The fun-filled and fast paced days of Steppin’ Out with the IPBA in Boston were jam-packed with ways to learn about beautiful perfume bottles and vintage vanity items; opportunities to buy, sell and bid; and time spent renewing friendships and making new friends.
The Optional Tours offered before convention begins are a great way to leisurely visit with friends and see the sites of the host city. For 2024, the tours centered around Newport, RI, the original location of our convention – until an 11th hour glitch with the hotel caused a change of scenery to Boston.
This year, we offered two tours of The Gilded Age Mansions of Newport, giving us the option of seeing a total of four different mansions. The tour on Tuesday, April 23rd went to Marble House and Rosecliff. The tour on Wednesday went to The Breakers and Chateau-sur-Mer.
Another optional tour on Wednesday, April 24th went to New Bedford, MA for the New Bedford Museum of Glass to learn and see the history of this town once known as the “Art Glass Headquarters of the Country.”
On Thursday morning, the final optional tour left for The Providence Jewelry Museum in Providence, RI.
Providence was the ‘costume jewelry capital of the world’ and the museum is the first museum dedicated to the history of American jewelry.
And then … Convention 2024 began … in Boston! The joy of being with people who truly understand the who, what and why we collect these beautiful works of art in miniature is undeniably electric.
In the Showroom we were surrounded by thousands of perfume bottles, powder boxes, compacts, dresser sets, beaded and mesh purses, perfume solids and oh-so-many-more interesting items to see AND BUY!
The Collector’s Market is a little less formal.
As always, many bargains were found by delighted attendees.
The raffle is always another opportunity to acquire amazing perfume and vanity items.
The lucky winners are always delighted with their acquisitions, thanks to our generous donors.
We met returning friends and were introduced to members experiencing convention for the first time.
This year, we had the following educational impromptu, interactive sessions: “Silver Hallmarks – Finding, Researching, and Care/Cleaning Tips”; “The Compacts of Société Montral”; “Guerlain”; “Opera Bottles”; “Unusual Materials”; and “Gilded Age Perfumes”.
Our first prepared presentation was “Art Nouveau” featuring perfume products, manufacturers and history of the era.
The “Just Say YES!” presentation encouraged members to become active with the IPBA with small bits of time or larger commitments.
The wonderful Keynote was given by Anne de Thoisy-Dallem, a world-expert and museum curator to enlighten us on “The world of French Compacts” from a private Parisian collection – an historical and iconographic approach (1900 – 1960).
Ken Leach and Armando Grano brought their Perfume Bottles Auction back to convention for a live auction of fabulous items in pristine condition. Nick Dawes called the auction. The auction was also on Live Auctioneers.
Bidding was fast and furious from the in-person audience, telephone and on-line bidders.
Honors of the Association were awarded to Jon Almandinger and Don Orban.
Shining Star awards were presented to Paula Walker, Shari Hopper, and Monica Magnani.
The experts of Treasures Found gave us the answers to questions from unknown items which members either had previously sent in photographs of their item or brought into the room to have identified.
Volunteers! We couldn’t put on a convention without them!
They assemble the welcome bags, staff the welcome desk, help facilitate the auction, sell raffle tickets, and perform too many behind-the-scenes tasks to mention.
Friends … Friends bring us to convention, keep us energized all year long, and get us through the hectic days of changing convention cities.
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