Jan and John Maggs Antiques

August 15 & 16, 2009

in our Conway shop

Our first (and perhaps only)

"What Sales Tax Increase?" Sale

(Replacing our "Tax-free Weekend Sale")

Special Discounts on Selected Pieces

and tax savings on everything

(and it's legal, too)

10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. - both days

Last year's "Tax-free Weekend Sale", during which we reduced the price of everything in the shop by at least 20%, gave us one of the best weekends of the year. Our discount, coupled with the state's suspension of the sales tax, gave all of our retail customers a 25% discount on their purchases. In the wake of its success, we'd planned to repeat the event this summer.

This plan was squelched by the decision of the Massachusetts legislature to increase the sales tax from 5% to 6.25%! Given this huge increase (25%), it's no surprise that the state will not offer consumers a Tax Holiday Weekend this year.

But we will! And here's how:

We're bound by the law and must collect tax on retail sales. Therefore buyers without resale certificates (i.e., most buyers) must pay the added 6.25%. But, in the interest of preserving our one-year tradition, we'll absorb the tax on retail purchases.

To do this legally we will, for all retail sales completed during the weekend, reduce our retail prices by 26.25%. The sales tax will be calculated on this specially reduced price, meeting the letter of the law, though perhaps not its spirit. Wholesale buyers, whose purchases are exempt from tax, will receive a 20% discount. We believe that this is fair to all.

In addition, as we did last year, we'll reduce prices on a few "old friends" by as much as 50% or more. Last year, a couple of shrewd buyers bought things they had been thinking about for less than half the regular price. To view these special reductions, click HERE. If you can't come to the sale, you might like to check the update. Items mailed out of state will, as always, be exempt from sales tax, although shipping fees will be applied.

Last year's tax-free weekend sale was great fun; this year's might be even better. We hope you'll come.

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