LABOR DAY WEEKEND WAS HOT AT THE WEST PALM BEACH ANTIQUES FESTIVAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 10, 2010

CONTACT: Kay Puchstein

(941) 697-7475

The weather was warm but attendance, sales and interest in antiques and collectibles were all sizzling at summer’s end.

(West Palm Beach, FL) West Palm Beach Antiques festival owners Kay and Bill Puchstein continue to be amazed and pleased that their creative scheduling of antique shows during the Florida summer has been so warmly received by customers and dealers. They reported that when the Labor Day edition of the Festival opened Saturday September 4 over 300 people were standing in line. They were especially pleased that some of their new and “out of the box” approaches have attracted a younger buying crowd. The Puchsteins said that dealer space for the October 2,3 show is almost sold out and dealers are signing up for the winter season beginning in November.

Every dealer who set up outside did very well for the two day holiday show as did most of the dealers inside with merchandise like A. E. Backus and Highwaymen paintings, lots of oak and country formal furniture and Hoosier cabinets. Vintage jewelry, coins, silver, oriental rugs, were good sellers as were guns, dolls, postcards, beads, glass, pottery, vintage linens and handbags.

One of the pioneering ideas found at the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is the restoration services offered by Steve Allred and the West Palm Beach Restoration Studios. While Allred’s personal restoration specialty is high end porcelain Palm Beach Restoration Studios works with a network of competent and qualified restoration professionals who cover a broad range of specialties including furniture, oil paintings, art and almost any other category of antiques and collectibles. These artisans and artists combine traditional techniques with the latest technology of the trade.

Visitors can drop off articles in need of Allred’s services and pick them up on a subsequent visit to the Festival. In the Palm Beach Restoration booth Allred displays examples of the network’s finished products as well as accepting new projects for completion before the next event. He also supervises the on-site repair of glass and crystal in the booth.

Allred has expanded both the size and the scope of Palm Beach Restoration Studios, expanding to a 9,000 square foot facility and adding a consumer information service. The Studio sponsors classes in porcelain restoration, wood items restoration and identification of antiques including how to distinguish between genuinely old artifacts and reproductions or forgeries. The classes range from Beginner to Advanced in technicality and are open to the public. The Studio also offers appraisals for damage claims and fraud and offers instruction on how to properly pack, ship and insure antiques and art. Information on all the services and classes is available at the Studio booth in the Festival.

The last of the two day Summer Shows before returning to the three day format in November will be October 2,3. Show hours are 10:00AM – 5:00PM on Saturday and 10:00AM – 4:30PM on Sunday. Adult daily admission $7.00, seniors $6.00 with a $1 discount coupon for adult admission available on the website. Anyone under 16 is admitted free. Early Buyer’s admission on Saturday morning at 9:00AM is $10.00 and is good for both days. There is no charge for parking at the Fairgrounds.

The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is held at the South Florida Fair located off Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach, FL, 1.5 miles west of the Florida Turnpike and 1 mile east of 441/SR7. For more information contact the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival at (941) 697-7475, email info@wpbaf.com or visit the website at www.wpbaf.com.

PHOTO CAPTION FOR WEST PALM BEACH ANTIQUES FESTIVAL

The Palm Beach Restoration Studio’s booth at the Festival shows off finished results and accepts new projects as well as providing information about their new class schedule.

2010 EDITION OF JOURNAL OF ADVANCED APPRAISAL STUDIES JUST RELEASED

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2010




CONTACT: Todd Sigety
(703) 836-1020

The Foundation for Appraisal Education has announced

the publication of the third annual edition of its appraisal guidelines.

(Chicago, IL) The 2010 edition of Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies contains eighteen in depth original research articles, reviews and topical discussions relating to personal property appraisal. While the Journal is targeted primarily at professional property appraisers, it also contains useful insights and information for anyone associated with the business of personal property such as auction houses, estate lawyers, insurance brokerage houses, museums and cultural property conservators.

