5pm and Sunday, September 30th, 11am to 3pm. The cost of admission is $10. Please contact Lori Scotnicki at lscotnicki@gmail.com or call her at 802-318-1619 if you would like more information or have questions about the show. Vesta Urband vkurband@gmail.com Saturday, February 17th was a beautiful day for the 41st annual Cabin Fever in Quechee, Vermont. The weather couldn’t have been nicer, in spite of the snow the night before. Dealers who did the show reported good sales and a good crowd. I also have it on good authority that the food offered by the caterers was excellent.
April 22nd brings us the Lebanon Antiques Show and Sale at the Fireside Inn and Suites in West Lebanon, New Hampshire. The show will feature 28 exhibitors from all over New England offering a great variety of antiques. The hours are 10am to 3pm and admission is $6.00. Mark your calendars for the 52nd Vermont Maple Festival Antiques Show coming up in St. Albans on April 28th and 29th. The show opens on Saturday, 10am to 5pm and continues Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Admission is free. The show is at the St. Albans Town Educational Center, 169 South Main Street, St. Albans. The Maple Festival show features a great variety of antiques, including country, primitives, folk art, silver, chocolate molds, and fishing and hunting items. It is part of a city-wide event celebrating Vermont’s maple syrup harvest. The Vermont Maple Festival is a non-profit group whose objectives are to contribute to the educational and promotional aspects of the maple industry. There are festivities throughout the town and fun for the whole family. It’s always interesting to me to learn the paths that people have taken to becoming dealers. Celine Blais (Celine Blais Antiques) and George Johnson (George B. Johnson Antiques) had very different careers before getting into the antiques business. Celine was a radiology technician for 39 years and George was a teacher for 35 years. George’s interest in antiques was piqued when he took some items he inherited to an adult education class at a local school in hopes of learning something about them. He was fascinated by what he learned and started going to local shows and buying a few things of interest. You can guess what happened next—he started doing shows in the summer, adding more shows along the way and became a full-time dealer in 1977. Celine’s interest in antiques came when she married George. They do a number of shows in Vermont and other New England states, as well as New York and Pennsylvania. While George concentrates on only doing shows, Celine has booth space in a group shop in downtown Montpelier. They both deal primarily in country items. George still has the first antique he bought—a cherry dovetailed knife tray with canted sides. They like the antiques business for the relationships they have formed over the years and the interesting encounters with people from all over. George relates a story that happened a few years ago when a man came into his booth and saw his booth sign: he said “George?” He was a fraternity brother he had not seen in almost 50 years! I guess George has not changed much in these 50 some years! George is very active in the Vermont Antique Dealer’s Association and is currently serving on the Executive Board and the Show Committee for the Vermont Antique Dealer’s show that takes place during Vermont Week. Celine and George are both hopeful for the future of shows and the antiques business feeling that at some point people might once again value the more personal experience of being able to see and actually handle what they are buying in addition to buying online. Online buying is here to stay but there is still a need for shows and shops where objects can be seen and touched and questions asked and answered. I look forward to hearing from members with news of what is happening in your shops and shows and other news that you would like to share with your fellow dealers. Vesta Urband vkurband@gmail.com February 2018 VADA Newsletter
The big news from Vermont this month is the snow! This has been quite a winter—more like the old-fashioned winters we have only had memories of for many years. Hopefully everyone will get to the Cabin Fever Antiques Show, Saturday, February 17th in Quechee, as I’m sure we all have been experiencing a bit of “cabin fever”! The show is at the Christian School, 399 West Gilson Avenue, Quechee. Admission is $10 and the show is open 10am-4pm. It’s always a great little show. Upcoming on March 17th and 18th is the Spring Antiques in Schoharie Show in Schoharie, New York. The show is held at the Schoharie Central School, 136 Academy Drive; Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 11am-4pm. The show features a great variety of antiques from more than 100 dealers. Many VADA dealers set up at this show. If you haven’t made it to Montpelier for the Sunday Antiques Market, it’s not