Brimfield Flea Finder

Selling in Brimfield for the Very First Time! (Part 1)


Many dealers in Brimfield have been setting up at the show for years. Perhaps even decades. If you are a regular Brimfield shopper you probably have at least a handful of dealers you hit up every time you come. They're in the same spot and they may have different merchandise each time but their set up remains pretty consistent.

Alternatively, there are dealers at every show who are selling there for the very first time. You may not know who they are or what went into them being there. It may not be obvious that it's their first time. But chances are good that setting up in Brimfield for the first time is a big deal to them. It's not exactly an easy show to do for a lot of reasons and there's a lot to consider.

In this post we will take a closer look at three dealers who will be selling in Brimfield for their first time at the May 2017 show.

Autumn Harvest Woodworking

Pair of colonial glass front cabinets - Autumn Harvest Woodworking
Roger Madore in the man behind the magic at Autumn Harvest Woodworking. His pieces are all custom made with fine woodworking techniques. It's a side business that he is very passionate about and he is really excited to be debuting some of his beautiful pieces at Central Park site 66 in Brimfield in May. Use the app to find him!

"My business focus is on country colonial style pieces. I sell mostly free standing cabinets, tables, kitchen islands, vanities. Most is sold by word of mouth and Craigslist and Facebook on my page. My team is just me and I've been doing this for 3 1/2 years beside my full time job at a aerospace company. I like doing one off pieces with character to them. I come up with ideas in my head and build them off of that with no written plans."

Roger has shopped in Brimfield for years. He has used the show for ideas and inspiration for his pieces but finds it a bit overwhelming because there is so much to see. He is very anxious to see what kind of response his pieces get at the show.

Since he isn't selling authentic antiques his options of which fields to set up on were somewhat limited. Some fields are more strict about this than others. Choosing a field to set up on can be tricky business and location can sometimes make a big difference. It takes some dealers multiple shows trying out different fields or different spaces on a field to find what works best for them. There also isn't an easy way securing a spot, especially for the May show. You have to contact each field individually (and there are 20+ fields!). Many don't have websites and you are also limited to spaces that longtime dealers have not already secured.

Glass front cabinets - Autumn Harvest Woodworking
There are such a wide variety of dealers in Brimfield. Some sell smalls, some sell glass, some sell furniture, some selling clothing. What you sell can make a big difference in what challenges you have with setting up. Roger is bringing large pieces of furniture. They will fill up his 20x20 booth fairly easily but as someone who is running his business on the side, he is renting a truck to get everything there and isn't sure what to expect for the following weekend when it's time to pack up and go home. There are lots of unknowns when you are doing any show for the first time.

Roger is also doing the show solo which will have an impact on his week. That's not unheard of by any means but it does add some extra challenges. Especially for someone doing their first show. It makes running to grab food or use the restroom tricky and doesn't leave much time for shopping. But Roger is really looking forward to spending the week talking to customers and meeting new people.

Red farmhouse island with butcher block top - Autumn Harvest Woodworking
Be sure to make your way over to Central Park to say hello to Roger and see his beautiful work in person. You can use the app to find him! And if you are in the market (or expect to be) for beautiful custom made furniture, be sure to follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

Thrifty Sisters Vintage

Jon and Danielle Coleman are the couple behind Thrifty Sisters Vintage, which is named for their three daughters who inherited their love of vintage and antiques. Danielle's mother was an antique button collector and the "thrill of the hunt" runs through the whole family.

"We bring our eclectic, coveted mix of vintage and antique finds to our customers in the Hudson, NY shop: Antigo; in addition to the Brooklyn Flea as visiting vendors. As artists, we find the aesthetic as important as the history. Vintage and antique artifacts are given new life once we have unearthed them from their past and connected them with their future. We have been in business for the past 8 years."

Miscellaneous bling - Thrifty Sisters Vintage
As an artist, art teacher, collector, and mother, Danielle says she is intrigued by colorful, unique oddities from the past. Their wares range in size, age, era and style but often include mid century modern furniture and textiles, vintage/retro and antique clothing from the 1800's to the 1980s', fun and funky jewelry, industrial components, ephemera and vintage kitchenware.

Last summer they took a picking adventure. "Blue Ridge Parkway and the Smoky Mountains proved a most fruitful collecting and exploring trip. We came home tired, enlightened, and packed to the brim with a profusion of goods to reclaim and pass on."

Heywood Wakefield chairs - Thrifty Sisters Vintage
Danielle acknowledged that choosing a location within Brimfield to set up for the first time was overwhelming. They have shopped Brimfield in the past but shopping and selling are very different from each other (although most vendors do end up shopping while they're there!). Social media helped them find vendors with similar interests and ask for recommendations. They ultimately decided on Hertan's and will be at space 184 (you can also use the app to find them!).

