UPPER EAST SIDE — More than 1,000 New Yorkers plan to go antiquing later this month — all for a good cause.
On Oct. 24, the Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center will host the 25th Annual Preview Party for the International Fine Art and Antique Dealers Show, featuring a wide variety of wares ranging from ancient rugs to arms and armor.
Party attendees, who raise funds for the society by buying tickets to the shindig, will get a sneak peak at the show's items — and the opportunity to browse and buy before the expo opens to the general public.
Tickets to the party range from $200 to $5,000, and last year's event raised over $1 million for the society, officials said.
The event takes place at the Park Avenue Armory from 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Martha Glass, president of the society, said the annual affair presents a way to enjoy some of the best antiques and art available.
"It was the first vetted-by-dealers show. That made it every high end," she said of the international antique event's history. "There must be thousands of items. It's like going to a mini-museum."
Glass added that the vendors themselves act like museum guides.
"The dealers talk to you about what they're selling. They're very good about telling you about a painting or piece of furniture," she said. "They like to expound on their knowledge."
The Upper East Side resident herself enjoys the sense of community created by the party, saying it "brings together so many age groups."
Glass admitted that she will have her eye out for English porcelain come Oct. 24 — even if she doesn't plan on purchasing anything.
"I'll be a looker," she said. "I would like to be a buyer, you never know. I've always got my eyes open for something beautiful."
Tickets to the preview party can be purchased by calling the Society at 212-639-7972.
