Since last month's Newsletter, we've had another busy and productive month. At home, we finished our interior re-painting project and (finally) managed to find a few hours to work in gardens lush with rain-induced weeds and overzealous bushes. In the business, we made a very rewarding trip to Rhode Island, where we exhibited at the Tiverton Four Corners show, and then spent a few days at Brimfield, scouring its two dozen fields to find a few small treasures. Ironically, as the number of sellers who come to this show gets progressively smaller and the quality of what is brought continues to lessen, the serious dealers and collectors who still come to buy have become increasingly aggressive, making Brimfield more work and less fun than ever. We rate our week only OK.
Meanwhile, we're getting ready for our Tax Holiday Weekend Sale, which will be held in our shop and online on August 10 and 11. We've made this late summer sale a regular event in our schedule in recent years; it not only helps us keep our inventory lean and fresh, it also has added to the bank account we'll rely on to bring new stock home from our October trip to England. Expect a mailing early next month and, if you're nearby, plan to drop by for 20% to 50% off of everything in the shop.
With all of this going on, we're keeping this newsletter short and sweet. A few new listings, a re-run of the story of our 2007 visit to the Franz Hals Museum in Haarlem, and the usual fun.
We hope you'll have a look.
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