That's the gist of this article about getting a spot at the Winter Antiques Show. Dealers wait up to THIRTY years to be asked to the show; they can apply, but in the end they have to get the nod in the form of a formal invite. To even have a prayer, their goods have to be top-notch and in original condition. Mirrors, for example, must be the original glass, not re-gilded, and the condition of the paint has to pass muster.
"We have a very low attrition rate,'' said the show's executive director, Catherine Sweeney Singer. "Of course you can be removed for not having show-worthy material, but that's very rare."
Besides New York socialites, the clientele at the show includes many museum curators. Let's see . . . limited access to high-rolling, high-profile customers, intense entry requirements, and possibly long-living dealers/rivals blocking access to the Big Show: sounds like the makings of a good murder mystery.
Cool curiosities; Dealers wait decades for a slot in the Winter Antiques Show [The Sault Star]
great photo and story
Posted by: tom curran | Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at 08:26 AM