WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Promoters Bill and Kay Puchstein, who together with Jim and Yvonne Tucker purchased the West Palm Beach Antique Festival in December 2008, have bought out their partners to assume full control of the popular south Florida show.
The Tuckers, who live primarily in Missouri and independently organize nine Florida shows between January and March of each year, decided the additional duties required of them would be too much to take on in addition to their already demanding schedules. The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is an 8-times-yearly event, with an additional 800-dealer Spectacular held in February.
The first edition of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival’s 2010 season to operate under the Puchsteins’ exclusive management will be held Nov. 6-8. Under the Puchsteins, some features will remain the same, such as early buying on Fridays. But shoppers will note some changes they’re sure to appreciate, such as an upgraded entrance area with garden and architectural items, and live plants. Dealers will take turns decorating the lobby, for a fresh and different look each month.
Dealer/visitor interaction is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the festival. A mainstay at the show for some 20 years, now, is Florida memorabilia dealer and expert Larry Roberts, author of Florida’s Golden Age of Souvenirs 1890-1930. Roberts specializes in pre-1950 examples of Floridiana and usually has more than 1,000 objects plus postcards and paper goods at his booth. In recent years, Roberts has expanded his inventory to reflect a longtime interest in Native-American artifacts from Florida and pre-Colombian artifacts from South America.
Additional news coming from the Puchstein camp confirms that the Jan. 1-3, 2010 show will serve as the launch pad for the 1st Annual Antiques and Modernism event, a combination of the traditional West Palm Beach Antiques Festival show and the West Palm Beach Modernism show. Modernism dealers from all over the country will offer Arts & Crafts, Mid-century, Art Nouveau, glass, pottery, European furniture and accessories, and other specialties.
For more information about the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival, call 941-697-7475.
# # #
# # #