According to Michael Conner Ph. D, ISA–AM, the mission of the Foundation is to “promote the advancement of education related to personal property appraising.” The Foundation was formed in 2002 as an independent arm of the International Society of Appraisers. The Foundation raises funds to provide scholarships for continuing studies for both new and veteran appraisers by publishing the Journal

The 2010 edition continues the targeted approach with entries regarding research reports, authentication, appraisal theory, appraisal methodology, marketing and opinion pieces and interviews. One interesting article by Jane C. Brennom, ISA CAPP titled “Appraisers vs Authenticators” delves into the role of the professional appraiser as an authenticator as well as an appraiser. This article is available on the Journal website at http://www.foundationforappraisaleducation.org/journal.html. Other topics include “For Love or Money: Antiques as Investments” by Hollie Davis and Andrew Richmond of Maine Antiques Digest’s “The Young Collector”, “The Deaccessioning Debate: What Appraisers Need to Know” by art attorney Mark S. Gold, “Original Research and Innovative Appraisals” by Elin Lake, Ph.D. ASA, “The Art Market: How Lending Fuels Art Crime” by Elizabeth Sebesky,“Fantasy Furniture by Designers: Mark, Mont, Duquette, and Springer” by Soodie Beasley, ASA AM, “Establishing the Appraisers Library” by Jerry Sampson and “ Personal Property Appraising and the Element of Time” by Scott Zema.

The first annual edition of the Journal was launched in 2008 with twenty three articles by important names in the appraisal world such as Leon Castner, ISA, CAPP, the current Director of Education for the International Society of Appraisers, David J. Maloney, publisher of “Maloney’s Antiques & Collectibles Resource Directory” and Daphne Lange Rosenzweig, ISA, CAPP, an expert in oriental appraisals.

The 2009 edition includes articles such as “Market Based Art Valuations” by Jianping Mei and Michael Moses, “Issues in Identification and Authenticity of Artist’s Signatures” by Graham Ospreay and “Combining Metrics, Standards and Connoisseurship: A Weighted Factor Scoring Model” by Robert J. Corey.

The 320 page 2010 edition of the Journal, edited by Todd Sigety, is available for $55 at http://www.appraisaljournal.org/contents.html. Previous editions are available for $35 on the same site. For more information visit the Journal’s websites at http://www.appraisaljournal.org and http://www.foundationforappraisaleducation.org/journal.html to read an excerpt article and visit the home page of the Foundation at http://www.foundationforappraisaleducation.org/index.html

You can contact the Foundation for Appraisal Education at 201 W Lake St # 214

Chicago IL, 60606, telephone 312 924-1832, email info@foundationforappraisaleducation.org.

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF APPRAISERS ANNOUNCES FALL EDUCATION SCHEDULE

                                                                  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                   
August 18, 2010


CONTACT: International Society of Appraisers
Michelle Stearns, Education & Credentialing Coordinator
(312) 981-6778


Five courses are scheduled for September and October plus several Webinars each month.

(Chicago, IL) Director of Education for the International Society of Appraisers Leon Castner, ISA CAPP has announced a full and challenging Fall schedule of courses for ISA member appraisers as well as non-members. Following the successful Assets 2010 Annual Conference in Toronto, the ISA continues to focus on its primary mission of education for its members.

The Fall schedule begins with two classes scheduled for September 28-October 3 at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Chicago. The course offerings are Appraisal of Fine Arts with instructors Richard Casagrande, ISA CAPP and Cathy Peters, ISA CAPP and Appraisal of Antiques & Residential Contents with instructors David Mapes, ISA CAPP and Karen Rabe, ISA CAPP. All are veteran ISA instructors. Both courses are new versions of the course and include several new topics. Pre course reading and a written assignment are required for both courses.

The Fine Arts course emphasizes the primary categories of fine art frequently encountered by appraisers and dealers – paintings, sculpture, works on paper, photography, animation art, Russian icons and Spanish Colonial art. Major areas of focus include art history, identifying and researching fine art works, properly describing art works and a field trip to a local Museum such as the Art Institute of Chicago.

The Antiques & Residential Contents Course provides information necessary to properly identify and value items falling into the broad category of antiques and residential contents. The focus is on construction and manufacturing, and discerning the difference between “good,” “better” and “best” quality. Course sections include furniture, ceramics, glass, silver, toys and dolls, and vintage fashions as well as general household contents and includes a trip to Chicago’s Merchandise Mart.

Enrollment for each course for ISA members is $1200. Non-members are welcome to register for $1470.

Those courses are followed in Naperville, IL (Chicago) on October 4-5 by the Requalification Course required every five years for members and is also offered as a Distant Education course if attendance onsite is not possible. Castner is the instructor for this course which is essential in maintaining knowledge of current ISA standards, particularly in appraisal methodology, industry regulations and report writing. This course is open only to those who have completed the ISA Core Course or are bridging to ISA from other organizations. Enrollment is $625 with an early enrollment discount. See the website for details of the Distant Education version of this course.

The 15 Hour National USPAP course follows on October 7-8 in Naperville. This course is intended to fulfill the National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice requirement for credentialed membership levels within a professional property appraisal organization. The course instructor will be Roger Durkin, a personal property attorney. Enrollment is $300 for members, $450 for non-members.

