This June 19, Vol. 51, No. 25, issue marks our return following a period of not printing. At times, it has felt like an eternity and we are excited to return to print. Actually, we are thrilled to be back. To state the obvious, this ordeal has had far reaching ramifications for the art and antiques industry and trade as a whole. For the average antiques dealer, shop owner, auctioneer, or show manager, adaptation continues to be a must; you need to at least try if you wish to remain relevent, let alone solvent.
“I think eBay has sustained us during the lockdown,” said shop owner Dan Trabosh. Along with his mother, they own the Hamburg Antique Center in downtown Hamburg, Pa. “It has also helped that we own our building outright,” he furthered. “I’m also doing some construction projects here while closed, but we are excited to reopen.”
If not on the web before, the lockdown prompted several shop owners to take to the internet. A firm believer in print advertising and investing in her business, Penny Knight of the Brickerville Antiques Barn, north of Lititz, Pa., also uses Facebook to post photos of what her dealers have in the shop. “I had people inquire about and buy items seen in photos from Facebook and would then arrange an appointment with them to safely pick up,” stated Knight. Knight’s shop is now open full-time.
Dealers who primarily rely on shows have certainly had to adapt. Full-time antiques dealer Francis Crespo of Lancaster, Pa., had averaged around 20 shows a year and has also sold on eBay since 1998.
“I think eBay had lost a bit of its mojo over the years, but the reputable and honest dealers there were doing well during the stay-at-home period. Online sales have been strong for me,” commented Crespo. It is no surprise many people are shopping more from home because they had no choice. Collectors that have the means have not stopped buying. Some dealers have started Etsy stores as well and used other online shops such as Ruby Lane.
The show front remains murky with few long range indicators. Some managers/promoters could possibly have the remainder of the calender year as a loss. It is unclear moving forward which ones will be able to be held. Major regional events such as the Kutztown Folk Festival will not take place. Of course, the popular Spring and Summer Brimfield shows were cancelled, and several innovative folks put on virtual shows in its place. The Antiques Dealers’ Association of America (ADA) had a well-received online show (keep an eye out for a recap in next week’s paper). Don’t be surprised to see others, especially since the New Hampshire Antiques Show and others that make up Antiques Week in New Hampshire in August have cancelled.
“The virtual Brimfield was really good. I added 150 followers that week and was pleased with sales,” furthered Crespo. The Brimfield events were on Instagram. A hashtag was given to each participating dealer for each show and at the opening time items were posted.
If auction houses did not have the capabilities or material for exclusive online selling, they started. Pook & Pook in Downingtown, Pa., has held some of their sales online-only for quite a few years and has done well with them. The overall results from its recent two indicate a healthy level of consumer interest.
Pottery specialists Crocker Farm, of Sparks, Md., recently tried a new business model. Due to COVID-19, they had to convert their March auction to a remote-only absentee sale. It was their highest grossing sale to date. “Dedicated collectors think about the material above all else. They want to pursue and have objects,” said Mark Zipp of Crocker Farm. A sector of the population with resources who care about history and antiques will pursue them, even in the midst of a pandemic resulting in economic uncertainty, high jobless rates, and stock market declines, among other things.
So, where does the market go? It will take a high-powered sale to get the marketplace buzzing. Pennsylvania collectors will want to watch the Linda and Dennis Moyer estate auction slated for July 10 and 11 at Pook & Pook. The pipeline of quality material is promising at other regional houses as well, such as Horst in Ephrata. And, regardless of it all, exquisite and important material is going to to be recognized in the marketplace, such as the presentation tomahawk made by Richard Butler at Fort Pitt (ca. 1765-70), which sold for an auction record $664,200 at Morphy Auctions on May 27. Renninger’s in Adamstown reopened June 7 and sold out of vendor spots. Extravaganza at the end of June won’t take place in typical fashion, but the dealer-friendly management will do something special. Don’t forget to support them and pick up a paper while there. Most of the co-ops in Adamstown have reopened.
In summary, let’s remember how fortunate we are locally to live in a region so steeped in history and material culture. The pursuit of antiquing is obsolete in most parts of the country, at least the kind not in front of a computer screen.