Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1322161
AGAINST ALL ODDS, THE ROUND TOP FALL ANTIQUES SHOW HELD DURING A PANDEMIC WAS A RESOUNDING SUCCESS: A RECORD-BREAKING, BEST- EVER SHOW IN TERMS OF ATTENDANCE AND SALES FOR MANY OF THE VENUES AND DEALERS. AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT WAS BY AND LARGE, A SAFE EVENT. BY ANNE LEE PHILLIPS. PHOTOGRAPHY JENNY ANTILL CLIFTON. U ncer tainty reigned through the summer after the devastating cancellation of the spring show in March 2020. In an unprecedented collaborative effort, the hundreds of individually owned venues united at the urging of Round Top Publishers' Katie Stavinoha, who made countless phone calls to meticulously reschedule the show's new October dates with local officials. Once the show began, the major venues collaborated closely to ensure that COVID-19 and CDC protocols were followed. "We had no idea going into it what to expect," says Mayor Mark Massey, owner of The Compound, Henkel Square Market, Minden Square. "We really just wanted to try to get through it. But, literally, since day one of the show, it was gangbusters. People came out in droves and had money to spend — people didn't take trips, their kids didn't go to summer camp, so they were ready to shop and spend. The dealers hoped to break even, but just about every dealer had their best show ever." "There was a great deal of camaraderie behind the scenes," says Stephanie Disney of Blue Hills, "to make sure the Round Top show happened safely and without a hitch. We suspected there was a pent-up demand to shop at Round Top, but it exceeded all our expectations. Because of the great success, we've decided to join the Winter Show for the first time ever (January 22 - 24)." The fall show dates were moved from September to October, and the cooler weather was a welcome change. "The silver lining here is that all the major venues decided to push the show back OPENING DAZE OF A SUCCESSFUL FALL ANTIQUES SHOW … IN A PANDEMIC (Continued on page 20) Opening day at Marburger Farm Nancy Bihlmaier Kristen Nix at Marburger Saphronia Jons at Marburger Andreas & Dani Arellano from Miami sourcing for their store VOLVÉR Renea Abbott in her showroom at Market Hill 18