The final course of the year is the Core Course. The Core Course is the “nuts and bolts” approach to personal property appraising in all disciplines and is the starting point for anyone interested in becoming a personal property appraiser. The Course is an action packed seven day marathon held in Naperville, IL in conjunction with Northern Illinois University that includes hands on experience outside the classroom. The seven day course includes everything a prospective appraiser needs to begin a new career including practice appraisals and written appraisals. Class activities include inventorying property, using the computer for research on internet sites, finding comparable sales, and will include examples of good and bad appraisals. Enrollment for members is $1150 and $1500 for non-members.

Castner’s newest expansion of the education program is the presentation of several one hour webinars each month. The subject rotates between specialty topics and methodology subjects with some free informational versions included. Registration is open to anyone and ISA membership is not required. Registration details are available on the ISA website.

For information about all of the professional education opportunities offered by the ISA visit the website at http://www.isa-appraisers.org, call Michelle Stearns at (312) 981-6778, email isa@isa-appraisers.org or write to ISA, 737 North Michigan Ave., Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60611.

SUMMER IS A GOOD TIME FOR ANTIQUES AT THE WEST PALM BEACH ANTIQUES FESTIVAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 16, 2010

CONTACT: Kay Puchstein

(941) 697-7475

Attendance and sales were strong at the August 7,8 Show.

(West Palm Beach, FL) Kay and Bill Puchstein, owners of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival, are feeling pretty smart these days. Bucking the traditional summer schedule of no antiquing in Florida in the summer has proved to be good thing for the Festival, the dealers and the customers. Attendance was up again at the August 7, 8 Show and the Early Buyer’s program hit a new high. By changing the Early Buyer’s admission from $25 to $10 for Saturday morning entry more than tripled the participation and some dealers benefited from the switch.

One dealer from Stuart made such strong sales on Early Buyers that he said he could just pack up and take the rest of the weekend off. He didn’t of course but it got the ball rolling in the right direction and he had strong sales all weekend. A jewelry dealer from Coral Springs has had her best two shows ever in the last two summer shows and she has been a regular monthly dealer for ten years. One pair of dealers who had not done the Show in several years set up for the August Show and did so well they signed up for the September 4,5 event.

One dealer who has had strong sales at West Palm Beach Antiques Festival since the early 1990s is Eric Glickman, owner of Your Fondest Memories. And he has a good time doing it. He thinks his booth is the best looking booth at the Show since it is filled with all the things Baby Boomers remember from their 1950s and earlier childhoods. He has a nice selection of the coin operated dispensers that used to lure kids of the period with bubble gum, candy or peanuts. He also has a great inventory of the old advertising signs they grew up with ranging from soda fountains signs to ice cream advertising to gasoline and oil ads. But the real bait is the collection of lithographed toys backed up by the pre- War trains.

Glickman says his booth is fun place to just walk by and even better to walk into. He says the most frequently heard comment is “I used to have one like that” or “I remember that.” Glickman’s booth gives them the opportunity to take home the slot machine or the gasoline sign to put in the recreation room. Lots of Glickman’s trains and toys have ended up on customer’s shelves to decorate a den or study. He says it like being able to take a piece of their history home. Over 500 items in the Glickman booth certainly offer that opportunity.

Summer Show are 10:00AM – 5:00PM on Saturday and 10:00AM – 4:30PM on Sunday. Adult daily admission $7.00, seniors $6.00 with a 1$ discount coupon for adult admission available on the website. Anyone under 16 is admitted free. Early Buyer’s admission on Saturday morning at 9:00AM is $10.00 and is good for both days. There is no charge for parking at the Fairgrounds.

The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is held at the Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds located off Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach, FL, 1.5 miles west of the Florida Turnpike and 1 mile east of 441/SR7. For more information contact the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival at (941) 697-7475, email info@wpbaf.com or visit the website at www.wpbaf.com.

PHOT0 CAPTIONS FOR WEST PALM BEACH ANTIQUES FESTIVAL

Some of us can remember when a uniformed attendant pumped our gas. Can you? You can see this antique idea in Eric Glickman’s booth.

This cabinet shows some of the old time treats like Moon-Pie and Cracker Jacks

 

The real treats were found in the peanut and candy vending machines. 

 

 

 With all the treats you need to something to wash them down. Coke works as does Squirt or RC.

WEST PALM BEACH ANTIQUES FESTIVAL HAS STRONG OPENING FOR SUMMER SHOWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 14, 20 010

CONTACT: Kay Puchstein

(941) 697-7475

New July Show had best attendance since March.

