INTERVIEW: Show Manager Brian Ferguson On East Hampton Historical Society’s Annual East Hampton Antiques Show

This July, over 50 premier aniques dealers will congregate at Mulford Farm in East Hampton for the East Hampton Historical Society’s annual East Hampton Antiques Show. The weekend long event will debut during Preview Cocktail Party on Friday, July 21 and remain on view Saturday, July 22 and Sunday, July 23.

We recently caught up with Show Manager, Brian Ferguson, to get the scoop on this year’s show.

Have you been with the fair since its start?

BF: Yes, this is our 11th year.

How has it changed over the years?

BF: Well, it’s certainly grown and I think become a better presentation. It’s actually grown up rather nicely.

How do you select vendors?

BF: A lot of the vendors, a good number of them, have been doing it since we started, which is probably a testament to the show and the fact that they do well and they like it.

Where are they based?

MBF: Most of them are based within the Northeast. We have one expected to come from Arizona. We’ve got another from London, some from Florida. So they do travel quite a bit.

What are some of the most interesting items someone has brought?

BF: That is a really difficult question because every year there are probably two or three things that in the 40 somewhat years I’ve been in business that I’ve never seen. Sometimes some of the things people bring are just so amazing that you wouldn’t even conceive of bringing to a show – that alone makes them unbelievable. Last year there was someone at the show that sold a pair of fountains – they didn’t even have them here. They had a photo booklet of all the fountain parts and pieces and they sold them to a client.

What sets the East Hampton Antiques Fair apart?

BF: I think first of all it’s a benefit for the Historical Society. The Historical Society is extremely well supported in East Hampton. They have a great deal of community support and they work very hard to promote the show, and keep it fresh and lively. The dealers, for the most part, are good dealers. They’re some of the top dealers who do shows in the Northeast. So they strive to bring really interesting, fresh merchandise. I think that does have a tendency to set it apart. I think the fact that it’s on the grounds of the Historical Society, it’s very beautiful. It’s a very beautiful show to wander around. It’s relaxed, it’s casual, it’s not stuffy. It’s not a typical antiques show.

Mulford Farm is located at 10 James Lane in East Hampton. For more information call 631-324-6850 or visit www.easthamptonhistory.org.