Wow, what a show. It feels really good to come back from a completely great experience at an antique show. The best way to describe it is being tired, but invigorated rather than worn. Such was the case this weekend with the THETA Charity Antiques Show in Houston.
This is one of the few shows I know of run completely by a volunteer/charity effort. It’s completely organized by committee and I hesitate to say without professional show management. It would be hard to call the THETA show anything but professional! A dedicated team of volunteers are able to go the extra mile to give the show its unique touches, including live piano music.
With a history stretching back to the 1950s, the show presented the public with a broad array of antiques and fine art with a focus on American paintings and decorative arts. Furniture was not in short supply and counter to conventional expectations, and with lighter trucks many dealers will be getting better gas mileage on the way home.
Those displaying at the show come from as far away as Europe and as close as Houston. A large percentage seemed to be from Connecticut and New York. There was also a familiar cluster from the Avenue Antique Show at the Park Avenue Armory.
We spoke with several dealers who were very happy with the show, but as with most any show some others weren’t completely satisfied. One long-standing dealer indicated moving the date has hurt the show somewhat. One who set up for the first time wasn’t happy with the crowd. A third who said he hadn’t sold anything was however extremely pleased he was able to buy well at the show.
The show isn’t too big, it’s high-end, most dealers did not seem unrealistic about their prices, the booths were spacious, the dealers well informed and friendly and the atmosphere pleasant. I don’t know what more you could expect. If you’re in Houston Sunday, be sure and head over. If not, put the THETA show on your calendar for next year. We’ll follow up with a post about some of the items and dealers at the show soon.
Urban Art & Antiques 