We are returned to San Francisco, the truck is unloaded and the galleries are arranged- sort of. Keith and I are so tired we can barely stand- but that is a good thing.
Good because, during the run of the Los Angeles Antiques Show, we barely had an opportunity to sit down. We don’t precisely know what the numbers were, but traffic in our stand was brisk. What we saw that was most significant- and a pleasant change from the last couple of years- were the interior designers shopping the show with their clients. Several were old friends we see, and do a bit of business with, every year. Quite a number were designers we see only only occasionally, and a refreshing number were younger, eager to have the opportunity to show their clients the broad range of fine quality items at the show. What’s encouraging, and bodes well for follow-on business, was that the design community, from sole practitioner to AD100, had some wonderful projects going using antiques and artwork.
It was our sense that the experience of dealers in most classes- from furniture to fine art to ethnographic material- did pretty well at the show. Mid century modern was represented, but it didn’t do quite as well at it might have. However, the Los Angeles Modernism Show is opening this coming weekend at the Santa Monica Civic Auditiorium, so perhaps buyers were awaiting that. In fact, a number of mid century dealers at the LA Antiques Show were planning to participate in the Modernism show.
