I love wandering the aisles of art and antiques fairs. There is something so exciting about the mosaic of pieces, beautifully displayed, with dealers from all over the world, enthusiastic to answer questions and share their knowledge. But as the pandemic has pushed the hold button on 2020, so too has it affected the art, antiques and design fair industry. The major fairs around the globe attract thousands of collectors over several days or weeks who fly in to see, learn and shop from the best dealers around the world. The majority of shows have either cancelled or gone virtual, the 39th Annual San Francisco Fall Show among them, with their 2020 online show going live from October 16-25 on InCollect.
Going Virtual
How does a fair go virtual? For collectors, while they won’t have the chance to visit in person or meet the dealers, not to mention attend the lectures, and see old friends as they wander the show, they can still shop! “This year we have the dual goal of supporting the dealers that have so loyally contributed to the show for many years, and not depriving our audience of access to what is one of the most revered and longstanding art and antiques shows in the world,” says Fall Show Chair, Suzanne Tucker, one of the leading interior designers in the U.S. and partner in the design firm Tucker & Marks. “As always,” she says, “the 2020 Show will showcase dealers from around the world. The goal is to represent all styles and periods including American, English, Continental and Asian furniture, art, and decorative objects, paintings, prints, photographs, books, precious metals, jewelry, rugs, textiles and ceramics.”
Why Shop a Show Online?
What is the benefit of shopping an online show and what does one need to know before they log on?
I asked a few key people familiar with the process.
“Many dealers are not represented on an online platform” says Tucker. Our shoppers will have access to dealers they may have never known about otherwise. We have asked the dealers to hold back their Show pieces for this online experience, so much of what you will be seeing has never been seen before. Interestingly, this virtual opportunity has made the world much smaller and in an unexpected twist of fate, it has enabled us to expand. Dealers who could not participate in the past due to geographic distance or conflicting dates with other fairs or who simply couldn’t get into the San Francisco Show given our lack of physical space are now able to do so,” she explains. Asian art dealer, Galen Lowe is a Fall Show regular who in normal times sells about 75% of his merchandise online to clients around the world. He adds “when you buy through a Show, you know they have vetted the dealers who are participating. That’s important; you want to buy from reputable dealers, when you do they will guarantee what they are selling.” Tucker agrees: “InCollect is a trusted vehicle within the design industry and all of the dealers associated with the San Francisco Fall Show are highly respected, and they participate in the show by invitation only.”
How Does One Prepare for an Online Show?
“Familiarize yourself with the show dealers,” says Tucker, “look at their websites, put together a shopping list. Once the Show has launched, use the InCollect platform to reach out to dealers, ask questions, and make purchases! Communication is key.” Stefanie Rinza, Director of New York based antiques dealer Carlton Hobbs LLC has been participating in the Fall Show for decades and has also been selling on InCollect for many years “you need to speak to the dealer,” she advises, “at a show you can ask questions. You can do the same here, it’s an important step.” San Francisco based interior designer, Jonathan Rachman of Jonathan Rachman Design does his homework, “I always recommend that you do some research prior to looking for specific items before you go into a sale, be it its value, style, period, and history of an item or artist, designer or maker of the items you are thinking about purchasing,” he says. “I also have a ‘self conversation’ to manage my own expectations for certain items and their conditions, prices, as well as authenticity. Don’t be afraid to ask experts you can rely on,” he advises.
Need to Know: What Questions to Ask
Most listings give important information up front, but there are basics to look for according to Tucker: “ask about provenance and history, condition and finish, rarity in craftsmanship and materials…there are no dumb questions!”
Rinza includes the origin, estimated date, dimensions, and all their research on the pieces they sell online, but every dealer is different, so sometimes you need to ask for information. And there are some questions that must be answered visually. “People ask me to take my phone and walk around the piece on video,” she says, “they have asked me to FaceTime with the pieces, or send a video of myself narrating them. Some people ask us to take portraits with the pieces, or sitting in the furniture so they can see scale. It’s incredibly efficient and you don’t lose the personal touch; you need to engage and it has to be personalised. Sometimes the answers are too complex to explain in an email. You can always record the conversation so that you have a record of it. It adds to the experience,” she explains. Lowe says condition is an important question to ask, as it can be difficult to tell the condition of a piece from the photos.
When buying furniture, ask questions you might consider when seeing the piece in person. “Ask if it is comfortable, how hard is the stuffing? Is it fragile?,” says Rinza. If you plan to reupholster the piece, ask if the dealer can handle that for you or can recommend someone. Some people send us pictures of their room and discuss the style with us to better understand if the piece will work,” she shares.
