Santa Fe in August – it doesn’t get much better … Item Number: 100029 $0.00

DescriptionI just flew in from Santa Fe – and boy are my arms tired! In all seriousness, I did just return from a weekend in Santa Fe, NM where I was attending and quasi-participating in the annual Whitehawk Ethnographic Show at the new Sweeney Convention Center. For our European friends, this is a small (very small) version of the Maastricht Art and Antique Show with most of the countries’ largest dealers of ethnographic material in attendance.

The show runs the second weekend of August each year and hosts approximately 100 major and minor dealers of Pre-Columbian, Native American, African, Spanish Colonial, Southwest jewelry and assorted other ethnographic art forms. On rare occasions one might even find authentic examples of ancient classical art (see our new listings over the next 2 weeks) at this show. Simultaneously, there is always a second show of this type going on in town (different location) that brings in additional dealers.

Now, if you are doing these shows, you might want a few tips to help you snag the best deals. Here are a few quick observations.

• These shows always have an opening night “extravaganza.” In layman’s terms, that means the show organizers are going to charge you extra ($75 for one and $50 for the other) to attend a special preview before opening to the general public the next day. That can sometimes be a good investment because you get to see all the goodies first, and trust me, sometimes there are very good deals to be had! And to help you feel better about shelling out this high entrance fee, they serve cheap wine and lukewarm hors d’oeuvres which makes buying a nice meal afterwards entirely unnecessary.
• The best deals can always be had at the end of the show. Dealers, especially the ones who have had a bad show – and trust me, this year that was a large number – want to sell something/anything. If that means at the end of the show they sell at cost to bring in some cash, they will do it. At one booth, the dealer offered me a nice Han Dynasty dog for $1200 while it was priced at $2500 all show long. At another booth I was able to pull together a large group of very nice Roman and Byzantine bronzes and buy them for a song. These dealers wanted to make a sale and they did not want to pack them up to take them home.
• And you can always make better deals by playing one dealer against another. If you see similar items, tell dealer “A” that you saw the similar item at dealer “B” for a much lower price. Most likely dealer “A” will slash his price to make the sale… if not, go buy from dealer ‘B.’
• Conversely, if you see a good bargain, buy immediately! I was playing the “let’s wait until the end of the show” to buy a very nice Roman bronze pyxis (which was already handsomely priced), only to watch another dealer come in and buy it out from under me. I do this too often and some day may learn to buy nice items quickly so I don’t lose them! Arrgghh!
• Dealers at these shows love to negotiate. These two shows are a great place to practice your negotiation skills. It is very unlikely you will ever find a dealer unwilling to work with you on price, or even terms.
• As with any show or buying from dealers, be sure you know what you are buying. The Whitehawk show is not a “vetted show,” meaning that no one goes around to insure all pieces are genuine as described, removing the ones that are wrong. There are always a couple dealers showing up who either do not care to take the time to weed out their fakes or knowingly sell fakes. But, again, if you have any doubt about the dealer or the goods, other dealers at this show are most happy to help!

• Ability to see so many fine examples of ancient cultures in one small (almost intimate) location
• Some of the friendliest dealers you will ever find. On many occasions we have seen customers ask one dealer if they would mind if they showed a piece to another dealer to get their opinion, with the answer almost always being “feel free!”
• Variety! If you are into Pre-Columbian art, for example, you will find pieces from virtually every culture, in price ranges from very low to world-class, high-end.
• Santa Fe is one of the “artsiest” cities in the country and offers wonderful shopping in galleries all over town, or concentrated in districts like Canyon Road or Old Town.
• Santa Fe is located in a beautiful area. At the base of a 12500 foot mountain in rolling hills covered with pinion pines and natural stone, Santa Fe boasts an architectural style that is one of the most aesthetically pleasing anywhere. Houses always seem to belong in their settings instead of obscuring the view.
• Fabulous restaurants! If you can’t find food you like in Santa Fe, you are either way too picky or obviously don’t like spicy foods – although you can find classic French, typical American fare and virtually any other food to your liking.
• The weather is almost always perfect. Because of the altitude (7000 feet) and location, Santa Fe has warm, dry days and cool clear nights. You seldom encounter excessive heat, despite being at the edge of a southwestern desert, high humidity producing muggy days, or long spells of cold rainy weather.