One of our chief tenets at U.S. Antique Shows is that our dealers are among the most esteemed in the world, that their knowledge is world-renown and often sought after by everyone from reporters to personal collectors to auction houses. Anyone who has the privilege of meeting with our dealers at one of our events walks away with a wealth of knowledge and, if they’re lucky, a dream piece to add to their collection. Yet as everyone who has roamed the aisles of our shows can attest, our dealers are constantly wheeling and dealing, hyper-focused on making sales or acquiring pieces from their fellow dealers.
Rather than hope everyone can join us for our educations sessions at OMBAS where we benefit from our dealers’ knowledge or wait patiently for our dealers to write the books that so obviously live inside their heads, our Social Media Manager, Daniella Engelbert, has established a formula to record their nuanced insight for posterity. Enter an ongoing series on our social media platforms, Meet the Dealers.
Rob Chramosta from Time’s Past and Vintage Contessa
Only the proprietors of these rare and unique pieces can not only bring them to life but also contextualize why and how a piece was made, as Cory Margoles from Mantiques Modern did with a fully articulated lobster from the Meiji Empire during our recent Original Miami Beach Antique Show (OMBAS).
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Another of my favorite recent examples demystified why the use of a cool metal is considered groundbreaking in certain timepieces. As Adam Golden from Menta Watches explained, the three watches he showcased for his on-camera moment, two reference 96 Patek Phillippe watches, one in stainless steel and one in platinum, and an Audemars Piguet reference 5007 in stainless steel, were historically made in yellow gold, making these three particularly rare.
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These videos are also an opportunity to hear some wild tales from the trade, like the story Jeff Cohen from N. Green & Sons told about a miniature Tiffany & Co. clock made in solid 20 karat gold, circa 1925-1930’s. He sold the historically significant piece to a collector 25 years ago, and while he was set up at the Coconut Grove Jewelry & Watch Show, a dealer walked up to him and offered to sell him back that same clock. (Spoiler alert, he bought it back for far more than he sold it!)
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Rounding out the knowledge at play on our show floors, Daniella also taps into influencers and press who grace our show floors in her Treasure Hunting With…series. We were thrilled to have Brinder of the Jewel Geek attend OMBAS this past March. Despite his stylish appearance, he quickly showcased how he earned the name “Geek” when he recorded a video at the Joseph Saidian and Sons stand and highlighted a fully articulated snake necklace from the 1870’s. While it was in a box marked Boucheron, Brinda pointed out that the piece was not actually made by the famous maison, but most likely retailed by them.
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Like a good cross over episode of sister network shows, Daniella jumps at the chance to get COUTURE designers on camera when they’re attending our antique shows for our Designer Diaries videos. These give us exclusive insights into why pieces appeal to a designer’s astute eye, like the video recorded with bench jeweler extraordinaire, Vanessa Fernandez at the Coconut Grove Jewelry & Watch Show. The award winning jeweler brought to our attention a Gilbert Albert necklace from Excalibur’s stand, breaking down in great detail how the piece was put together and why its craftsmanship made the necklace so special.
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We all know knowledge is power. In this case, knowledge can not only empower purchasing decisions, it can open our eyes to what we might not otherwise have noticed. Our hope is that everyone can join us at one of our annual events, whether our Coconut Grove Jewelry & Watch Show (November 13-15, 2026), the Original Miami Beach Antique Show (March 18-22nd, 2027) or the upcoming trade only Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show (May 28-31, 2026). Yet in lieu of being there in person, Daniella and all of the dealers, influencers and designers who are always game to be in her videos, have you covered!
