Maine Antiques Dealers Association June Show

June 1st, 2013

The iron and marble table with original paint was $1850; the pair of paint-decorated chairs at the table was also $1850; the mermaid in the compote was tagged $1250; and the compote full of shells was $1450 from Jewett & Berdan.

The flow blue Indian pattern covered tureen was $360, and the flow blue platter in the Scinde pattern was $550 from Goosefare Antiques, Wells, Maine.

Martin Ferrick of Lincolnville, Maine, asked $2100 for this Connecticut or western Massachusetts Hepplewhite inlaid four-drawer chest with original brasses. The brass-bound mahogany sea captain’s lap desk on top was $460. Inside was a maker’s mark that was difficult to read; the name, as best I could make out, was “G.R. Cholwell,” and it was from Maiden Lane, New York.

The Barque “Orono” of Ellsworth, C. Chase Master, entering Port of Marseilles, Jan. 7 1852 by French painter Joseph Honore Pellegrin (1793-1869), gouache, watercolor, and Chinese white on paper, 18½" x 24", was $3750 from Hanes and Ruskin. The Orono was built in Bucksport, Maine, in 1851.

Biddeford, Maine

Ever since the Maine Antiques Dealers Association (MADA) annual show had to leave the Racket & Fitness Center in Portland, Maine, in 2007, the 84-year-old organization has tried to fill the void. For three years, the association tried a show in Boothbay at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens; it was a beautiful setting, but the outdoor environment presented significant challenges.

In May 2012, MADA went to a new venue, the Biddeford Arena, with a small 32-dealer show called Antiques at the Arena. The arena received good reviews for a space to hold a show, but attendance at the inaugural event was sparse.

This year, MADA moved the date forward about a week to June 1 and 2 and tried again. There were fewer dealers—only 29—and attendance was again less than what the association had hoped for.

Elizabeth DeSimone, a veteran show manager with Goosefare Antiques & Promotions, managed the event and put together a great little show with quality objects with a range of prices and a diverse roster of dealers. There was a café, and on-site parking was free. Although tucked behind some retail establishments, the arena is close to the highway, and large signs clearly marked the way from the Maine Turnpike.

“I’ll start by saying I thought it was very good show that fit and adhered to the traditions of some of the great shows that the Maine Antiques Dealers Association has put on in the past,” DeSi-mone said. “I was very pleased with the look of the show, the dealers that were there, and what they had brought.”

As to the low turnout, she said, “I have to confess to being extremely disappointed at the low turnout and the lack of support from our own association members.”

Many blamed the low turnout on the weather. It was the first summery weekend in Maine after a soggy spring. DeSimone said, “I think that was a huge factor. It was so hot right in the middle of what we had been dealing with.”

Some dealers thought the early June dates were too soon in the summer season. Many seasonal residents were not yet in their summer homes, and kids were still in school. DeSimone said, “Maybe there aren’t just enough people in the area at that time.”

As for the future of the show, DeSimone said, “We are reevaluating what we’ve [MADA] been doing and sending out a questionnaire to all association members to get their input.

“It’s a shame. [The arena] is very easy to set up and could be an ideal facility. We did have a well-diversified show. There really was a good mix.”

For more information, see the MADA Web site (www.maineantiques.org).

This 1830-65 blown lead glass fish bowl was $1225 from W.M. Schwind.

This 1745-65 high country high chest, figured maple with pine secondary, 69" high x 38" wide x 19" deep, brasses replaced, was $26,500 from W.M. Schwind Jr. Antiques, Yarmouth, Maine.

This 1920’s pond model with original sails and an unusual stand was priced at $1800, and it sold. Dealer Dave White made the blocks himself and rigged it, but that’s the extent of the restoration. “It has a lead keel; it’s a real pond model,” said White.

Nautical-themed doorstops from Emery Goff and Bill Carhart of Old Barn Annex Antiques, Farmington, Maine, included, from left, the 1920’s “Old Salt,” maker unknown, $135; the standard size “Old Salt,” possibly by Hubley, $395; the Chatham lighthouse, circa 1950, maker unknown, $595; and the 14½" “Old Salt” doorstop, signed “Eastern Specialties,” 1929-30, and $695. “He’s the largest of the Old Salts,” said Goff.

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