One of my favorite parts of developing the Brimfield Flea Finder app, has been meeting so many talented passionate people who love what they do. This series of Brimfield Dealer Profiles will highlight a small sample of dealers that can be found using the app. For the July show I will focus on a handful of dealers who have participated and supported the app from the beginning. I'm thrilled to help shine a little more light on these businesses that they work so hard building and running every day.
New England sourced vintage and antiques. Hertan's, site 95. Use the Brimfield Flea Finder app to find the Juniper Vintage booth at the show or their contact info between shows.
Cara Mihaliak is the entrepreneur behind Juniper Vintage and it's fun vintage camp feel. One look at her booth and it's obvious that she has a keen eye and is able to narrow in on pieces that fit into her brand. There is a wide range of items but they all fit perfectly with each other. Cara said her "booth usually looks like a summer camp between 1920 and 1960. Bright colors and Americana."
I really respect her ability to stay focused. I'm sure it's tempting to purchase other vintage and antique items that could be sold for profit, but she really sticks to her signature look. As a result, despite being relatively new to the business, she has a strong and growing following.
This July show marks her 2 year anniversary selling in Brimfield, but she isn't new to the show. Her mother and aunts have been shopping Brimfield for over 30 years. Her first trip there was when she was 3 months old. She says old stuff is in her blood. Cara has two nieces around my daughter's ages who often visit her at the field. We both love seeing babies and young children at the show because it brings back such fond memories for us attending as children.
Cara has been set up at Hertan's since she started selling in Brimfield. "David, the owner is fantastic and Jerry the field manager has a great group of guys keeping things in shape. Plus we have the cleanest bathrooms in all the land." I like the way she thinks! Another benefit of setting up at Hertan's is that you don't open until noon on Wednesday, which allows time on Tuesday to shop. Cara says she also bribes family members with snacks to watch her tent for her so she can go shop at other times during the week.
Favorite Brimfield memory: "I met my soon to be husband at Brimfield. He is my favorite memory."
Favorite Brimfield food: "Dad's Kettle Corn and whatever we cook up after hours."
What's your best tip for shoppers: "Be respectful of the effort the dealers put into finding your future treasure. You can haggle bit don't ask for 50% off!"
Favorite thing about the July show: "My birthday usually falls during the show and I get to celebrate with my Brimfield friends."
Between Brimfield shows, the main focus switches to the Juniper Vintage booth at Crompton Collective in Worcester, MA. Follow @JuniperVintage on Instagram to keep up with new inventory and shots of her booth there.
