Click here for PHOTOS of the Show

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 

LAPADA  Antiques and Fine Art
NEC  Birmingham 10-14 Jan 2001

Antiques For Everyone Show
NEC Birmingham
19th-22nd April 2001
2nd -5th August 2001
22nd-25th November 2001

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A family from Solihull who had been searching for a clock made by one of their ancestors for more than ten years finally found what they were looking for at the NEC’s Antiques for Everyone fair, running from 23rd-26th November. 

Belonging to clock specialist Bob Gardner from Yorkshire, the bulkhead clock was made in London around 1860 by Daniel Desbois, of the London company Desbois, and cost £1,200. The Desbois family were Huguenot émigrés who arrived in
England around 1760 and became well-known English clock makers, working in Grays Inn Passage until the 1960s. The Austen family had been hoping to find a clock made by the firm to pass on to future generations as an example of the work of
their ancestors. Richard Austen was delighted with his find and described the purchase as an absolute thrill.

Bob Gardner is a regular exhibitor at NEC fairs with a stand in Section Two. He was one of many to enjoy a successful fair, selling to customers from the Midlands and across the UK. Featuring more than 600 exhibitors from across the UK and
Europe, the Fair was the largest late autumn antiques fair staged at the NEC. An attendance of 29,200 exceeded the previous year’s total by 1,706 and proved that despite the problems with the railways and congested motorways, the fair increased its
immense appeal.

Among the most successful areas for sales was ceramics. The fair has a strong reputation for its large number of specialist dealers and, as usual, many exhibitors made strong sales. "My best ever fair at the NEC" was how exhibitor John Rogers from London, specialising in early porcelain, described business. Keith Arden from Worcestershire, specialising in teapots, also enjoyed a successful fair and expressed his enthusiasm for NEC saying he will be expanding his stand next time in response to
demand from collectors. Many ceramics specialists across both sections of the fair were pleased with sales, which proved as buoyant as usual. Oriental specialists Glade Antiques from Marlow were ‘as pleased as usual’ with sales. Glass specialists
were also generally satisfied with business, notably Ged Selby from Skipton who sold to many new and regular clients.

Paintings, across the board, proved popular with collectors. Many of the specialists sold well, notably Abbott & Holder, the London dealers exhibiting for the first time, Marie-Louise Fine Art from Nottinghamshire, Haynes Fine Art from Broadway and
Rowles Fine Art from Oswestry.

David Whitting of Old Barn Antiques from Shropshire, specialising in 18th and 19th century formal furniture, was delighted with business, declaring the fair the most successful for several years. Most exhibitors with formal furniture found business
steady and satisfactory, an improvement generally on the last NEC fair in August and overall better than expected. Among those expressing their satisfaction were Tim Saltwell from Sussex, Manor House Antiques from Cheltenham and Linda Smith
Antiques from London. Oak and Country furniture proved slower than usual although most specialists found keen demand for smaller items, metalwork and less expensive pieces of furniture. Arts and Crafts furniture and Art Nouveau furniture proved
popular – several specialists were particularly pleased with business, notably Koos Limburg Jnr from Scotland, Lamb Antique Fine Arts and Crafts Originals from Wolverhampton and Art Nouveau Originals from London. 

Sales of silver and jewellery were described as good in Section Two and ‘competitive’ in Section One. London dealer Sheldon Shapiro was particularly pleased to find many regular customers who were impressed to see the fair continuing to rise in
standards. He attributed his success to the overall improving quality of the fair.

In other areas, first time exhibitor Fishburn Arts & Music from London were delighted with sales of music-related furniture, signed autographs of famous musicians and Victorian watercolours. Arms and armour dealer Garth Vincent from Lincolnshire
was also delighted to sell to many new local private collectors.

Fair organiser Fran Foster expressed her satisfaction with the fair: "This was our busiest pre-Christmas event with more exhibitors and visitors than ever before. Our three NEC Antiques for Everyone fairs are now on an almost equal footing, 
although the timing of each means we attract different many customers in spring, summer and autumn, which always benefits the exhibitors. The overall level of business was most impressive, judging by the huge number of purchase pass-out slips we 
accumulated, and stand reservations for the New Year have never been higher, a fact that reflects the tremendous success our fairs have enjoyed in the Millennium year".