Such is the quality of the merchandise, and such the reputation of the show.
"It's the best show for Americana in the country, and always has been," says Lita Solis-Cohen, a former Inquirer antiques writer and current senior editor of Maine Antique Digest, regarded as the bible of the trade. "There is a tremendous amount of knowledge among the dealers. They will sell you the right stuff at the right price, and that is what this show is about. It's about connoisseurship."
Says dealer Skip Chalfant of H.L. Chalfant American Fine Art & Antiques near West Chester: "It's like a museum, but everything is for sale."
Compared with other local institutions and traditions, the 50-year-old Philadelphia Antiques Show, which will open Saturday and end Tuesday (admission for regular folks: $20), is relatively young. And like so much hereabouts, it's unique and underappreciated. It is the preeminent showcase of 18th- and 19th-century American antiques and folk art in the nation, those in the know say. Only the Winter Antiques Show in New York rivals it in content, allure, and prestige. But that show lacks the focus on Americana, and especially antiques from this history-rich region.
"It's the best place for Americana because Philadelphia is the mother lode," Solis-Cohen says. "The best stuff was made here by the best artisans and cabinetmakers. The Philadelphia merchants patronized the best craftsmen, and the early Quakers, with one foot in the meetinghouse and one foot in the countinghouse, had lots of money, and they ordered things plain but of the best sort."
For Philip Bradley, a Downingtown-area dealer in early American furniture and accessories, the show is a beloved rite of spring.
