Millerton Antiques Center’s 6th Annual Red Tag Sale

Now entering its sixth year, the Millerton Antique Center and its hive of skilled antique vendors will once again host the annual Red Tag Sale beginning Saturday, January 15 and running throughout the month of January into February. The annual sale will house deals for shoppers and antiquarians alike. “It is a once-a-year opportunity for dealers to aggressively discount items so that they will have room to bring in fresh items in the Spring when the new season begins,” says Bob Murphy of the Antique Center. “It is a chance for customers to get a great deal and a way for dealers to move merchandise.” For two decades, Millerton’s antique mainstay has proved to be the foundation for the village’s eclectic boutique main drag and for the sixth consecutive year, the center will once again offer residents and visitors a premiere destination for one-of-a-kind deals on antiques and home decor items.

Since its inception, the sale has successfully helped to shift the perception and demographics of the antique shopper within the small, hip village. In response to the influx of younger shoppers, many dealers have fine-tuned their merchandise with more offerings from the 60s and 70s. “ Shopping with a smartphone is a relatively new phenomenon at the Center but we seem to benefit from it. Many of these younger customers do instant research on their smartphone when they find an item they like,” Murphy says. “More often than not they discover (happily) that our prices are a bargain in comparison.” This year, the Red Tag Sale will add one new dealer, and interestingly, because of the surge in furniture sales due to all the new homeowners who have relocated, several dealers have expanded their booths so that they can bring in larger items. As always, no item is safe from “red tag” designation and this year the Antique Center will feature an eclectic variety of items including tables, chairs, cabinets, rugs, and things like lighting that have been selling briskly in the past 18 months tabletop and household items are also up for grabs as well.

For Mr. Murphy, the annual sale not only livens up the Antique Center each year, it also keeps the Village of Millerton churning during the tenuous winter months. “The sale has been an effective way to bring customers in during what is traditionally a slow time,” he says. “I believe that the month-long sale brings people not only into the Center but then sends them out to enjoy and explore everything that Millerton has to offer.”

For the best winter deals available for both the fervent antique and home decor collector, all roads lead to the Millerton Antiques Center located at 25 Main Street along the village’s central shopping corridor.

The Millerton Antiques Center is open 7 days a week (Daily 10-5, Sundays 11-4:30). For more information, give them a call at (518) 789-6004, visit millertonantiquescenter.com or stop by the Antiques Center on 25 Main Street Millerton, NY.

And check back with Main Street throughout the month for updates and new content as we highlight the ongoing Red Tag Sale event.

Anne Longley:
Antiquarianne Antiques

True to her namesake, Anne Longley left behind her online antiques dealings on Ebay after twenty-three years and set up shop at the Millerton Antique Center. “Before my time on Ebay, I spent 20-something years as a reporter and writer for The New York Times, the Hartford Courant (CT), People magazine and many other publications,” Anne says. “I gave it all up for a life of flea markets, antiques shows, auctions, and shops searching for “stuff.” The Antiques Center, and its communal space, feel like the perfect union for Anne and her unique items after growing tired of the online rigamarole. “My grandparents were great antiquers, so I think I inherited some of that passion from them,” says Anne. “The center is so wonderful and filled with an incredible group of people, there is a real cohesion between dealers here.” As with any job born of passion, Anne says it’s a lot of work, but a lot of fun. “This being my second Red Tag Sale, I can see why it’s such a draw,” she says. “Especially during the winter months, it’s a way for folks to get out and enjoy the selections of all the shops in the village.”

Nest

Ellen Hubbard and her business partner Lisa Foster, co-founders of Nest, have taken their unique eye for antiques into a bigger space within the walls of the Millerton Antiques Center and just in time for the sixth annual Red Tag Sale. Nest sports a healthy amount of Chinoiserie as well as a touch of faux bamboo and rattan-style items. “I would say Nest embodies a truly international style,” Ellen says. “We enjoy getting items with a Middle Eastern flare and textiles of the same motif.” Ellen’s appreciation for Islamic decor came while studying Art History in college while her business partner, Lisa Foster was in the hotel industry. After years of work and travel, Ellen and Lisa decided to put down roots in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut. “We came to Nest partly because when I first came to the Northwest Corner of Connecticut my children were still young and I wanted to keep working,” says Ellen. “I also had a lot of family heirlooms that were of great interest to me and served as my initial inspiration to join the world of antiques.” Ellen and Lisa would go on to start Nest in an antiques collective in Great Barrington, MA, eventually opening their own shop in Millerton. “We were both still so active in our childrens’ lives that we couldn’t find the time to dedicate ourselves full-time to the shop itself,” recalls Ellen. “When an opportunity became available at the Antiques Center it presented the perfect situation for Nest. We have been here for a number of years now and it’s been great.” When it comes to the Red Tag Sale, Ellen finds it a great event for the month of January in the village— especially after the holidays when things tend to slow down. “This year is so different because sales have been high for the past year and people are excited to re-think the spaces they occupy,” says Ellen. “Opening up an entirely new audience to the world of antiques.” 

Stop by the Millerton Antiques Center and check out Nest’s booth for great deals during the Red Tag Sale. Follow Nest on social media @Nest