REFLECTIONS OF AN ANTIQUE SHOW PROMOTER
by Carole Berry, Twin Bridges Antique Productions

January, 2012, Redding, California.  Twin Bridges Antique
Productions entered the new year celebrating thirty years
of  quality antiques promotions in Northern and Central
California.  Founded in 1982 by Don and Carole Berry in
Ben Lomond, California, the name, “Twin Bridges,” comes
from the area of old Highway 9 in the Santa Cruz
Mountains fondly known by locals as “Twin Bridges.”  Don
passed away in 1999.  Carole has continued to build and
run Twin Bridges’.  











                
In 1979, Don and I left Cal State University, Hayward’s Student Services and academia behind
for self-employment and small-town life in the Santa Cruz Mountains.  Our passion for
collecting antiques led to our frequent patronage of Jim White Antiques in Ben Lomond, an
antique collective.  One day while shopping at Jim White’s, a dealer in the shop said: “you’re
always buying antiques, why don’t you just become dealers!”  Excited at the prospect of
buying more antiques than we could justify collecting, we soon rented a space in the
collective.  Beginning in 1980, we started selling at Northern California shows.  While at our
first mall show, we were unhappy with some of the logistical details of the promotion.  I
remember Don saying, ‘we could do a better job than this’, then saying,  we could do a better
job than this!’  Drawing upon transferable skills from promoting events for the University, we
began exploring the idea of promoting antiques shows.  Don wanted to  approach Capitola
Mall in Santa Cruz, a successful regional shopping center in our area.  I thought a Mall would
be way too big, that we should think about a hotel or a small hall, but Don was confident that
the Mall would provide the best venue for our first venture into promoting antiques shows.  In
the Summer of 1982, we promoted our first show at Capitola Mall.  The show was successful
and marked the beginning of our new career.  

Beginning in 1983, we expanded promotions to a variety of enclosed shopping centers and
paid admission venues from Albany, Oregon to Las Vegas, Nevada, averaging between twelve
and seventeen shows per year. During our twenty-five years in business, Twin Bridges’ has
promoted shows at twenty-five enclosed malls, ten paid admission charity events and one
outdoor street fair.  For many years our most popular paid admission show was at De Anza
College in Cupertino (Greater San Francisco Bay Area) benefiting the De Anza College
Disabled Students Program.  When we started the show in 1983, we were concerned that
customers would not want to attend a paid admission event when they could go to a mall
show or an outdoor street fair with no admission fee.  As a result, for every paid admission we
gave the customer a rebate coupon of equal value which could be used like cash toward any
purchase at the show.  At the end of the show while the dealers were packing and loading out,
I would go around with cash and pay the dealers for coupons collected. This turned out to be a
very successful promotion for us.

In the Fall of 2004, I accepted an invitation from the Board of Directors for the Historic District
in Folsom, CA  to promote my first outdoor event. One of the main complaints from old-time
dealers and collectors was that there was a lot of new merchandise and arts and crafts at the
show. It was really developing a ‘bad’ reputation. I surveyed dealers and learned that most
favored an age and authenticity policy similar to that employed at my other shows.  It has been
a pleasure helping restore this forty-year-old regional event to its previous glory.  We continue
to see increasing support of this event by old-time collectors and dealers who are excited
about coming to Folsom.

Note: As a result of Mall ownership change, Twin Bridges' long-standing bi-annual event at
Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights (Sacramento area) has come to an end.
TWIN BRIDGES CELEBRATES
  THIRTY YEARS: 1982 - 2012
August, 2009, Redding, California. Twenty seven years ago, my late husband, Don and I began
promoting antiques shows.  The economy, elections, and world events have always directly and
indirectly impacted attendance and sales. That said, we’ve had a pretty good first half of the year!  
At our annual charity show in Dixon, California this past March, we experienced record attendance
and strong sales for most participating exhibitors. With many people holding off on taking
expensive trips, attending a local antiques show is an inexpensive way of enjoying the day.  While
not all dealers are having strong sales, many collectors are still shopping and spending their
money on high ticket pieces.  A theory presented by exhibitors Joe and Gloria Bilotta of Cool,
California may help explain this phenomenon:

“Both Joe and I really enjoyed the Dixon show – the sales on Saturday were like a dream come
true for dealers like us who have had such stagnant sales lately in the antique mall we are
currently in. The question we have been asking ourselves is WHY would the people of Dixon want
to come out to an antique show in such numbers (and even buy) when we are all being
bombarded by the media this past month with gloom & doom? There are few people who have not
been drastically affected by the crashing of Wall Street, job losses, banks failing, cutbacks, and
uncertainty of the future. So many people are facing really hard times through no fault of their
own! So many tragedies out there---I can only watch the news for just a few minutes at a time, as it
is so terrifying and absolutely depressing.”

Gloria continues: “I was discussing this WHY question with a friend Nancy Barney (another
antiques’ dealer), and she came up with a very interesting comment: She said that for many
people, antiques are like ‘COMFORT FOOD’--- they remind us of a time when things were not
nearly so complicated . . . or of things we had as a child, or something our mother had, or a
pleasant place we had visited, or a great memory from the past. Just like comfort food, that
somehow makes you feel better by even just smelling it, specific ‘old things’ give you a
connection with the past that is very familiar and yes, precious. (That is also the reason why a
particular song or melody can trigger a memory of a certain time, place, or person---even smells
can do the same). When I, myself, walk into an antique show or mall I get a sense of familiarity, as
well as a return to past memories. It gives me real contentment to revisit these old things!”

Considering what’s going on in “the real world”, we’ve been encouraged by high attendance and
strong sales for many dealers at my shows this calendar year.  In January 2009, our mall show at
Mt. Shasta Mall in Redding, California drew an unprecedented number of collectors. Some long
time dealers sold high end, expensive pieces they had carried for years (even decades.) Our
appraisers’ panel had to work overtime because so many people turned out.  All in all, it was one
of the most successful shows we’ve had in years! Our street fairs in the Historic District of
Folsom, which have been held for over forty years, continue to draw record crowds and  
enthusiastic shoppers.  Despite these troubled times, several long-time dealers who took part in
this April’s Fair reported having their best show ever.  Perhaps Joe and Gloria Bilotta’s theory
about antiques and antiquing as “comfort food” has merit.

Dealers who are experiencing a relatively high level of success in these times have
acknowledged the importance of expanding their inventory to appeal to current collectors and
shoppers.  At one of our shows last year,  Stephen G. Turner,  Fine Arts and Antiques Appraiser
and W. Brooke Sivo, Vice President, Director, American Furniture and Decorative Arts, Bonhams
and Butterfields, both of San Francisco, California, held a seminar for antiques’ dealers on trends
in the antiques’ market.  Both Steve and Brooke talked about changes that have taken place as
the “baby boomers” are replaced by their adult children as primary antiques collectors.  The
shopper who once paid full retail for a mid 1800's pattern glass pitcher is often now replaced by
the shopper looking for a shabby chic lamp.

Shows come and go over the years. Once popular mall shows are now almost entirely extinct. I
sincerely believe that the enthusiasm of collectors and their desire to discover treasures at
shows will continue to fuel our industry.  One great fact about taking part in a show is that is
represents a short term commitment.  If it doesn’t work out, there’s always another show and
there’s always hope.