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Articles At A Glance
It's Show Season in the Bay Area Questions & Common Sense Answers
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The Newcomb Pottery of New Orleans By: Carol Perry As seen in The Antique Shoppe Newspaper, February 2007 From late fall and right on through the winter, folks who love antiques and collectibles shows are very happy in Florida. Literally every week there are shows in assorted venues throughout the state. The Tampa Bay area is no exception, and visitors, natives and "transplants" alike in the Florida west coast communities enjoy a remarkable variety of events for collectors. There have already been several well attended and popular outdoor shows this season, with many more to come. Antique Alley, a tidy gathering of shops in trendy Belleair Bluffs, holds outdoor shows twice a year...one in the spring and the other to welcome fall. The fall show this year fell on a bright and breezy Sunday and vendors set up their tables on the grounds bordering and facing the shops. The quaint and well-kept Main Street of Dunedin was the scene of another Fall Antique Fair. The city of Dunedin hosts two of these events every year; One spring and one fall. The street is closed to traffic for the day and the vendors' tables and booths fill the cordoned-off street as well as a couple of side streets as shoppers and browsers move from display to display, perhaps stopping from time to time to sample the wares of several food vendors, or to visit one of Dunedins many eateries. The historic St. Petersburg Coliseum ballroom has become a favorite venue among show promoters. The Sunshine City Antiques and Collectibles Show held a three-day spectacular event there recently. This show was so big that there were even vendors set up in the long balcony overlooking the polished main floor. The Coliseum was also the scene of The Florida Show, were vintage Florida memorabilia was offered. This colorful and very entertaining show featured several Florida authors as well as personal appearances from the African American artists known as "The Highwaymen." These painters of Florida landscapes began as teenagers in the 1950s, selling their work along the highways of the Sunshine State. The Honeywell Minnreg Building in Largo is the venue of choice for several shows. Notable are the doll shows held there several times a year: The St. Petersburg Doll Club hosts a show every year and the Doll, Bear and Collectible Show has events in both Spring and Fall. There's a Miniature Show at the Minnreg every year also, featuring a great variety of doll houses and other miniatures. Floridians and savvy visitors who make it a point to frequent as many shows as possible have learned a few "tricks of the trade" to make shopping easier. They watch the antiques and collectibles publications like this one and note the dates of upcoming shows on their calendars. Sometimes, at the height of the season, more than one show will be happening on the same day. Is the show you want to see a one day or multi-day event? Is there a special Friday night opening for a weekend show? If you plan your time and transportation right you can sometimes "do" more than one show in a day. Often shops in the area will have advertising flyers which include discount coupons which will save a little on the price of admission. Sometimes the Friday night admission fee is a bit higher than the daytime hours. Often the local dealers will take advantage of the opportunity to get a "first look" at the articles for sale. If being first is important, by all means pay the extra fee. Special night openings aside, try to be early at the show for best selection. Bring small bills. Dealers may have difficulty making change early in the day. It's a good idea too, to carry a sturdy canvas bag and perhaps some tissue paper. Dealers are not always prepared to pack your purchase as carefully and safely as you might like. If you are going to attend one of the popular outdoor shows, whether it's spring or fall, by all means use a good sunscreen! The Florida sun can give you a bad burn even on an overcast day and even if the weather is relatively cool! Its not a bad idea to throw a few "bungee cords" into the trunk of your car or van. You never know when a great piece of furniture might catch your eye and be in need of immediate transport. Some of the upcoming shows for 2007 include a Baby Boomer show at the Coliseum featuring collectibles from the 1950s, 1960s & 1970s. There is another Sunshine City show planned for the Coliseum too, as well as the prestigious Antiquarian Book Fair and another Florida Show. Watch for outdoor shows in Dunedin and Belleair Bluffs. The Harborview Center in Clearwater used to be a Mas Brothers Department Store, and now, revamped and updated is the site for the Depression Glass Show and the Great Tampa Bay/Suncoast Antiques Show. For information on some of the many upcoming shows for 2007, here are a few telephone numbers: 21st
Century Expositions 727-345-6627 |
If you have any questions, you can Email us at antshoppe@aol.com
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PO Box 2175, Keystone Heights, FL 32656-2175
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