Down Economy Affecting Local Street Fair

Vintage jewelry, antiques, collectible dolls and pre-1940s furniture were some of the wares that were being sold at the Port Washington Antique and Collectible Street Fair on Sunday. Although beautiful items were being displayed, most of the vendors said that business has been lacking since last year when the economy took a nose dive.

Marilyn Kaplan, one of the vendors who now lives in Woodbury and sells Delft, alabaster, crystal and vintage silver jewelry, said a lot of people are looking, but not buying.

"I have been selling here for several years and there are a lot less vendors this year and less buyers," Kaplan said of the monthly street fair which runs the last Sunday of the month from April through September. "It just feels more like a flea market then an antique and collectible fair. This year the fair is only two blocks long compared to the past when it stretched down several blocks on Main Street."

Port Washington artist and antique dealer Barbara Silbert said she has been selling art, antiques and vintage jewelry at the street fair for seven years and feels business is usually better in the fall. Another vendor, Gert Block of Glen Cove, said that she has been selling clock collages, antique jewelry and informal cards at the Port Washington Antique and Street Fair for 15 years and also agreed that business has been very slow this year.

"I love selling vintage and collectibles, but I hope business picks up for everyone during these monthly street fairs," Block said.

While only a handful of vendors said they were doing well this year, some people were buying. Roslyn resident Jerry Green is one of them. He said he comes to Port Washington every year to hunt for collectibles and good bargains.

"I like to buy oddball things that look pretty on a shelf," Green said. "There are so many things to look at such as Bric-a-brac, French Limoge and marcasite."

Port Washington resident Ann Marie Colton said she wasn't deterred by the bad economy and is looking to expand her collection of vintage items. "I come to this street fair every year," Colton said. "I am always looking for enameled maple leafs from Canada and I love anything that is vintage."

Some buyers, like Mineola resident Jose Manzano, came to the street fair knowing exactly what they were looking for. "I am a collector of old posters of Coca-Cola and Pepsi," Manzano said. "I knew I could find these old posters here."

David and Li Chan said they travel every year from Brooklyn to look for and purchase vintage jewelry.

"My wife loves ivory and antique gold jewelry," David Chan said. "We come all the time no matter how the economy is."