Antique Trader arrived late in the afternoon March 26, at Sterling McCall Antique Showplace for an invitation-only evening.The general public entered March 27 for eight more days at this show's premier.

Sterling McCall had been collecting Cadillac cars for some time, storing more than 70 in two metal sided barns in Round Top. Recently he decided to sell his collection and turn the Cadillac Museum into an antiques showplace managed by Kathy Johnston.

This inaugural event had more than 40 exhibitors offering early American antiques with great variety including furniture, fine art and prints, earthenware, glass and folk art.

The sales at this initial show were regarded by dealers and Show Manager Kathy Johnston as "good or even better than that." Johnston has already increased the show for the fall to include the other two buildings on the site, more than doubling its size for the fall dates. To reach her call 832-671-7821 or e-mail kj@johnstonandco.com or on the Web at www.sterlingmccallantiques-events.com.

The premier of the Sterling McCall Antiques Showcase this past spring proved to be a great success for dealers and buyers alike who flocked to the new show and enjoyed the mix of high quality vendors. "We feel like we're off to a great start," says show organizer, Kathy Johnston who, with Sterling McCall, is a partner in this venture. "Our Preview Party turnout was impressive and our traffic throughout our week-long show was steady. Our dealers went home happy, which is of utmost importance to our show team because it means they packed a lot less into their trucks than what they came with. Plus, with just a couple of exceptions, they're all returning, come fall!" This juried show includes a broad mix of antiques and vintage items. "While we won't say that we have something for everyone," says Johnston "I do believe we have positioned ourselves well by offering only finer merchandise that is truly antique or vintage so our buyers can shop for quality with confidence. We feel we truly are the premier antique show in Warrenton - which is our objective, of course. We laugh about the fact that we'll never have pink flamingoes here, no matter how old they are!"

That's the bet placed by show manager Kathy Johnston, who transformed a museum for high-end cars into a venue for high-end antiques. The Sterling McCall Cadillac Museum in downtown Warrenton moved out the Caddies and moved in 30 dealers, what Johnston called "a balanced mix of mid-priced to high-end to very high-end," for the Sterling McCall Antiques Showcase, held March 27-April 3.

High-end meant more than just price. Towering over the south end of the showroom was an array of restored gas pumps from the 1920's, with price tags in the five-digit teens and twenties. Sami Sparlin of Sparlin Investment Quality Antiques, Gainesville, Texas, explained that most of her buyers already own classic cars.

"If you can afford a Duesenberg, you can afford one of these," she said. "Generally, it only takes one client to make a show for us." She added that she'd done $26,000 worth of business by midweek.

Kent Washburn of San Antonio, Texas, was pleased with his sales and with the environment. "I've sold more here so far than I did all last year at other venues [around Warrenton]. This is in a building with air conditioning and ventilation. A lot of my customers couldn't handle the dust last year tromping around the fields."

Judi Lytle of Aunt Rose's Antiques, Campobello, South Carolina, said, "I had been in a tent at Marburger Farm for eight years. This setup is a lot better for many of us antiques dealers. The people who run this show are a ten. They listen to us, and they have coffee and breakfast ready for us in the morning."

While dealers praised the facility, most said traffic and sales were slow. Despite the throngs just outside, a lot of shoppers didn't seem to be aware there was an antiques show going on inside. It didn't help that the show was open three days before an "Open" sign went up over the front door.

Most of the dealers are sticking around, expecting bigger crowds for future shows as word gets out. "People who come in here are pleasantly surprised," said Brenda Stephens of Trash 'N Treasure Antiques, Signal Mountain, Tennessee. "The buildings are clean, there's a good variety, and it's all antiques. We know it's going to become a big show."

Fred Hawkins, who hauled in a collection of restored outboard motors and pre-1898 firearms from Valdese, North Carolina, said, "This is going to be a good show. Give it another year, and it will be setting the pace."

Johnston said the inaugural event "has worked out the way I anticipated." She added, however, "People still think we're a car museum, no matter how much signage we put out." She's banking that the September 25-October 2 Sterling McCall show will become much more visible because she plans to expand it to two buildings on either side of the current showroom.

One building is an annex to the museum that still houses Cadillacs. The cars will be moved temporarily into a nearby barn owned by Houston car dealer Sterling McCall, Jr. to make space for 20 more dealers. On the other side of the showroom is the Neese House, an 1870's mansion built by a founder of Warrenton and now owned by McCall. During the spring show, workers were busy remodeling both upstairs and downstairs.

Johnston's vision is to spread 90 dealers among the three buildings and to connect them, visually and logistically, with a set of pathways. It's an ambitious goal for a six-month time frame, and as one Round Top veteran observed, "It takes a long time to build a show."

Still, the Sterling McCall show has shaken up the scene along State Highway 237 and given Warrenton shoppers a climate-controlled alternative to dusty fields and open pavilions. This fall will prove whether more of them will check it out. For more information, contact Kathy Johnston at (832) 671-7821 or visit (www.sterlingmccallantiques-events.com)
Originally published in the July 2010 issue of Maine Antique Digest.
© 2009 Maine Antique Digest