Tampa Bay show-goers and dealers alike always look forward to the first 'big show of Fall. This year the Sunshine City Show kicked off the season with a big, 3-day, glitzy event at the beautiful Coliseum Ballroom in downtown St.Petersburg. Over 100 well appointed, piped and draped booths displayed antique furniture, art, pottery and glass, silver, primitives, vintage clothing, porcelain, jewelry and more. The show began with a Friday evening opening and ran through Saturday and Sunday.

A walk-through revealed a remarkable "quantity of high-end antiques, many probably of museum quality. But there was plenty of mid-priced merchandise too.

A gorgeous original Meissen candelabra, circa 1840, was $775.

A fine old Bradley & Hubbard lamp with leaded shade, which had originally been an oil lamp, now electrified - was, tagged $1800. Another lamp with appeal to collectors featured a rare reverse painted column and shade. In mint condition, it was $1600.

A pair "of white painted table lamps with puffed design pink glass shades were reasonable at $250 for the pair. A rare gutta-percha picture frame with easel back drew much attention. The large, museum-quality piece, with period engraving, dated from 1840.

Many dealers featured American Art Pottery at this show. There was lots of Roseville, Van Briggle, Teco, Shawnee and Weller represented, along with a surprising amount of some of the harder to find potters like Newcomb, Hampshire, Dedham, Marblehead and Moorcraft and even a few pieces of Ohr.

An unusual Marblehead vase with rare 5-color design was $8500. A 10" Newcomb vase with an incised crocus design was $1300. Another uncommon piece was a small blue vase with a design of Dutch girls holding hands. It was marked UND, which

identifies it as a product of the North Dakota School of Mines. The school opened a ceramics department in 1910 using local high quality potter's clay. The vase was $1300.

A tall vase from the Buffalo Pottery, circa 1 91 0, was decorated with a detailed pastoral scene. The artist was Ralph Stuart, said to be a relative of Gilbert Stuart, the famous painter. The price was $585.

Glass collectibles and antiques were popular too. A handsome cut glass bowl bearing the distinctive "Hawkes" trademark was a good example of American "brilliant" period.

The saw tooth-edged bowl was $285.

From the more recent past was a large, square bent glass serving tray, signed by

Georges Briar, in the Strawberry pattern at $58. A set of green glass iced tea glasses (circa 1960) with stylized white gazelle decor were $12.50 each.

There were several interesting various booths. Pyrography, the art of wood burning, was a popular pastime among women during the first years of the

20th century. A tie rack with a "Gibson Girl" design was $55.00 A pyrographed square box with a chrysanthemum design was $63.

A 1930s style boudoir doll, in good condition, but lacking clothes, was $65. A small Madame Alexander "American Girl" doll with all-original clothes was $55. Some charming 1930s winter village figures of bisque were $135 each. A flower basket doorstop, iron with original paint, was $185. A Shawnee Dutch Boy-cookie jar was $750 and a 1970s vintage, unmarked. Dutch girl cookie jar was $250. -

Some 1930s paper dolls made an interesting display. All of them were cut, but in good condition. A pair of Shirley Temples were $39. A Sonia Heine set with some costumes was $30; Jane Withers was $22. An early 1940s Betty Grable with

clothes was $22.

A Sacha B. cigarette box was $55. A Hedl Schoop girl with a dog was $165. A 1940s era Rhinestone pin by Fell, in the shape of a typewriter was $25. A Weiss gold tone pin with frosted glass in a shell shape was $28. An old 1940s green

Lucky Strike metal cigarette tin was $15.

A large sponge ware bowl was $270 and a Westmoreland milk glass hen and nest (circa 1954-1965) was $125. Some wonderfully illustrated books by Harrison Fisher included Maiden Fair for $350; An artist-signed An artist-signed figure of Pierrot from the famous Austrian Goldschider ceramic company, circa, 1920, was $2750.

Throughout the Saturday and Sunday show, an Antique Appraisal Fair, staffed by knowledgeable local experts was conducted on the Coliseum balcony.

The nest Sunshine City Show planned for the Coliseum will take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, January 11-13, 2008. For more information call 727-823-4130 or go to www.sunshinecityantiqueshow.com