Jan and John Maggs Antiques

Opinion: Let's give show dealers a break!

It's no secret that the current economic downturn has had an especially negative impact on the antiques business. Our stock in trade, although green, falls somewhere outside the domain of "necessities".

But, despite the depressing news that haunts us daily, people still come to shows, often in large numbers. The difference is that shoppers appear far less eager to spend money. Many collectors and dealers who formerly bought two, three, or more items at a show now buy one - or none. The excitement that formerly marked the opening of an event is rare today, and it sometimes seems as if the joy of collecting is fading. More than once we've been told, "I didn't bring my checkbook, because I wasn't planning on buying anything."

Many of our friends and colleagues have had strings of dismal shows in the past months and, as a result, are dropping those that aren't profitable. Several fine shows have recently announced cancellations: Irene Stella's Modern Show, Marvin Getman's Boston Antiques Weekend, and Marilyn Gould's March Wilton Show, for example. Last summer we noticed that one of Rhinebeck's four buildings was unoccupied. While we consider ourselves very fortunate to have been able to post at least a small profit in most of our recent shows, we've dropped a couple ourselves, recognizing that paring expenses is the only way to survive when business is slow.

Some show promoters are acutely aware of the difficulties we all are facing. A few offer reduced booth rents for dealers who pay in full with their deposit. While this, of course, gives the promoter a hedge against last-minute cancellation, it also, in fact, helps reduce the cost to the dealer. The management of several of our shows (Tolland, the Concord Armory show, Darien, and Golden Ball Tavern, for example) have, laudably, held booth rents at prior levels; but some booth rents continue to rise each year, as if nothing had changed in the real world. (The booth rent for one of our recent shows was 23% higher than last year's; our sales at the same show dropped by 56%!).

There is another way to reduce costs to dealers and perhaps slow the exodus from the show circuit. Why not reduce two-day shows to a single day? Most dealers would agree that Day 2 is, with a few exceptions, far less profitable than Day 1. The first day of a show has always been the most active and profitable. "Sunday be-backs" are most often the stuff of dreams and frustrated hopes. In fact, most of our post-Day 1 sales happen during the following weeks, by phone or e-mail. Of course, promoters and sponsoring organizations value the second day, which adds to the gate and their profit, but most of our dealer friends don't realize this benefit. The financial implications for dealers of reducing the length of shows should be obvious. If promoters pay lower facility and equipment rental fees, as well as reduced fire, police, and custodial bills, a part of that savings might be used to reduce booth rents slightly and make the show more affordable for dealers.  In addition, a single-day format would allow everyone to reduce hotel and meal expenses by a day. It would seem fair that promoters and dealers share the current hardship.

There should be little doubt that economic conditions in our business will eventually cause more shows to disappear. Perhaps that day could be delayed or avoided if more promoters would pay more attention to the interests of the dealers upon whom they rely.

(JAM - Revised 3/16/09)

Click on the picture to return to this month's newsletter.