A show like Brimfield can be a challenge for families with young children. We can certainly attest to that! Since it will be their first time doing the show they are reluctantly leaving the girls at home this time around so they can focus on making the most of the show. Whether you take them with you or leave them behind, it is still difficult to balance everyone's needs when the week is such a whirlwind. Another benefit to Hertan's is that they open on Wednesday (many other fields open on Tuesday) and they are planning to stay until Friday so their "week" will be a bit shorter than if they were there Tuesday through Sunday. Some dealers also prefer to do a show that opens later in the week so they have some time to shop too!

Beautiful woodworking set of drawers - Thrifty Sisters Vintage
Generally speaking, dealers tend to be a pretty social group. Jon, in particular, is really looking forward to the opportunity to meet and talk with people from all over the world. "Through our travels and shows we have made friends, learned the stories behind some amazing artifacts, and come to love the human connection. The mutual interest in all things old."

Please make your way over to Hertan's to say hello and support one of Brimfield's newest dealers! You can also follow them on Instagram to see their latest finds!


Nomads' Novelties is another couple-run business run by Seth Matteson and Emily Mantell. "We are a girlfriend and boyfriend duo who share a common love for ‘junk’ and the story that it tells. Our shop is the result of an Instagram account that we created in 2012, where we shared our thrift store and flea market finds. Our followers started asking if we would ever sell what we found, but at the time we were only sharing items from our personal collection and we were both full-time college students with part-time jobs, leaving us with little to no time to even think about selling."

A recent weekend haul - Nomads' Novelties
In 2015, they finally decided to open an Etsy shop to earn extra income to make ends meet while they were still in college. They set aside a space in their closet for a storage tote to hold their inventory. It eventually snowballed into the full-time endeavor it is today.  "What was once a tiny container in our closet has now transformed into a studio as well as a storage unit, and we are hoping to expand even more in the near future."

They pride themselves on their eclectic mix of items. "In the same tent you’ll be able to find late 1800's lithographs, early 1900's industrial furniture, 1940's day dresses, mid century modern décor, southwestern jewelry, and 1970's/80's band shirts."

Nomads' Novelties
They have shopped Brimfield in the past and say it gives them a "Christmas morning" feeling every time. (If you are reading this, chances are you can relate to that!). It will be interesting to see how selling at the show will compare to buying.

There was a lot that went into the decision to sell in Brimfield for the first time but ultimately they felt like it was an opportunity to be at the show to purchase new inventory while also getting their name out there and networking. They have friends who set up in Shelton's and have shopped there in the past so they decided to set up on that field themselves.

Turquoise jewelry - Nomads' Novelties
Since there are two people they will have more opportunities to shop than someone who is running their booth solo, but how much will setting up and running the booth cut into their shopping time? "The hardest part will definitely be not being able to be out buying, as we normally would be. Forget about moving all of the heavy furniture off of the truck or deciding how we will be staging the booth… we’re scared for all the amazing treasures we will see go right by our tent that we didn’t get to buy!"

Please make sure to stop by their booth at Shelton's (use the app to find them!) to see all these novelties in person. And if you love what you see or aren't able to make it, check out their fresh finds by following them on Instagram and purchase through their Etsy shop. They also have a studio in the Velvet Mill in Stonington, CT which is open by appointment.

Let us know by commenting if you make it to any of these great new booths and we will be doing a follow up post after the show to hear about how each of these veteran dealers but Brimfield newbies fared. Did the show meet their expectations? What worked and what didn't? And the big question: Will they be back?

Stay tuned!
Kaitlin

The Brimfield Flea Finder app was developed specifically for the Brimfield Antique Shows. The app is free to download in The App Store. Visit www.brimfieldapp.com for more about the app and www.brimfield.com for general show information.

July 2016 #Brimfield Recap



The July 2016 Brimfield show is in the books. Good thing I took a lot of photos because a week and a half later all I can remember is the heat and the moths!
As far as the crowds and sales, the show was a fairly typical July show. Nothing special. Dealers with realistic (and low) expectations met them. Those expecting things to be anything like May were disappointed. I talk to hundreds of dealers during the week. When I ask about how the show is going, the typical response is a shrug and "It's July." Enough said.


Scrapped and Found
Dealers may be a little apathetic about the July show, but shoppers are always excited to be there. The thrill of the hunt isn't hampered by a little heat and some moths! Shoppers in July are committed. You don't come out for the day in that heat if you aren't a serious buyer. The crowds weren't as impressive as May, but people were finding what they came for. Or, in some cases, things they didn't even know they needed!

