About Our Business

Established in 1970, Birchknoll Antiques operates as a full time, family run business purely from a passion for the historical value of quality antiques.

Founded by Carole Greco and co-owned by her son Neil, the business is based on 35 years of experience in the field of antiques.

Our emphasis is on proportionally accurate and functional furnishings from the late 1700’s to the mid 1800’s with an eye toward the American federal period. We offer a considerable collection of Chinese export porcelains from the Qing dynasty with particular focus on the Quinlong period.  We also maintain a selection of fine art as a complement to our line of home furnishings.

Our mission is to provide an honest assessment and fair market value for the products we sell. We base this not only on experience but on the constant evaluation of trends in the antiques marketplace.


Our philosophy is customer centric – we believe that dealers are the source for clients to determine the true market value of an item based on quality and authenticity. As such, the descriptions of the items we sell are based on our assessment of the piece and are fully guaranteed.

Consistent with our passion for fine art and the preservation thereof, we are active members of the New Hampshire Dealers Association, The Society of Preservation of New England Antiquities, and the New Hampshire Historical Society. We are an Industry Partner of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and work with design professionals and individuals seeking particular items, enhancing a room, an office or an entire home.

About Carole Greco

Carole is considered an early pioneer of the antiques business in New England – Her experience speaks volumes.  Beginning with exhibits at the Brimfield marketplace and the New Hampshire Highway Hotel in the 70’s; the Armory in New York and The Castle in Boston during the 80’s. Continuing with top quality, charity shows in the 90’s to the present day.

During the 1980’s, Carole held positions in the Suburban Antiques Dealers Association and the New England Society of Appraisers. At that time, Carole saw an opportunity to bring quality merchandise to the middle market of suburban Boston. In the 80’s and 90’s (under the banner of Birchknoll Promotions) Carole promoted a series of top quality events, ushering in the notion of room setting shows with great success.  The business shifted with the times in the 90’s and in 2001, her son joined as a full-time partner.

Today, the family operates a full-time shop in the village of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire; operates an active website and exhibits at selected top quality, charity events along the east coast.

Observation

The evolution of the industry combined with the introduction of the internet has changed the way collectors collect and enthusiasts buy: from stand alone shops to collaborative shops, dealers to auction galleries, and shows to on-line buying.

This represents a dramatic shift in the way the Antiques industry has functioned for decades. The result has been an explosive growth of information available to the buying public.  It doesn’t mean that collectors and enthusiasts necessarily get the proper value for an item they acquire.

As we see it, the challenge for today's consumer is in understanding what they're buying and that they buying from a trusted source. The market experience of the dealer community acts as a great resource for collectors and budding enthusiasts. We believe that buying from a trusted resource is the key to building a quality collection to be admired for years to come. We pride ourselves on building customer relationships of lasting value.