When England's biggest snowfall in twenty years hit last week a group of
avid American shoppers were taking advantage of the bargains. This group
of dealers were on a tour of European antiques sources organized by
EuropeAntiqueTrip.com. Each February the company takes antique shoppers
on a three country whirlwind tour which includes the street fairs at Arezzo
in Italy then on to the massive fairs at Swinderby and Newark in England,
followed by a weekend at the famous Paris, France flea markets. This year
the trip was more than anyone expected. After taking a flight from Bologna
to Birmingham, England they were greeted by a massive snow storm which
brought London and much of England to a grinding halt. The good news for
this group of savvy dealers was the willingness of selling dealers to offer
big discounts. The group was also blessed with a dollar to Euro/Pound ratio
that was better than it has been in ten years. This made the deals even
better. Instead of taking a flight to Paris on Friday and risking
delay,the group was re-routed to the "chunnel" train and got to the Paris
venues without a problem. www.EuropeAntiqueTrip.com has become the trip of
choice for dealers and collectors who do not want to "play tourist" and
want to concentrate thier dollars on finding bargains rather than paying
high overhead costs. Each year the company features inexpensive trips which
utilize cheap airfares, cheap but clean hotels, low cost transportation and
inexpensive group shipping. The best part, according to the participants, was
the interesting array of characters who conduct these tours. The Italy
segment was guided by a local dealer who lives and deals in Arezzo. Marcello
Cardinelli has been involved in international antiques shopping and shipping
for most of his life. Marcello showed the participants local sources, as well
as places to eat and visit. In England the shoppers were treated to the
guidance of lifelong antiques dealers Billy and Richard Keefe who are sellers
at the huge English fairs. The Keefes personally know the territory and the ways
to find bargains and the pubs with a proper pint.The group was greeted in Paris
by the legendary international antiques picker Joe Perkins who got them to
where the French dealers shop. The tour included side trips in each country to
special shops, malls, and auction houses. Shipping was not a problem for these
shoppers because EuropeAntiqueTrip.com has a truck going to England from
Florence, Italy each month as well as trucks running to England from Paris. All
merchandise is shipped from England direct to Brimfield, or in the off-season
to a warehouse in New Bedford, Ma. Dealers can have thier stuff forwarded from
these points. do to the overwhelming demand and the increased value of the USA
dollar, The group will be conducting more trips than previous years. Interested
parties should contact thier website at www.EuropeAntiqueTrip.com