A photo posted by Brimfield Flea Finder (@brimfieldfleafinder) on


Our little app had a solid show. Lots of new dealers signing up on their own. Great feedback from users and dealers. Some new interesting contacts made. And, most exciting of all, we have secured an amazing spot very close to Route 20 on Hertan's going forward. This is great news for us and all of our dealers. With such a visible permanent spot we will be able to reach more shoppers at every show. We have some big things planned for September so stay tuned for more details!

Limbu Handicrafts
Farmhouse and industrial continued to be big sellers in July. Check out my recent posts about the presence of these styles in Brimfield: Farmhouse Style in Brimfield and Industrial Works in Brimfield

Anthony Rosa Modern
Lorelai's
Anchored Salvage

In recent years, vintage clothing has also grown it's presence at the show. It's one of our most searched for categories in the app and we add more and more vintage clothing dealers to at every show. 

Bird Brain Vintage
Tea Street Vintage
Another trend we are seeing at the show is succulents and plants! Seed to Stem has made a huge splash in Brimfield for the past few years. Their booth is always a spectacular sight to see. And Susan Bates, with her beautiful plant displays, has been a staple in Brimfield for as long as I can remember. This year we are seeing a lot of new dealers incorporating plants and succulents into their booths. 

Susan Bates Home and Garden
Ivy Lane
Josephina's Creations
Do you love Brimfield? Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date on show info and eye candy from each and every show. And be sure to download the app to find dealers you definitely don't want to miss!

Thanks for following! 

Kaitlin

The Brimfield Flea Finder app was developed specifically for the Brimfield Antique Shows. The app is free to download in The App Store and Google Play. Visit www.brimfieldapp.com for more about the app and www.brimfield.com for general show information.

Industrial Works in Brimfield


Industrial style isn't new to Brimfield. In fact it has been around for quite a while. It was there before it became as popular as it is now and it's not going away anytime soon. There has certainly been an increase in industrial dealers over the past decade and while it used to be more concentrated in some particular fields, that is no longer the case. We have some amazing industrial dealers on just about every field.

If you are into the industrial look, here are a few of our regulars that you definitely don't want to miss:

Rustored Salvage

Eric, has become a good friend of ours and we are continually impressed by the quality and quantity of his goods and his prices can't be beat. You never know what you will find but you won't be disappointed. Located right on Route 20 at Shelton's.


Scrapped and Found
Scrapped and Found is located directly behind Rustored Salvage and it's another booth you don't want to miss. Dave makes a lot of pieces himself out of salvaged materials and always has a very cool set up with lots of industrial pieces. At the last show he had large quantities of ladders and printer's trays which were very popular. Another must-see booth at Shelton's.



Anchored Salvage

We always say that we work the nicest dealers in Brimfield, and Amy at Anchored Salvage is proof of that. Amazing pieces, a great eye, a talent for repurposing and a positive attitude! Located at the front of Sturtevant's right on Route 20.


Barge Canal

Barge Canal has been with us since the beginning and we love them for it. Their booth in Brimfield is always impeccably styled and busts the myth that curated booths have higher prices. So don't be fooled! Jeremy and Adelle also operate a vintage store in Burlington, VT that focuses on 20th century design and american industrial that we are dying to visit! Don't miss them on The Meadows.

A photo posted by @bargecanalmarket on

Silver Hippopotamus

Beth and Kathy, the sisters behind the industrial furniture pieces and artifacts in the Silver Hippopotamus booth are true artists. Located at Mohogany Ridge, they are delightful to talk to and their love of Brimfield and their one of a kind pieces is contagious. I'm always excited to see what they are going to bring to the next show!



Farnswood

Craig is Farnswood and Farnswood is industrial. It doesn't get more industrial than his custom welded marquis letters, repurposed furniture and lighting. He always has a great mix of large pieces and smalls and has been at Quaker Acres for the past few shows.


Aged Objects

Dan at Aged Objects specializes in industrial finds and antique hardware. Find him at New England Motel.

A photo posted by aged objects (@agedobjects) on


There is no comprehensive directory of dealers at the show, so search for "industrial" in the Brimfield Smartphone app to help you find the location of these dealers and many others who specialize (or dabble in) industrial pieces. We are adding new dealers all the time!

For more information about the Brimfield Antique Shows visit brimfield.com or brimfieldapp.com for more information about the app!

See you at the next show!
Kaitlin


Brimfield Grub: 2016 Edition


Our family spends a lot of time in Brimfield during show weeks. I always start out with the best of intentions to make food ahead of time and bring it with us each day. That usually doesn’t last very long and we inevitably end up eating food we can buy at the show.

