Jan and John Maggs Antiques
Conway, Massachusetts
Newsletter -- February 11, 2009
Since last month's newsletter . . . .
. . . . two shows: the first very disappointing, the second adequate, but far below expectations.
Huge crowds attended the Greater Boston Antiques Festival on Saturday, perhaps anticipating the big snowstorm that descended on coastal New England on Saturday evening and caused highway mayhem all day Sunday. After our excellent show last year, we had hoped for a more profitable weekend, but we - as well as most of our like-minded colleagues - finished the show with little to show for the long weekend. There was one small consolation; as we wheeled furniture through the snowdrifts, no thought was required to pack the van exactly as we had done four days earlier.
Two weeks later, the Tolland (CT) show once again brought out shoppers by the hundreds. Although the gate was strong, sales were soft for most dealers. Scudder Smith, editor of Antiques and the Arts Weekly, called us after the show to find out how we had done. When we told him that we had had a fair show, but nothing like the Tollands of recent years, he replied, "That's what everyone says. Can you send me to anybody who had a good show?" A shopper who had thought seriously about one of the finest pieces in our Tolland booth called on Thursday and bought the piece, adding significantly to our show totals.
Sales in the shop have been slow, but steady, and we feel that the relationships we've built with customers over the past twenty years are the difference. We're grateful to all.
In between shows, we've been spending a lot of time in our workshop, tweaking pieces for later sale and making minor repairs for ourselves and an occasional "regular." We've also found time for a few small house projects, although we have nothing major in store until Spring, when we'll put a new cedar shingle roof on our garage. We're enjoying our home, despite the bitter cold that has dominated this winter.
Unlike many, we stay at or near home during the Winter months, and our shop is open by appointment. We are always happy to turn on the heat and open our doors to customers. Please call ahead. (413-369-4256)
UPCOMING SHOWS
We have two more shows prior to our Spring buying trip to England. Perhaps we'll see some of you at one of these two fine events.
February 15 -- Concord Armory Show -- Concord, MA
February 21 & 22 -- The New Guilford Antiques Show -- Guilford, CT
Click here for our complete show schedule for 2009.
This Month's Featured Inventory
Browse additional stock by clicking on any of these thumbnails.
A beautiful Queen Anne mirror needs a little TLC. Click HERE for a note on the care and feeding of antiques.
For this month's Back Page, click here.
Click to visit the Jan and John Maggs Antiques website.
Links
Click for directions to our shop.
Click for links to all past issues of this Newsletter.
For additional links to businesses and places of interest, visit our Links Page.
Thanks for taking the time to read our little monthly. As always, we encourage you to e-mail any comments that might make the newsletter more useful to you. Just click the mailbox, or write to jmaggs@jmaggs.com.
And we thank you for being a customer.
John and Jan
