We are gathering a bit of market intelligence about the performance of the Olympia and Grosvenor House fairs. Methodologically, I can’t say we will entirely avoid any what’s hot, what’s not scenarios: we will at least try to pepper the anecdotes with some reasoned analysis.
What for the moment begs interest and doubtless will factor into the ultimate success of the London fairs season is the introduction this year of Old Masters Week. One wonders to what extent the gate particularly at Grosvenor was reduced the result of old master dealers who chose not to exhibit, staking summer time sales on the success of Old Masters Week. Certainly, hosting an event in your own gallery is less expensive than a show booth, but is it as effective from a marketing standpoint? We have always felt that show participation is our most important marketing tool, as both collectors and interior designers will see our gear in neutral territory as it were, not having to make even the modest commitment necessary to enter and browse our shop premises. Further, our collectors typically have areas of interest other than English antiques, and we find the notion of one-stop shopping at a show generally appealing even to connoisseurs. While we all of us experience our fair share of browsers at antiques show, we have curtailed our participation in galleries events because the only people who were turning up were browsers.
Times have been very tough for all of us with all of us, consequently, doing things out of financial necessity we would not do otherwise. I think the notion of a contra fair, as Old Masters Week seems to be, is one of these, and driven entirely by money- or, more precisely, a lack of it. While I hope that the participants in any contra fair find it sufficiently remunerative to allow themselves the luxury of earning thereby a sale or two, I would find it surprising, once the global economy achieves straight and level flight, to find these ad hoc events carrying on, with the erstwhile participants folding back into and enhancing the for the moment somewhat depleted fairs.