Of course we have our favorites. It’s no secret that we love BT’s Smokehouse. We were pretty sad when we found out Brian Treitman had decided this would be his last year in Brimfield. Over the last few years, Brian has gone from just that guy who makes amazing food to our friend who makes amazing food. We will miss having him around at the shows, but we are locals so we can eat his food all year long (and we will!).


For those of you that are only in town during the May, July and September shows, just keep in mind that it won’t be there forever. If there’s a line, it’s worth the wait. And if you don’t end up getting some at the show, you can always stop at the restaurant in Sturbridge when you are done shopping. It’s BYOB so don’t forget to make a quick stop at Rapscallion Brewery for some beers to go!

Another staple for us is Hearty Eats. They have a brick and mortar location in Shelburne Falls, MA but their truck has been in Brimfield for several years now. The freshness of their food is remarkable and they use local organic ingredients. You don’t even feel like you are eating healthy because it’s so amazingly good. I can’t decide if the falafel or the thai noodle salad is my favorite but no matter what you get, you will not be disappointed.

A photo posted by Janell Mullen (@janellmmullen) on


We also would not survive our weeks in Brimfield without Vinnie’s Pizza. My girls live on it (I promise I feed them a more balanced diet the other 48 weeks of the year!) and the owners could not be nicer. We lived in NYC for 8 years so we know a good slice of pizza when we have one and this pizza is good! And don't miss their amazing breakfast pizza in the morning. What more could you ask for?

A photo posted by @vinniesfinefoods on


Then there is the classic Brimfield Pilgrim Sandwich. There’s not much to be said besides it's awesome and it's totally worth the wait. A little salty and a little sweet with the perfect amount of mayo. The guy who makes them is also so nice and personable. Earlier today he told me how hard doing Brimfield is at first. He said he has no idea why he came back after his first show because it was so bad, but he did and now his sandwiches are iconic. If you have never had one you really should. If you have had one, you probably want another one!

A photo posted by @mavenandgrace on


Food is definitely a a big part of the Brimfield experience and those are just a few of our tried and true places but there are new food options at almost every show. Here are some of the new (and new-ish) trucks at the May 2016 show:

Say Cheese showed up at Brimfield last year with gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. It’s operated by Teri and Remy, a mother/daughter team out of Worcester, MA. I know I keep saying everyone in Brimfield is nice, but these two seriously could not be any nicer. They always have a smile on their face, they are so friendly to their customers and they love what they do. Each sandwich is made to order and the flavor combinations are unique and delicious.

A photo posted by Brimfield Flea Finder (@brimfieldfleafinder) on



Happy Taco also made their Brimfield debut last year. They offer Baja Fish, Saigon Pork, Grilled Chicken, Carne Asada and Ground Beef tacos. It’s operated by a sweet couple from Gloucester, MA (which is where they get the fish for the fish tacos) and the food is really fresh and good. At first glance, it may seem like the food options in Brimfield are typical fair food. But The Happy Taco is one of many examples of great food made by people who really care about what they do.

A photo posted by Brimfield Flea Finder (@brimfieldfleafinder) on

In addition to lots of good meal choices, there are plenty of snack options. Kettle Corn happens to be one of my favorites. Chances are, if you have walked by the Goody’s Kettle Corn stand at the Sturtevant’s field, you met Goody. He likes to talk to people about his kettle corn and he swears it’s the best around. I have to agree with him. It’s lighter and less sweet than most kettle corn and he cares about the ingredients he uses. Want a sample? Just ask him! The May 2016 show is his first Brimfield and we really hope he sticks around!


We cover a lot of ground during the show. From one end of the show to the other. Earlier this week, we happened to be down by the Brimfield Barn and we spotted another new food truck.  Sun Kim Bop. The only right thing to do was to sample everything on the menu. You know, for informational purposes. We were really impressed. They offer a Bop Burger (seasoned rice buns sprinkled with dry seaweed and sesame seeds with sautéed homemade kimchi, pork, beef or chicken in the middle), Korean BBQ Wrap (Small size wrap with Korean beef and vegetables) and dumplings. It’s not centrally located in the food court area but it’s close to a Budweiser truck serving beer and depending on the time of day, it might be nice to avoid some of the longer lines at the more centrally located food places.


We found out a few weeks ago that there was going to be a poutine truck and my French Canadian husband was pretty excited. The Poutine Gourmet has lived up to his expectations. The fries and cheese curds are great and even though we were skeptical about the vegetarian gravy at first, it’s actually really good too.


