Antiquing Out East

I shopped the East Hampton Antiques & Design Show and sourced affordable alternatives.

This past weekend was the 19th annual East Hampton Antiques & Design Show at the Mulford Farm. The Show featured varied vendors set in white tents across the property of the farm, showcasing antiques and vintage offerings for the home & garden. The Show was sponsored by DOYLE Auction House and Ralph Lauren.

While as imagined, the prices were steep- I attended with the idea that it would serve more as an inspiration, than anything else. Keep reading to see some of the standout pieces I observed, and similarly, if not identically, found versions online (for less).

These two (one pictured below) hand-painted ceramic pieces were the first objects I found at the Show. At $850 each, they were not your average ceramic lidded canister, but justifiably so (if we must justify), they stood like a piece of art and made a beautiful statement. If taking our justification a step further, I have not come across a single ceramic piece like it in all my sourcing- on or offline.

I really loved this silver fish at one of the tents. I would style it on a writing or drawing desk and place business cards or portfolio postcards inside. The object wasn’t tagged and I couldn’t find the antique dealer, so it was unclear whether or not it was for sale, but I found identical options online linked below, all under $50. You can find options on Ebay and Etsy by searching “silver-plated fish napkin holder” or “silver-plated fish letter holder.”

Similarly Sourced: $22 Option, $34 Option, $49.54 Option

The grounds

One vendor displayed a large table sprinkled with vintage Tiffany & Co. trinkets. The selection was beautiful. I was completely enamored with this set of 6 Scallop Shell Place Card Holders, pictured below. They were for sale at $495 for the set of 6, which was actually a very competitive price for these.

Any way you search it, these are an investment for your decorative tablescape. This set of 8 here at $895, and this set of 6 at $730 are some of the lower priced options available. I did see that the Hudson-based auction house STAIR, sold a set of 6 for $300 once, which prompted me to set a notification for this item on my auction account. While thoroughly in my search, I did come across these elegant Vintage Swan Card Holders for $38.22, for the set of 6.

A greatly shaped pair of stools

I loved the idea of storing a bedspread or quilt in an open basket (like this one below) in a guest room. It further validated the case argument that one can never have enough good baskets around, as they can always be put to use.