Jan and John Maggs Antiques
Country Cape Antiques Shows' New London Show
It's always risky to add overhead to a business, and in these times of reduced activity in antiques shops and shows, creating a new show could lead to disastrous consequences. So, when Dave and Karyn Garside announced plans to add a new show to their newly-acquired Country Cape Antiques Shows schedule, we gave the matter a good deal of thought before deciding to sign up.
When we began exhibiting at Country Cape's shows in the tri-state area of southeastern Massachusetts, eastern Connecticut, and Rhode Island, business was brisk, and rents were cheap. While booth rents have remained very affordable, business has declined, and the cost of space at venues -- mostly hotels -- has risen sharply as the area's casinos have made it a major destination. Consequently, some of Country Cape's shows, most notably Taunton and Norwich, no longer happen. When David and Karyn announced their plan to add a show in this area, where we have many long-term customers and friends, being part of it seemed like a good idea.
The venue chosen for the show was the attractive Crozier Williams Center at Connecticut College. With spacious areas for display and relatively easy access for loading and packing, it is an ideal setting for such a show.
We arrived on Friday afternoon, as students were loading suitcases and bags of dirty laundry into the trunks of the cars that would take them home for Spring break. The campus was quiet and, as usual, its stone buildings and well-maintained lawns gave it a pastoral feeling that belied its proximity to industrial and military New London.
Pack-in went very smoothly, with plenty of capable porters for those who needed them. We had brought our portable show walls with us, and within a few hours our spacious, sixteen-foot booth was set up.
