Back at Brimfield: Round Two....Wet, Cold But Having a Ball!

I had so much fun at Brimfield on the opening day (Tuesday) that I returned today despite the clouds, heavy drizzle and chilly weather. True collectors do not let mud, wet feet and soggy jackets interfere with junking (I mean antiquing).

To remind you, I was visiting Brimfield with Scott Liscomb, founder of Iantiqueonline.com. My role as editor was to capture the Brimfield experience and bring it back to my blog readers and members of our social community, Iantiqueonline.com.

Once again, Scott and I started off at the Shelton Antique Show (our second round). Lois, the owner and manager of this show was so kind to us allowing us to park right in front of her office/home. We telephoned her earlier and asked to do a video of her re-cycled art. (I'll tell you more about this later).

Despite the fact that Lois was awakened in the wee hours of the morning by a dealer who had a "soap sud" crisis....she was delightful and very helpful to us.

Her sister who stays with her, made homemade chocolate chip cookies, a long held tradition. Lois and her sister sell the cookies to the dealers and others.

We bought a bunch of cookies and headed out for the New England Motel Antique Market to meet up with "Vintage Goodies" an Iantiqueonline.com member.

It was so much fun getting to see one of our members who we have only known in "cyberspace" .
She had a terrific retro kitchen collectibles booth. I loved her colorful displays and bought a few things to add to my shop "Kitsch N Stuff".

New England Motel Antiques has plenty of dealers who specialize in kitchen collectibles, textiles, primitives, clothing, jewelry, retro, Mid-Century. I felt very comfortable at this show.

You will find that when you go to Brimfield, the various lots seem to attract dealers with similar interests, so that the architectural salvage gals and guys congregate in one place and the
retro folks seem to cluster together etc. Many dealers have known each other for years and enjoy buying from one and other.

Before I continue my story, you need to know that I ran into some technical difficulties on Tuesday with my videotapes of interviews with Brimfield dealers. I returned home to find out that I never pressed the "record" function on my camera. Hey, I am just now getting the "still photography" squared away. I am happy I can even turn the camera on!

So, I returned today eager to re-shoot some nice interviews of Brimfield regulars.I actually pulled off a couple of lovely videos....but I am sad to say....I shot one whole video sideways...give me a break...I am still learning!

I did however manage to take some terrific photographs. Today, Scott and I stayed in the New England Motel Antique Market. This is a very good show. The dealers had great stuff and were very friendly and helpful.

One thing about Brimfield is that you can spend hours in just one field. And if the field has first class dealers....you can get lost in just one show. So plan to spend several days at Brimfield. This is not an experience you can do in a few hours. The dealer fields seem endless.

Today, Scott and I came prepared with a cart to shlepp our stuff. Believe me, this is a good idea. If you don't own your shopping cart or wagon, you can easily buy them at the shows. They range from $18.00-25.00.

You can also "rent" a porter. These are folks who wear tee shirts, or home-made signs that say "porter for hire". I am not sure if there is a "porter" federation....but there are plenty of eager strangers ready to help you out for a few bucks.

I wore my hat again today, which helped keep the rain off. Please don't tell my kids I wore Scott's Red Sox hat ...my family comes from a long line of Yankee and Mets fans. The funny thing was that lots of people stopped me and asked me to photograph them because they too were wearing Red Sox hats and shirts. O.K. I went along with the gig.

When lunch rolled around...Scott wanted to settle down in a nearby covered pavilion featuring hot dogs and hamburgers.I wasn't sure I was up for that so I wandered away. So did Scott...when I found him, he had discovered a vendor outside the pavilion and he was stuffing down a steak and onions or something grinder.

I hadn't eaten yet..so Scott and I headed to the food court to find the Roast Beef guy from Tuesday. I was happy to find a table with a large umbrella. Scott and I joined two fellas, one from Iran who convinced me to try the Falafel wrap instead of the Roast Beef sandwich.

Can you believe, Scott and I broke down and ended up ordering more Roast Beef sandwiches. I put the Falafel away. But Scott actually ate the Roast Beef sandwich (after the grinder he had earlier).

If we go back to Brimfield tomorrow, I am NOT going to the Roast Beef guy, I promise...it is good however...but time for something new!

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com


Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.