A steady crowd of more than 5300 visitors came over the four days. By Sunday night dealers were indeed pleased. Some sold more this year than last, others sold a bit less in this uncertain economic climate, but no one was unhappy. Many commented that old friends were missing, but many new clients appeared. Some older collectors were deterred from returning because of the slow elevator service, afraid they could not negotiate the stairs, which are not steep.
Many factors add up to the show's success.
If you are going to put a good piece of pottery on a good piece of furniture, this is where to find it. This material has almost disappeared from the Winter Show. There was some museum buying, and the collectors who came found it hard to resist the appeal of a show that has all the top dealers in one place. It is an easy place for comparative shopping. Jonathan Horne, the well-known London dealer in English pottery and the author and publisher of scholarly books and catalogs on the subject, said he did more business at the first Ceramics Fair than any other fair.