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The MADA Show

by Clayton Pennington

The Maine Antiques Dealers Association's annual formal antiques show went into full bloom on July 18 and 19 in Portland, Maine, the result of a year's worth of hard volunteer labor.

It was the third year for the show at the Racket & Fitness Center on outer Congress Street, close to the airport and the Maine Turnpike, and like a well-cared-for perennial, it seemed healthier and more radiant than ever before. Seventy-three dealers set up at the show, clearly one of Maine's best, and offered a strong assortment of country and formal furniture and folk, fine, and decorative art.

The show took place approximately a month after Gardiner, Maine, dealer Kenneth Tuttle, one of the most colorful and popular figures in the trade, passed away suddenly. His son and partner in the business, Nathan, honored their commitment and put together a smashing booth of formal furniture, highlighted by an $850,000 Boston blockfront secretary, which Tuttle said he almost didn't bring. It wasn't there merely for show, as the standout piece sold to a private collector on the first day.

Despite successes in the past, the dealers association continues to tweak the show. This year it was held on Thursday and Friday; in most years it has been held on Friday and Saturday. Last year the association tried the show on Saturday and Sunday. Because the show was held on Thursday and Friday, both workdays in the real world, the association extended the hours until 7 p.m. on Thursday.

Staying away from Saturday and Sunday was a savvy move. The weekend of July 20 and 21 was campers' weekend in Maine, a time when parents who have kids in summer camps come up and visit. Swelling the population in Portland, a Little League all-star softball tournament kicked off on Saturday, bringing in kids and parents from all around the state. As a result, there was not a reasonably priced vacant hotel room for 50 miles surrounding Portland during the weekend.

This year, the association convinced furniture expert Albert Sack, now working with Ron Bourgeault at Northeast Auctions, to come and autograph his book. If you didn't own a copy of Fine Points of Furniture, you could buy one and have it signed for $50.

In the show space, an indoor tennis facility, $14,000 worth of carpeting was rented and laid down, a necessity after some damage was done last year to the court surface. Not only did it protect the floor, it was a nice touch. It made walking the aisles a little easier and helped to keep the noise down.

Dealers Christopher Considine and Susan Stella, in charge of advertising for the show, tried a number of different advertising venues this year, including local television. Considine alerted the four major television networks in the Portland market, and at least one, an ABC affiliate, showed up to report on the show. The result was a heavier gate, at least on the first day. "The gate speaks for itself," said Patricia Center of the large crowds that attended the opening of the show.

Despite the tremendous heat outside, the show remained mostly cool. The overhead lights were turned off at midmorning on the opening day to help keep things comfortable, allowing dealers individual lights to spotlight their stock.

Reports for sales were up and down, as expected in this economy. One dealer said that sales have not returned to the level they were when the show was held in Biddeford, a town much closer to the monied communities of southern Maine. Other dealers said they were satisfied with business, and still others said they did better than they ever have before.

The eight-member MADA show committee deserves great credit for making this a must-attend event. It is both elegant and down-home, a relaxed marketplace that offers outstanding antiques and dealers in one air-conditioned space and reflects the best of the Maine and New England antiques trade.

For more information, contact MADA via the Internet (www.maineantiques.org).