We Made It To The ICA Antique Show!

Well, it's almost 8pm and I am at the hotel.  Wow, a reallly long couple of days.  Lee Ann and I spent yesterday preparing last minute items for the show.  I managed to put together a couple of chalkboards made from antique picture frames.  I also did the faux finish on the vintage jewelery cabinet, that I am posting a tutorial on.   We did not get a chance to upholster it, but it seemed too nice not to bring it.  I will be posting pictures of it tomorrow. Tomorrow should be an interesting day.  This particular show features an early buyer viewing option.  Buyers can, for an elevated ticket price,  come to the show a day earlier than the general admission public to scope out the show.  We do not expect a ton of customer traffic tomorrow, but the word is that the ones that do show up are often serious buyers, who are there for a reason.  Many times these customers include interior deigners and their clients, who are armed with color swatches, fabric samples, and checkbooks. 

We finally finished loading the 2 trucks last night around 11pm.  Then we were up at 4:30am to throw our luggage and computer in with us and head off  to Charlotte!

We started unloading about 10am.  After working all day long trying to set up, we are still not completely done, but close enough to earn dinner at Denny's. 



There are a lot of stories, or maybe urban legends about clients spending obscene amounts of money at these shows.  I heard one such story a few months ago in Atlanta.  It was about a woman who walked into the show on the very last day with her interior designer and checkbook in hand.  Many of the antique dealers who were showing there had already packed up their trucks to go home.  This woman ended up spending roughly $40,000.00 in about 30 minutes from the dealers who decided to stick around the last few hours of the show.  You just never know what is going to happen.  Tomorrow could easily be a day like that.  Personally I would be tickled if I sold a few picture frames, and maybe a chalkboard.  I will let you all know tomorrow night how it went and will post some pictures.Time to get some rest.


 Rory