Finally, Chompers is another new truck at the May 2016 show. They offer crunchy balls of goodness. Want to know more? Well, Beef Chompers are little fried balls of smoky bacon, ground beef and cheddar cheese served with a sweet 'n' tangy ketchup. Chicken Chompers are little fried balls of chicken parmesan with fresh basil and mozzarella cheese, topped with parmesan cheese and served with marinara. If they sound up your alley, you will love them!


So there you have it. This is not a full overview of all the food options at the show by any means. The food court at New England Motel has lobster rolls, sausages, burgers and much more and there are other food trucks and stands sprinkled throughout the show on most of the larger fields. We will try to cover some of the other food in later posts but if you are coming to the show this weekend, I hope it gets you excited about some of your options!

We would love to know what you are eating at the show, so use #brimfieldeats and tag us to let us know what you think!

Kaitlin


Get the Most Out of Your Brimfield App Listing

This post is specifically for dealers who use the Brimfield Flea Finder app to connect with buyers. Our app was developed to help YOU and we want to make sure you are getting the most out of your listing and we try to make that as easy as possible! We spend a lot of our time at the show talking to dealers and giving them this information, but as our dealer base grows we can't spend as much time with all of you so here is some of our best advice on using the app to your advantage:

I will say, that it is my biased opinion (but shared by many), that a listing in our app is one of the most economic and effective way to reach very targeted customers. Not only does the app help shoppers physically locate you at the show (which can be extremely overwhelming for people), but we see activity within the app between shows and in the off season as well. Since listings contain contact info and social media links, it's really an excellent way to stay connected to customers all year long. For $20 (or less) a show you really can't beat the value. And it's completely free to shoppers. No wonder they love it so much!

That being said, there are a few things you can do to make sure you get the most out of your listing:
  • Make sure your site number is up to date. All dealers have the ability to log into the website with their username and password and update their site number at any time. This is a huge reason why the app is superior to other online Brimfield directories that contain stale data. Many of our dealers do stay in the same location year after year. Others move from show to show. Some move several times within the same show. If you aren't able to log in (or heck, if you are just too busy and don't feel like it) just shoot us an email and we are happy to do it for you!
  • Make sure your photos are an accurate depiction of your booth. Your photos in the app listing should grab a user's attention and accurately depict your booth/merchandise. As much as possible, it's great to have photos of current merchandise. You never know who is going to see something they just have to have. And thanks to the app, they will know just where to find it! We recommend a combination of some close up shots of key items and at least one wide shot of the booth. GPS will get them within 10-15 feet, but since most fields do not clearly mark site numbers (another reason this app was so needed!), a wide shot can help them identify it easily.  You can update your photos as often as you would like by logging into the website. But again, feel free to email/text/message us photos at any time (before or even during the show) and we will update them for you. Easy peasy!
  • Update keywords. In addition to choosing categories of items sold, listings can contain custom keywords. These can be specific artists (i.e. Erdely), brand names (i.e. Zenith, Griswold), furniture makers (i.e. Eames, Miller), types of furniture (i.e. kitchen island, upholstered), time periods, etc... How general or specific you should get will depend on what type of items you sell, what you think your potential customers will be searching for and how much time you are willing to spend keeping them up to date. If you would like some help determining what would work best for your business feel free to contact us to discuss! 
  • Tag us in social media posts. We rely heavily on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to market the app and Brimfield as a whole. There's no doubt social media is having a big impact on how customers and dealers are connecting and we want to work with you to make the most of it. If you are posting about Brimfield on social media, it's great to mention that you can be found easily using the app. Just stating your field and site number may seem like enough but I assure you, people don't always understand what that information means or don't write it down before they head out. After spending two years at our information booth on the side of Route 20, I can't stress enough how overwhelmed and confused many people are about how the fields are set up. They don't know the names of the fields or what side of the road they are on. They don't know the different fields have their own set of site numbers. They don't know there isn't a directory of dealers. Make it as easy as possible for them to find you by having them download the app before they go!
  • Post within the Facebook event on our page. We have Facebook events for each show. Posting within that event is a great way to reach a new audience on Facebook. We would also love it if you would share the event on your personal and business pages. Die hard Brimfield fans would never dream of missing a show, but more casual shoppers often forget when the shows are or don't hear about it until they have already made plans for the weekend. The more people attending the show the better for everyone and these events have the potential to grow exponentially. Each and every person that shares or follows the event means all of their friends are now seeing it too! The event is always the pinned post on our Facebook page.
I hope you found some of those tips helpful. If you have any questions or need any help updating your listing please contact us at info@brimfieldfleafinder.com. Thank you again for all of your support and we hope all of you have a great show next week!

 Kaitlin and Ryan