too late to do so. The remaining shows are February 11th and 25th, March 11th and 25th, and April 8th. The Market is open from 8am-1pm. The Market is held at the Canadian Club, 414 East Montpelier Road, Route 14, Montpelier. Barbara Johnson is once again holding a benefit auction for the Alzheimer’s Association. The goal is to raise $15,000 for Alzheimer’s Research. The items up for auction will be posted on March 10th on Barb’s website www.pewterandwoodantiques.com as well as instructions for bidding by email or phone. All phone bidding must be done no later than 1:29 mountain time on March 17th. Emailed bids must be received no later than March 16th. Email bids to info@pewterandwoodantiques.com All checks are to be made payable to Alzheimer’s Association DSW. Payment is due at the end of the auction and should be mailed to Pewter & Wood, PO Box 4066, Cave Creek, AZ 85327. Shipping can be arranged through Pewter & Wood. There are no taxes or fees, just postage reimbursement to Pewter & Wood. All auction items have been donated and donations are still being accepted until February 26th. Donations are tax deductible. If you have questions, please contact Barb by email or phone 602-677- 5686. We wish Barb great success in this, her last year for the Benefit Auction. Take a look at the auction and bid to help a very worthy cause! Good news—I recently heard from Michael Pheffer and he is doing very well in his recovery and hopes to be at Brimfield this spring! Take care Michael and see you soon. Hopefully you have all sent in your dues to VADA for 2018. They were due on January 15th. If you haven’t sent them in, please do so or you will soon be hearing from Jean Tudhope. Stay warm and enjoy the rest of the winter—take heart, spring is not that far away! Vesta Urband vkurband@gmail.com Happy New Year! It has certainly been a very cold holiday season—feels like an old-fashioned Vermont winter at last! Hope everyone had a great holiday and is looking forward to a great new year.
The dates for Vermont Week 2018 are September 26-September 30. Shows are held in Weston, Ludlow, and Stratton. There have been some changes in the shows for this year: the Vermont Antique Dealer’s Show has taken over what was the Antiques at Stratton Mountain Show and has a new manager, Lori Scotnicki. Contact Lori for information at 802-318-1619 or email lscotnicki@gmail.com. The Ludlow Antique Show and Sale also has new managers, Kris Johnson and Steve Sherhag. The Cabin Fever Antiques Show is on Saturday, February 17th, 10 am-4pm at the Mid-Vermont Christian School, 399 West Gilson Avenue, Quechee, Vermont. The show features antiques from 30 dealers and admission is $10. It’s always a great show so mark your calendars. The new manager of the show is Lori Scotnicki. For information contact her at 802-318-1619 or email lscotnicki@gmail.com or www.cabinfeverantiqueshow.com Our featured dealers this month are associate VADA members from New York state—Pat and Bob Martin of Home Farm Antiques. Pat and Bob have been selling antiques since the late 1980’s but were collectors long before that—until they, like so many of us, had to start selling in order to find room for all the new purchases! Pat’s collecting passion at the moment is stick figure wooly lambs, bottle brush trees, and early sewing; Bob likes military items and antique guns. Prior to becoming dealers, Pat taught school and wrote children’s books; Bob was in hotel management. As Pat puts it, they retired from employment that actually paid them and gave them benefits in order to work harder and put in longer hours doing something they really love. They have been VADA members for many years, participating in many shows in Vermont and New York as well. They not only do shows but are also in a multi-dealer shop, Antiques Market Place on Route 149 in Lake George. In addition, Home Farm Antiques has a website www.homefarmantiques.com and also has shops on Ruby Lane and DIG Antiques. They deal primarily in early Americana country and primitives, folk art, early fine jewelry, and 18th and 19th century sewing items. Both Pat and Bob are enthusiastic about the future of antiques and the antiques trade, feeling that people may be tiring of the lack of personal interaction with people and with what they are buying in online trading and thus hoping this will bring more people into antique shops. Pat says that she sees more young people coming into the shop these days and while they may not buy a lot or know much about antiques, they are buying what they can afford and what is familiar to them—usually fun, vintage, mass-market collectibles. I think that many of us started out this way and gradually refined our tastes and interests. As Pat so aptly said “vintage links to memories and earlier pieces of history enhance the present and are capable of enriching the future”, so hopefully some of these young people will be the dealers and