(West Palm Beach, FL) The newly inaugurated Summer Shows of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival got off to a rocking start with the July Show, on July 3-4. After not knowing what to expect Festival owners Kay and Bill Puchstein happily reported that attendance was the best since the March show and dealers were selling well. Kay rhetorically asked, “Who said a summer show in Florida wouldn't work?

The Puchsteins have announced a change to the popular Early Buyers admission program that should be received very well. For the August 7-8 Festival the Early Buyers admission will be reduced from $25 to $10 and it will be good for admission on both days of the Festival. Early Buyer admission times will change from 8:00-10:00AM on Saturday to 9:00-10:00AM. The remaining Summer Shows are scheduled for September 4-5 and October 2-3 featuring reduced booth rent. Some dealer space is still available for the Summer.

One of the dealer booths that has been a fixture at the West Palm Beach Festival for many years is that operated by Gladys and John Ezzo. The Ezzos have been in the same location for over twenty years and have seen the world come and go by their booth. Many years ago while on a trip to Florida from their home in Syracuse the Ezzos, who owned a retail furniture store, dropped into a Moderneage Furniture store and had new jobs before they left. Later they had the chance to buy an existing antiques business in Pompano Beach and have been antiques dealers since. After opening a much larger shop in Margate the Ezzos decided to close the shop and concentrate on shows.

The Ezzos specialize in higher end artifacts in the area of art glass with selections of Lalique, Galle and LeGras and from the 19th and 20th century. They also carry a variety of Tiffany bronze with a concentration of desk sets and dresser items. But the real eye opener in the booth is the sign that relates to silver plate. John offers a resilvering and silver plating service that is utilized by both dealers and retail customers who need to “freshen up” a silver item but he does not resilver mirrors. John says that stops the most customers initially since resilvering is a hard to find service. In addition to high end art glass the Ezzo booth displays a fine selection of jadeite and unusual kitchen artifacts and usefuls. Ezzo also serves as an authentication service for his many repeat customers who seek his advice about the authenticity of items they have or are interested in acquiring.

Summer Show hours will be 10:00AM – 5:00PM on Saturday and 10:00AM – 4:30PM on Sunday. Adult daily admission $7.00, seniors $6.00 with a 1$ discount coupon for adult admission available on the website. Anyone under 16 is admitted free. There is no charge for parking at the Fairgrounds.

The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is held at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fair located off Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach, FL, 1.5 miles west of the Florida Turnpike and 1 mile east of 441/SR7. For more information contact the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival at (941) 697-7475, email info@wpbaf.com or visit the website at www.wpbaf.com.

PHOTO CAPTION

The Ezzo booth at the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival displays 400-500 items of art glass, art, jadeite and bronze.

UNIVERSAL LIVE TO HOST MAJOR ONLINE ART AUCTION JULY 9th

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2010

CONTACT: Martin Shape
(847) 412-1802


Sale to feature two original Renoirs, a Manassier and a Rizzi plus twenty signed Leroy Neimans.

(Northbrook, IL) A signed lithograph of his son by Pierre-August Renoir (French 1841-1919) is one of two Renoirs that will cross the block when Universal Live Auctioneers hosts an online high end fine art auction on Friday July 9 at 3:00PM Central Time. The sale will include 275 lots of original paintings, signed lithographs, sculptures and statues representing some of the best known names in the art world. Also to be offered is an extensive selection of antique and vintage posters.

Martin Shape, President of Universal Live, described the auction as, “Far and away one of Universal’s most prestigious in its fifteen year history of conducting thousands of auctions. Opening bids have been kept competitive and there is the potential for outstanding value in this sale.”

Included in the inventory is a second Renoir signed lithograph, an oil on canvas by Alfred Manessier (French 1911-1993), five Peter Max renderings (one original), signed Warhols, a signed nude and others by Wessleman and works by Rashenburg, Jim Dine, Chagall, Miro and Dali as well as Rockwell sculptures and Pescara statues.

Shape said he believes that less than 50 final full-color renderings of Renoir’s “L'Enfant au Biscuit” Child with Biscuit were produced in 1899. Renoir outdid himself and produced what is unquestionably the artist's finest print. The colors have a pastel tonality and a delightful mat finish. Many trials must have been made before Renoir was satisfied. Some proofs exist of the drawing alone in grey-black; others have a light pink for the face. Unfinished versions were also produced in varying degrees of color. We know of only three final color stone lithographs, and this is one of those few,” Shape said. The other Renoir is “Le petit garcon au porte-plume” Little Boy with Quill Pen. In it Renoir skillfully used background shading in order to centralize the focus and the impact of his son within the composition. This intriguing portrait study of Renoir’s young son, Claude, is shown here, deep in childish thought, as he writes (or draws) with his quill pen. His gaze is that of a child's. The overall portrait is a study in concentration, beautifully rendered with thoughtful lines and form.

