Maine Antique Digest April 2015

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Maine Antique Digest, April 2015 35-C
- SHOW -
Appraised at $85,000, the
unsigned 18k gold bracelet
featured diamonds, sap-
phires, emeralds, and rubies.
It dated to the 1950s-’60s,
and featured 23 handmade
sections. The multicolored
leaves each have hand-
carved details. Lorraine
Wambold of Doylestown,
Pennsylvania, noted that it
had 9.5 carats of diamonds.
☞
“I’m putting it in the win column,” said Debbie Turi sev-
eral weeks after the inaugural Art, Design, & Antiques Show
at Wallace Hall in New York City had closed. The January
23-25 show, produced by Turi in partnership with jewelry
dealer Brad Reh, filled Wallace Hall, located at St. Ignatius
Loyola Church on 84th Street and Park Avenue on the Upper
East Side of Manhattan, less than 20 blocks from the Winter
Antiques Show.
“Brad and I always wanted to go back to Wallace Hall as
dealers—we had both done shows there,” said Turi. “We were
working with the facility, and all of a sudden we found our-
selves in January. I said, ‘Brad, it’s Antiques Week!’ and he
said, ‘Oh yeah.’ We were very lucky in getting the dates, and
then it all sort of fell into place.”
Once the dates were planned, Reh Turi Shows set about to
fill the hall with 34 hand-picked dealers. Because it is a small
show, Turi and Reh felt it was a necessity to limit the num-
ber of dealers in each discipline, presenting a diverse group
of dealers. “We wanted to pick and choose,” said Turi, “and I
think we did a pretty good job. There was no overabundance
of anything.”
And when it was all over? “I
thought it went pretty well actu-
ally—most of the dealers were
really happy.”
The pair is already planning to
do the show next year, albeit with
a few minor changes. “We’re going
to tweak the entranceway next
year. We’re going to make it more
inviting,” she said. The entrance-
way—even though signs pointed the
way—required going down stone steps to a dark lower level. It
was a little confusing.
Turi also said there would be a food vendor in the show next
year, something that was missing this year and the subject of
some criticism. “It’s necessary for everyone—both the dealers
and the public,” said Turi.
Food will come at a cost—in order to make room, one
dealer space will be dropped. “You have to make sacrifices
sometimes,” Turi added. Another criticism by dealers was a
lack of storage space in the hall.
The show looked good, and space was utilized effectively.
“I thought my dealers really stepped up. They did a great job.
The show exceeded what Brad and I had expected.”
Ron Bassin of A Bird in Hand Antiques, Florham Park, New
Jersey, said, “I thought the show turned out to be far better than
I anticipated. I knew the place was going to be a nightmare
to load-in to, but the guys did a phenomenal job. Getting in
and out of there was probably one of the easiest shows I’ve
done in a long time. They had a crew of fourteen porters that
helped everybody, and they managed the traffic on Park Ave-
nue. There were a couple of hiccups, but for a first-time show,
they did a really good job.” Bassin added that he sold 28 pieces.
Deidre Healy of Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge, New
York City, noted, “The show was well attended; there were
people lined up to get in every morning, which is nice to see.
It was really lovely; the hall is a great venue. There was a good
blend of different types of dealers. As for sales for us? We
didn’t really do what we wanted to do there, but I know a lot
of other dealers on the floor sold well. Clients liked it and were
very complimentary about the show. It has a good foundation;
it has legs. I think it will become a destination.”
Roger D. Winter of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, said, “I
thought it was an interesting show. It was quite well attended
for the first time. It was a reasonable mixture of antiques and
folk art and—what can I call it?—miscellaneous. The balance
was interesting. I think Brad and Debbie initially did a good
job. I’m sure they realize there are a few things they have to
play with. I did some business there—I would have liked to
have done a little more—but I did enough that I will be going
back. I would have liked to have seen more traditional furni-
ture in the show.”
“I liked the show very much and probably will return,” said
map and prints dealer Denise DeLaurentis of Philadelphia.
“The booths were affordable, and there was a steady stream of
people. My things were well received by both young and old
buyers alike. I sold, but I did not hit it out of the park. I was a
little disappointed in my sales and thought I would do a little
better, but I had a ton of interest, and who knows—maybe it
just wasn’t my weekend.”
“They know what they are doing,” said DeLaurentis of Reh
and Turi. “They are professionals; there wasn’t one glitch as
far as I could tell…. I think the show should get good reviews;
I believe in it,” said DeLaurentis.
Reh and Turi gave some thought to mounting a show in Wal-
lace Hall during Columbus Day weekend in October, but that
show will not happen, Turi confirmed. The next Reh Turi Show
event will be in November in Bedford, New York. Turi will sin-
gle-handedly promote a show in June in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
For more information, contact Reh Turi Shows on line
), call Debbie Turi at (973) 464-9793,
>, or call Brad Reh at (516) 971-7710,
>.
New York City
The Art, Design, & Antiques Show at Wallace Hall
by Clayton Pennington
“I think
the show
should
get good
reviews; I
believe in
it.”
Brad Reh and Debbie Turi transformed Wallace Hall into a small boutique
show with 34 dealers.
The folk art overmantel painting was dated March 1906 and created by artist
Henry D. Hagey in Elroy, Franconia Township, Montgomery County, Penn-
sylvania. It’s a representation of the western half of the United States—the
top of the painting delineates the states of California (far left), Nevada, Utah,
Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri. It’s based on a map by GaylordWatson from
1874. Francis Crespo asked $5500 for it.
The polychrome pine carv-
ing of Jenny Lind looks as if it
might be a ship’s figurehead,
but according to dealer Francis
Crespo of Lancaster, Pennsyl-
vania, she was from a carnival.
Crespo asked $15,000 for her.
Brad Reh.
Debbie Turi.
The tole fruit bowl with red and yellow
flowers and green stems, all on a yel-
low ground, was $325 from Judith and
James Milne of New York City.
The zinc and iron “Auto
Repairs” sign with a car and
“honest” and “expert” was
$12,500 from Judith and
James Milne. It bore a strong
resemblance to a wool trade
sign that dealer Barbara Pol-
lack had on view a few blocks
away at the Winter Antiques
Show; the two must be by the
same maker.