posted 04-26-1999 08:58 AM            

I think it is time that the show promoters put together a silver only show or featured silver. In the past I have recommended to both Stella & Wendy's that they consider a silver show. Both countered that the silver dealers don't like to be near each other; therefore, a silver only show was out of the question. Now with the Internet, everyone is virtually doing business in front of everyone else in the world. Maybe it is time for the silver dealers to get together in the real world as well.

What do you think?

posted 04-26-1999 02:07 PM            

The main problem we have as collectors today is that the collector market is a very small percentage of the total flatware market. In a recent survey that I did with dealers it averaged around 10%. Therefore the silver dealers that now show rely significantly on walk by traffic at the general antique shows.

posted 04-27-1999 11:34 PM              

I would love to see an all sterling silver show on the east coast. There is at least one show that I know of that while not being a completely silver show has 80 silver dealers exhibiting out of 450 dealers total. That is the Baltimore summer show put on by Sha-Dor in August.
Additionally, most of the shows in Florida,
have tremendous amounts of good silver.
Let me say this to collectors out there who think that there should be more silver at shows. There is plenty of silver at shows.

1. Dealers who deal only in silver, usually make their primary living doing pattern matching. They might not have what you want, but they have a lot. Show them you are serious and purchase something. From experience, I know that I will call a buyer before I would call someone who has just expressed interest.

2. Promotors limit the number of pattern matching dealers at shows because they like a balanced show and they like dealers to do well.

3. Because silver is a precious metal
it is valuble. A lot of general line antiques dealers avoid sterling silver (or buy it and sell it privately) because it is a magnet for theives, or do not want to risk the bucks for a small profit.

4. EBay is getting a few of the better items now, but not many. What Ebay is doing is educating dealers as to what silver is really worth. "Golly Jethro, I didn't know that nutmeg graters were worth $700. each. We ought to raise the prices on ours", is getting to be more the norm than the exception.

5. A lot of collectors are lazy or have higher priorities. They shop the second day of a show and still expect the goodies to be there. Yeah.. Like that will happen! Call the dealer ahead of time and ask them what they have you might be interested in. Arrange to see it as early in the show as possibe, or meet them in the parking lot during set up. I've done it...It works!