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Miles of aisles, each filled with antique treasures, are seen in this 2003 publicity photo for Atlantique City. Image courtesy Antique Trader and F+W Media.

F+W cancels Atlantique City spring show, shifts focus to other ventures

Catherine Saunders-Watson
Catherine Saunders-Watson
Miles of aisles, each filled with antique treasures, are seen in this 2003 publicity photo for Atlantique City. Image courtesy Antique Trader and F+W Media.
Miles of aisles, each filled with antique treasures, are seen in this 2003 publicity photo for Atlantique City. Image courtesy Antique Trader and F+W Media.

IOLA, Wis. – For more than 23 years, collectors from all corners of the world made the journey to the southern New Jersey gambling mecca of Atlantic City to shop for antiques and collectibles at the Atlantique City mega-show. Those days – at least under the current ownership – now appear to have come to an end with the announcement from F+W Media, parent company of the show’s sponsor, Antique Trader, that the spring 2010 edition of the event has been canceled.

Citing the opportunity to further develop its online collectors marketplace and launch a Midwest-based antiques event, F+W Media issued a press release confirming its cancellation of the spring event, which would have taken place over the weekend of March 27-28, 2010. While the press release leaves questions regarding whether or not the show name and rights have been sold, or may be sold, there can be little question that F+W is moving in other directions within the antique-show sector.

“Given the uncertainty surrounding the current economic environment, we believe it’s in our best interest not to produce the Atlantique City event next year and to notify the antiques and collectibles community of our decision now,” said David Blansfield, President, F+W Media. “The resources within our Antiques & Collectibles team will instead focus on new opportunities within our changing marketplace, and we’ll engage with the community about these new initiatives immediately.”

“There are immediate opportunities for us to produce events in the Midwest, closer to our core communities, as well as to continue to develop…our antiques and collectibles community online,” Blansfield added. “Our focus will shift to organically growing these new businesses.”

Key initiatives include the launch of an antiques and collectibles show at the Iola Old Car Show and Swap Meet, with a July 8-11, 2010 debut. The Iola car show and swap meet regularly attracts nearly 100,000 attendees annually. Additionally, F+W plans to develop its online collector marketplace and expand its Antique Trader print and online editions.

“Our goal is to better serve both buyers and sellers and all enthusiasts moving forward,” Antique Trader Publisher and Editorial Director Dianne Wheeler. “New opportunities are being created every day to ensure F+W Media’s family of products are well positioned at the core of the community, serving our readers and vendor partners in the best way possible.”

In her Sept. 2, 2009 blog appearing in the online edition of the Press of Atlantic City newspaper, columnist Carla Linz Callaway suggests that the event fell prey to “changing times and technology,” and that it is gone for good. In the blog posting, she writes that “Atlantic City tourism officials don’t expect it to come back.”

While unconfirmed, there has been a buzz circulating within the antiques trade that a Florida-based show promotion group may have bought, or is in the process of buying, Atlantique City – or that they may be interested in establishing an antiques fair of their own at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Whether there is any truth to the rumor or not, collectors can look forward to another new show which will take place in the Philadelphia/South Jersey metro area – an “antiques and collectors expo” produced by Jerry Frey. The show will launch in April 2010 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, near Valley Forge and King of Prussia Mall. Auction Central News will provide full details on this event in the near future.

All dealers who signed up in advance for Atlantique City will receive a full and complete refund of their deposit monies as soon as possible. Any questions regarding deposits should be addressed to Events Coordinator Karen Thulien, She can be reached via e-mail at Karen.Thulien@fwmedia.com.

About Atlantique City:

Held in recent years at the new Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantique City started in 1986 as an annual show held at the original Atlantic City Convention Center venue and quickly grew as one of the nation’s most diverse and largest indoor antiques and collectibles shows. In time, the show expanded to semiannual status. Over the years, some of the world’s top dealers exhibited antiques, toys, advertising, fine porcelain, glass and lighting, jewelry and various collectibles at Atlantique City.

Krause Publications purchased the show from founder Norman Schaut in 2001 and eventually dropped the fall edition, returning it to an annual event. The shows consistently offered as much in entertainment value as in buying and selling opportunities. Special displays have included the Kennedy Collection, Miss America memorabilia, and Treasures from the Titanic.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Historical photograph of an Atlantic City tourist boat, from a special display enjoyed by patrons of a past Atlantique City Show. Image courtesy Antique Trader and F+W Media.
Historical photograph of an Atlantic City tourist boat, from a special display enjoyed by patrons of a past Atlantique City Show. Image courtesy Antique Trader and F+W Media.