Danielle Beaulieu Director of San Francisco’s Modernism gallery adds: “When buying anything online make sure that the gallery/vendor is established and reputable, possibly belonging to an organization like ADAA (Art Dealers Association of America), or SFADA (San Francisco Art Dealers Association).” Modernism is a member of both, but there are different associations depending on what the dealer sells and where they are located, including BADA, CINOA, and LAPADA to name a few. Beaulieu adds: “Collectors should check the condition of the artwork, provenance, and authenticity of pieces.”
As an industry professional, Rachman know most of the dealers either personally or by reputation, “I usually ask the more practical questions” he says: “Are these items negotiable in price (I always respect each dealer’s answer), do the pictures shown truly represent the conditions or have they been photoshopped (without offending the dealer), if they are not listed, I ask their provenance and any repair that’s been done to the best knowledge of the dealer. Return policy is an important question, one never knows what might happen between purchase and arrival of the item you purchase. I have collected art, antiques and furniture for decades, it is not just for my work, but I truly and passionately love them. I love shopping, so I enjoy the process. I also ask if there are any markings or anything special the dealers might not share online, stories behind the item I am eyeing – to me the romance of an item is in the story,” he says.
Buying ‘On Approval’
Many dealers will send a piece on approval, or give a money back guarantee. This allows you to try the piece out in your home and really see if it works in the space. In 2020, “Most of our sales have occurred online,” says Beaulieu, “or with artworks being shipped out on approval to collector’s homes versus gallery viewings.” Shipping is sometimes included, depending on whether you buy the piece, how large it is, and where you live, so it is important to ask. There is no uniform answer” says Lowe, “shipping is an important question, as it is different for every dealer. Always discuss the shipping up front, especially for large pieces” he advises.
7 Important Questions to Ask Dealers
1. Condition-are there any flaws not evident in the photos?
2. Comfort-Is it comfortable?-for furniture you will sit or lie down on
3. Shipping-who pays?
4. Can I purchase ‘On Approval?’
5. Have any repairs been done to the piece?
6. Ask to see different images of the piece if you don’t feel you are getting the full picture online. Ask to Facetime with the dealer and to see the piece in relation to something else (i.e. a person, a coin or a ruler) for perspective.
7. If not provided in the description, ask for information on the provenance, origin, materials, dimensions, history, finish, and rarity of the piece.
Once we are past this pandemic and the world starts to open up again, we all hope we can go back to life as usual. Will the art and antiques fairs still be vibrant? Says Tucker “I take the glass-half-full approach and believe we will come out of this stronger. As far as the 2021 San Francisco Fall Show goes, it’s a bit too early to gaze into that crystal ball. But then again, who knew our 2020 theme of “Anything Goes” would have been so very apropos… At this juncture, I’m open to all possibilities!”
UPCOMING FAIRS
ONLINE
- The San Francisco Fall Show: October 16-25 on InCollect
- Frieze London & Frieze Masters: October
- TEFAF New York (New York City): Online – November 1-4
- The Annual Delaware Antiques Show: Online – November 7-14
- Art Basel (Miami) Online – December 2-6
- Masterpiece Fair (London): The fair has gone completely online for the time being. Future dates to be announced.
LIVE - SCHEDULED OR DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED
- TEFAF Maastricht (The Netherlands): Scheduled for May 31-June 6, 2021
- The Winter Show (New York City): 2021 Dates to be announced
- Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair (Battersea Park, London): Scheduled for January 26-31. The Autumn edition was virtual.
- L.A. Art Fair (Los Angeles): February 10-15, 2021
- Art Basel (Hong Kong) Scheduled for March 25-27, 2021
- The Philadelphia Show: Scheduled for April 23-25, 2021
- Chicago Antiques, Art + Design Show: May 13-16, 2021
- Art Basel (Switzerland) Scheduled for June 17-20, 2021
- The Art & Antiques Fair Olympia (London): Scheduled for June 23-29, 2021
- Paris Photo: Scheduled for November 10-14, 2021
- LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair (London): 2021 dates to be announced
- Frieze New York and Frieze Los Angeles: 2021, Dates TBA
- Fog Fair (San Francisco): Postponed until January 20-23, 2022
- The Antiques & Garden Show (Nashville): 2021 Show cancelled. 2022 dates to be announced
Dealer images shown in this post will be available for purchase at the 2020 San Francisco Fall Show.
Cover image of Dinan & Chighine Booth by Drew Altizer Photography
Arlene Wagner
Another fascinating post, loaded with good information. Thanks!
Ariane Trimuschat
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it!
Katherine
Thanks for all this information! So glad there will be this form of shows to continue for the time being..
Can’t wait to tune in .. and feed my soul with the beauty ..
Ariane Trimuschat
Thank you! I am thankful we can continue to see the shows if not in person!
Kirsten&Jok Legallet
We are enjoying your posts and learning from them. We haven’t traveled the last 3 years and your posts make us miss doing it more. Greetings to your family. Kirsten and Jok
Ariane Trimuschat
Thank you Kirsten & Jok! I hope you are well.