What the exhibitors will be bringing … to America’s Largest Antique & Collectibles Show in Portland

[singlepic id=448 w=360 h=280 float=left]I always love to “beat the drum” for a collectibles event by giving a taste of what exhibitors will be bringing. Here are a few early replies to inquiries sent out to some of the sellers at America’s Largest Antique & Collectibles Show in Portland, Ore., later this month. The show is a produced by Palmer/Wirfs & Associates of Portland:

Licensed doll dealer Patricia A. Wood has been selling dolls and exhibiting at for over 30 years. Her business is Patricia’s Tiny Dears. She’ll be sharing a booth with a friend from Arizona.

“Antique dolls and bears were initially my specialty, and estate jewelry of gold and silver were my partner’s specialty,” Patricia told me. “Over the years, we have increased our inventory to include vintage dog and cat figurines of high quality; vintage hats for both men and women; brand-name purses; and vintage carved wood figures, especially those from ANRI … I still handle the dolls and bears, and I especially love to find and handle vintage/antique African-American memorabilia and native Indian dolls and items. I got into the vintage hats by accident and have loved meeting and getting to know the new and returning customers, who have brought this past back to life by purchasing and wearing hats.

Asked about a price range for the items the items she’ll be bringing, Patricia noted, “A dealer must strive to keep abreast of the change in the economy and adjust prices whenever possible. A normal range of merchandise in our booth might be $40 to $250, with items lower and high … I would consider that to be the most common range for pricing.”

Bob Merck of St. Nicholas Trading Company specializes in antique Christmas, Halloween and other holiday decorations. Bob told me he’s been an avid collector for more than 30 years; he’s the author of “Deck the Halls: Treasures of Christmas Past” (Abbeville Press), a book on antique Christmas decorations.

“I will be offering a wide range of early German holiday decorations and toys at the October show, including Santa Claus candy containers, Belsnickels, cotton, figural glass and Dresden tree ornaments, bisque Santa Claus ‘snowbabies,’ feather Christmas trees, Christmas china, including Limoges holly dishes, as well as vintage toys and ‘putz’ village items for under the tree,” Bob said.

Bob will be offering pieces for the beginning and advanced collector. Of special interest:

• a huge 17-inch German papier-mâché Halloween witch lantern with original paper insert facial features
• a rare Dresden tree ornament of Father Christmas with two children
• two scarce heavy composition German Santa Claus lanterns in different sizes.

Chris Palmer, president of Palmer/Wirfs & Associates, said that the Portland Expo Show (as it’s known in the trade) will feature 1,000 booths filled with collectibles from the 1880s to the 1970s, from traditional antiques (estate jewelry, sterling flatware, china, glass, etc.) to pop cultural items (comic character items, ’60s board games, TV related stuff, vintage clothing – “Pretty much anything your mother threw away,” she remarked).

“We have not one but two displays for this show,” Chris pointed out. “The first is a fabulous display of American Brilliant cut glass, brought to us by the Columbia Chapter of the American Cut Glass Association. I’ve attached a description. The other is a stein collection (courtesy of Pacific Stein Sammler, a chapter of Stein Collectors International), also pretty cool. Plus, we offer evaluations and identifications by International Society of Appraisers (ISA) appraisers. The cost is $5 per object, with all proceeds going to the Sunshine Division Food Bank.”

Sat. and Sun., Oct. 29 and 30, 2011, at the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center, 2060 N. Marine Dr., Portland, Ore. Hours: Sat., 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: $7 adults, good for both days. Parking: $8 at Expo, $5 at nearby Portland Meadows horse racetrack (quick continuous shuttle provided) or you can ride Light Rail (called MAX down here) right to the parking lot.
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Visit Palmer/Wirfs & Associates for more information and venue directions: www.palmerwirfs.com

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