Well, the worst thing about the show for us is the long drive from St. Louis, but it's well worth it for Susan and me. She likes all the crafts present and appreciates the related arts, the clothing, small furniture, pottery, leatherwork and all, and we both enjoy seeing old friends and making new ones. The antiques I see there are always inspiring for me. I really appreciate the collectors who bring their treasures out for us to enjoy and study, and they are invariably generous in sharing. This is the place I go for critique as I know a couple guys will give me good hints on how I could improve my latest project. It's also a good place to restock on supplies (got a great walnut blank from Dunlap and a lock from R.E. Davis), find out what's coming next from Chambers (a round faced early Germanic lock by the end of the year, they hope!), and see the latest best work.
Complaints: One of the rooms was a little dark, I thought. Ian Pratt's table and that whole side of that room seemed like it could have used more light. And I think the auction started without announcing that in the other rooms, perhaps.
Suggestion: I know they try to keep things moving in the auction, but maybe they could show the items being bidded on on the wall using powerpoint. Folks could see what's being bidded on.
