Following a successful virtual spring show, the Antiques Dealers' Association of America (ADA) is looking forward to hosting the annual ADA/Historic Deerfield Antiques Show online in the year of their 35th anniversary. The online show opens at 10 am October 9 and continues through 10 pm on October 12 at EST at www.ADAdealers.com. The ADA members are professional antiques dealers dedicated to integrity, honesty, and ethical conduct in the antique trade. This will be the ninth online show that the ADA has hosted on its proprietary platform. The organization was an innovator in the format, first offering it in 2014 and building upon the online show's navigability and ease of use ever since. The ADA/Historic Deerfield Online Antiques Show will feature 55 dealers sharing significant works ranging from the 17th to the 20th centuries for browsing and buying, showing the international influences of Europe and Asia, with others distinctly embodying American material culture. 

The thrill of the chase, buying a piece of history, becoming part of an object's story, or merely seeking a one-of-a-kind piece are traits inherent in buyers and collectors of antiques and art. The marketplace has a growing audience of new buyers drawn to antiques. In recent years, a wave of younger buyers identified as "grandmillennials" or "New Traditionalists" has surfaced, ranging in age from mid-20s to late-30s. In ADA's April online show, 22% of the nearly 10,000 visitors were under 44 years old, and 84% of visitors were new to the platform. Grandmillenials are described by 29-year old Manhattan-based interior designer Ariel Okin as "someone who has an appreciation for the past and realizes the staying power of good, well-edited design while putting their own fresh spin on it to make it feel updated and unique." 

Though the annual October show's traditional bricks and mortar format has changed this year, the ADA guarantee has not: everything in the marketplace is guaranteed as represented or your money back. "The guarantee is what we stand for," ADA president Steven S. Powers said, "And it presents a unique buying opportunity in this pandemic era. Buying antiques and art online is fraught with barriers. Our goal is to break those down and create a comfortable environment where buyers can interact with the utmost reputable dealers and know that what they are purchasing is both extraordinary and authentic." 

The online show will be navigable by collecting category, by individual dealer, or a randomized feed. Expect to find more than 1,000 objects representing the best in American (and some European) antiques, fine art, folk art, Americana, Native American, and other decorative arts. Purchasing is accomplished by independently communicating with the dealer via phone, text, or email, with the seller's contact information prominently visible alongside the descriptions and prices in the item listing. 

Several themes available to explore via the ADA dealers and this show are politics and patriotism in a presidential election year, Native Americans material culture, nature's influence and inspiration, and as always with antiques and art, new discoveries.