Just as important is the Alfred Manessier original rare early oil on canvas Sea. The scene portrays rough waters at sea, with seagulls catching the wind above. The artist also later worked in stained glass, and a hint of that can be seen in the pattern of the waves catching the light. His last work for auction was sold for $54,000 in 2007. Manessier's art today is found in some of the most prestigious private collections and museums.

Representing a “Pop Art” rendering is one of the better known artists, James Rizzi, in It's Time to Buy a New TV. He captures the excitement of shopping for a new television in this fantastic three dimensional artwork. It consists of many individual cut out pieces that were pasted on the background at varying heights, making the vibrant scene really “pop out”. The Artist deviated from his usual small renderings and produced a 26 by 36 inch image size. According to Shape it is rare to find a large Rizzi.

The fully illustrated catalog and registration for absentee or live bidding are available through LiveAuctioneers.com at http://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/22029. 

For additional information on any lot in the sale, call Martin Shape at 847-412-1802 or email sales@universallive.com. 

written by:

Fred Taylor

www.furnituredetective.com

800-387-6377
Captions:

Renoir original stone lithograph “Child With Biscuit”

Alfred Manessier original rare early oil paining of the sea

James Rizzi framed large 3-d art print “time to buy a TV”

 
Renoir original lithograph “Little Boy with Quill Pen”

WEST PALM BEACH ANTIQUES FESTIVAL KICKS OFF NEW SUMMER SERIES OF SHOWS JULY 3 and 4

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 17, 2010

CONTACT: Kay Puchstein

(941) 697-7475

June show had largest attendance in months and sales were brisk.

(West Palm Beach, FL) The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival continued its steady growth for the June 4-6 Show with sold out dealer spaces and very active buying. Festival owners Kay and Bill Puchstein reported that interest on the part of visitors was especially high in the areas of antique guns and 1950s vintage items. Antique firearms do not require a Federal Firearms license and a permit is not required to own or carry one.

One dealer had great success with vintage television sets. He sold three sets in working condition that had the usual arrangement of small screens, around 12 inches, but housed in much larger 30 inch cases. Buyers were delighted to find working models. Original Florida Highwayman R. L. Lewis demonstrated his painting technique while his son R. L., III, explained the method and took orders. One bystander was curious about the assortment of very large brushes used by Lewis. He replied, “That’s so I can paint fast.” And paint fast he did to keep up with orders.

The new Summer Series kicks of July 3-4 with the first of the two day shows. Other Summer shows are scheduled for August 7-8, September 4-5 and October 2-3 featuring reduced booth rent. Some dealer space is still available for the Summer.

One booth that will not available is the prominent lobby booth occupied by Americana dealers Nancy and Woody Straub. The Straubs are veteran dealers in American fine art circa 1860-1945 and American furniture ranging from the Arts & Crafts period of the early 20th century to the colonial period. They have been antiques dealers for over forty years and have family ties to the business going back beyond that. Nancy and Woody have been regular exhibitors at the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival since Kay and Bill Puchstein took over the Show in late 2008.

The most popular items shown in the Straub booth are paintings by listed American artists and the younger buyers are attracted to American regional artists of various art colonies. The Straubs recognize the need for dealers to maintain a diversity of inventory and they buy and sell authentic cowboy gear, American Indian material and they display hundreds of small accessory items from many periods in their booth at West Palm Beach.

The popular “Early Buyers Admission” feature will be continued in the summer starting at 8:00AM on Saturday before the regular Show opening time of 10:00AM. The $25 Early Buyer ticket is good for the entire weekend.

Summer Show hours will be 10:00AM – 5:00PM on Saturday and 10:00AM – 4:30PM on Sunday. Adult daily admission $7.00, seniors $6.00 with a 1$ discount coupon for adult admission available on the website. Anyone under 16 is admitted free. There is no charge for parking at the Fairgrounds.

The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is held at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fair located off Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach, FL, 1.5 miles west of the Florida Turnpike and 1 mile east of 441/SR7. For more information contact the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival at (941) 697-7475, email info@wpbaf.com or visit the website at www.wpbaf.com.

written by:

Fred Taylor

www.furnituredetective.com

800-387-6377

PHOTO CAPTION FOR WEST PALM BEACH ANTIQUES FESTIVAL

Veteran Americana dealer Woody Straub and his wife Nancy will be set up in the premier lobby booth at the July 3-4 West Palm Beach Antiques Festival. They are a good place to start your visit.