Jan & John Maggs
Antiques and Art
October 2020 Newsletter
Our tropical summer has given way to autumn, and the tree-covered hills surrounding us are displaying their fall colors. Our front yard is covered with leaves, and the nights are pleasantly cool. It has been more than two decades since we've been in Conway during foliage season and, despite our disappointment at not being in England, it is exciting to be here at this special time.

We've been hard at work in the office and shop, preparing for two important events, both of which will be online. Although we haven't been to Europe in nearly a year, we've been able to purchase many pieces of furniture and early jewelry from our friends and sources in England and the US - remotely, of course. These newest acquisitions and many other fresh things will be offered in these events.

You'll find links below to more information about these exciting shows - the Chicago Suburban Antiques Dealers Association's Fox Valley Show and our own Fall Opening - and how they relate to each other.

And there's more as you continue down this page. On our New Listings page this month is a small, varied group of inexpensive accessories, priced to sell. There's also a travel pictorial of our first bona fide foliage ride in more than twenty years, through southern Vermont in this beautiful season. And Pippin's Page and The Back Page are right where you left them.

We hope that this email will help to brighten your day.
The 46th Annual Fox Valley Antiques Show
October 17 & 19 -- Online only
A first time for us,
and it's looking to be a great event,
with more than 70 dealers
from the United States and Canada.
Click the show card
for more information
about this exciting online show.
This Month's New Listings
In normal times, we don't list anything in our October newsletter, since we're usually in the midst of our England buying trip and the preparations for our Fall Opening. This month we make an exception; we're listing several inexpensive pieces, some of which have appeared on our website earlier. Each of the eleven pieces in the picture above is being offered at a price only a few dollars above our cost - all under $100 and all with free domestic shipping. Click on the picture above to learn more.
Our Fall Opening
In May, responding to concerns about the covid pandemic, we held our first online opening. Although we missed the bustle of our live openings, the event was a huge success. While our shop is now open by appointment, we still are unwilling to have more than two or three shoppers in our showrooms at a time. Because of this, we've decided that our Fall Opening will also be an online event.
This Opening will be presented in three installments:

The first will be the Fox Valley Show on October 17 & 18. We'll be listing 25 pieces - the largest booth size supported by the show's platform. We're aiming high at this show, and our listing will include some of our best new furniture and jewelry, as well as a modest assortment of smalls and paintings.

The second will be posted on our website at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 7 and announced through a mailing to newsletter subscribers at that time.

The third will be posted on the website two weeks later, Saturday, November 21, also at 10:00 a.m. As above, an email will go out as the show opens.

In addition, reminders will be sent to newsletter subscribers on the Thursday before each of these three events.

We will be available during daylight hours (in Conway and Chicago) throughout these three weekends to answer your questions.
Southern Vermont
Early October 2020
The beauty of the New England Autumn is one of the world's most poorly-kept secrets. Jan and I both grew up in New England, and fall foliage had always been part of the rhythm of our lives. That is, until we started traveling to England twice each year. Each October, as our flight from Heathrow approaches Logan, we would anticipate glimpses of fall scenery but were inevitably disappointed.

So, this year, with the Covid pandemic altering most of our plans, we decided that, rather than sitting at home thinking about what might have been, we would make a day trip - a foliage drive through southern Vermont. We planned a short journey that would take us north to Wilmington, west to Bennington, then north again to the beautiful village of Manchester, returning home through Winhall, Townshend, and Newfane. Before leaving Vermont, we would stop in Brattleboro for lunch at a well-known brewpub.

Remarkably, things worked according to plan. It was a beautiful, mostly sunny day, allowing us to record parts of our 175-mile road trip in digital photos. We've arranged the best of them in to a pictorial essay - with very few words. You can see it by clicking on the picture above.
Pippin's Page
Pippin has been enjoying the companionship of his two people uninterruptedly for nearly a full year, and with each day we realize how much control he exercises over us. Unless he chooses to hide somewhere and sleep, he is always nearby, keeping an eye open for a treat, a game, or a round of petting. This, of course, makes it relatively easy to record the images that appear on this page each month. Click his picture above for the latest.
The Back Page
Last week we visited Lindsey and our friend Rebecca in Jersey City to make a delivery, have lunch together outdoors in the city, and to make gift exchanges delayed by our respective quarantines. One of Rebecca's gifts to us was a light-hearted but heartfelt tribute to a great American we recently lost. Click here to see what it was.
Thanks for reading.
Stay well, stay safe, be kind,

AND PLEASE VOTE!

John & Jan