2016 opener for the Brimfield antique and flea market!

I'm not much of an antique collector, but I love flea markets. If you've read my recent posts you know I'm always searching for some old worn out piece of furniture to restore. But there are so many awesome vintage items out there, that you don't even know what they could be until you find them (and I found a few treasures). In addition to all that, this show featured original art, sculpture, and crafts of really amazing quality! Of course, you can't buy everything... so I took my camera, and I've brought it all back here to you! OK, let's jump into my highlights and photos from the show ;D

Antiques

There was no shortage of antiques in this market... and these dealers know their stuff. While looking around I found a couple things that caught my eye: antique cameras, typewriters, and furniture. Not knowing much about these items, I would just ask the dealer. Each time they were happy to share all they knew about each piece, and not just to make the sale, they actually love this stuff and are happy to talk to others who can appreciate it! I met one dealer with some beautiful toile fabric, and heard all about her trip to Paris and how she rescued it. Of course, with all their knowledge, they know what these items are worth... and they aren't cheap! Check out some of the antiques, and repro items I found:

Vintage

Of course there are antiques, and then there are vintage items: not quite old enough, or rare enough to be an antique... yet. Toys, periodicals, and clothes/fabric from 1950's-1980's were really popular. Stationary was another category that was well represented at the show! Unlike the antiques, these were all offered at extremely reasonable prices. So reasonable in fact, I didn't even bother haggling a number of my purchases! Among my purchases: a little orange lantern, grain sacks, and an adorable metal basket.

Art

I mentioned the original art at the show... and while I didn't end up bringing any home, I came soooo close. From wood to fur(?), from tiny to huge, from affordable to ka-ching! One thing that was undeniable was the amount of metal work; signs, letters, and sculptures. One dealer had a really large set up completely filled with metal animal sculptures. It was one of these rusty piglets that almost found a new home in my office!

Overall this show was worth the trip (which for me was a 6 hour drive), for a couple reasons... First, I was able to spend a long weekend out of town with the hubby! Second, it was low-cost: The show had 2 main sections... one free, the other only $5 entrance fee. And parking was $5-10 per day depending on how close you were to the event. Not only did I come away with some great buys, I met some nice people, learned a ton, and got about 300+ photos! Besides the show, we also spent time in Boston which was only another hour drive from where we stayed.

If you're in the area, the next event is scheduled for July, check out the Brimfield website for all the details! If you want to see more of my photos, you can find them on pinterest. Like what you see, but can't make the trip? Keep an eye on my etsy shop where I'll be passing along some of my great finds from this (and other) great events!

To find out where I'm going next, or what I'm doing with all my great finds... check my website: dawntoussaint.com ;D