customers of the future. Dues letters for VADA members were sent out on December 27th. Please send your dues in by January 15th to Judd Gregory, PO Box 65, Dorset, VT 05251. If you did not receive a letter or would like to join the Vermont Antique Dealer’s Association, please contact Brian Bittner at bittnerantiques@gmail.com or Jeff Noordsy at jeffnhol@shoreham.net. We were sorry to hear that Michael Pheffer of Two Sides of the River Antiques in New London, New Hampshire had a serious health emergency in November. Happily, he is recovering at home and we look forward to seeing him fully recovered soon. All of us at VADA send Michael our best get-well wishes. As always, I am happy to hear from you with news of your shop, shows, and antiquing adventures. Wishing you all a Happy 2018! Vesta K. Urband vkurband@gmail.com December 2017 Newsletter
The Vermont Antiques Dealers’ Association met at the Middlebury Inn on November 14th. Vermont Week for 2018 was discussed and as of yet, definite dates have not been finalized; however the shows will be in late September/early October as usual. The Antiques at Stratton Mountain show managed by Greg Hamilton will now become the Vermont Antiques Dealers’ Show and join Vermont Week. The VADA show has previously been held in July. In other show news, the Ludlow Antique Show and Sale will now be managed by Kris Johnson and Steve Sherhag. VADA welcomed a new member, Herbert Barup, whose business Hogback Vintage is located in Johnson, Vermont, 260 Langdell Farm Road; telephone 802-644-5647. His large barn is full of early American furniture and other Americana. Following the business meeting and lunch there was a “show and tell”. A number of people brought things to share: among them was Jean Tudhope who brought an interesting brass button which was a topsy-turvy; Holly and Jeff Noordsy brought a redware bottle (c1815) with an unusual form and glaze and was from a local Middlebury potter, Caleb Farrar. Another item with a Middlebury provenance was brought in by Andy Gardiner—a small, sweet portrait (1817) of a young girl from Middlebury. Dues letters for VADA membership will be sent out shortly and must be returned by February 15th in order to ensure being included in the Directory brochure and on the website Directory. Associate VADA members will be included in the reprint of the Directory brochure. If you would like to join VADA, contact Brian Bittner (bittnerantiques@gmail.com) or Jeff Noordsy (jeffnhol@shoreham.net). Greg and Mary Beth Hamilton have opened another shop, Stone Block Art Gallery, in Vergennes, 10 Green Street. It’s just up the street and around the corner from Stone Block Antiques. The shop will feature estate art from local artists including, but not limited to, Lois Foley, Mitzi Goward, and Arthur Healy as well as decorative furniture and accessories. Winter hours: 11:30-4:00, Saturday and Sunday; telephone: 802-989-1158. It’s a great space for viewing art—stop by and have a look. We wish Mary Beth and Greg luck in their new venture. As promised, from time to time we will profile a VADA member in the newsletter. This month, Lucinda Seward is our featured dealer. Lucinda is a partner in Michael and Lucinda Seward Antiques. Lucinda’s background is in fine art and she sold her watercolor still lifes while working part time as a veterinary technician. What prompted her to become a dealer? In her free time she shopped for props for her still lifes at flea markets. Eventually her prop collection got out of hand so she decided to set up at Brimfield--she made $700 and from then on she was hooked and another dealer was born! She and Mike are very active doing many shows throughout New England. Lucinda has a space in Thos. Bartlett Antiques and Oddments in Chichester, New Hampshire, and Mike has spaces in Stone House Antiques Center in Chester and in the Cambridge Antique Center in Cambridge, New York. Lucinda’s specialty is American textiles, hooked rugs, samplers, quilts, and small cloth sewing items. She has more recently begun to focus on folk art, especially school girl art. I asked Lucinda if there was anything in particular that she collects and she said that like so many other dealers, she and Mike have their share of broken furniture, mistakes, and things they bought that they couldn’t sell! Sound familiar?? We were very sorry to hear that Howard Graff of Townshend, Vermont died on October 22. Howard had a shop, Colt Barn Antiques, for many years and did many shows. He was very active in VADA and was always one of the first to greet everyone who came through the door of an antique show. Howard had been ill for quite some time and will be missed at the many shows in which he participated. Our condolences to his family and friends. VADA wishes everyone a happy holiday season and all the best in the New Year, 2018! Vesta Urband vkurband@gmail.com |
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