the good home

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.

September 2015 Dealer Profile: the good home

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. I'm thrilled to help shine a little more light on these businesses that they work so hard building and running every day.

the good home
New England sourced vintage and antiques with an emphasis on housewares, tools, small furniture and linens. Quaker Acres, site 82. Use the Brimfield Flea Finder app to find the good home booth at the show or their contact info between shows.


Richard and Nancy Lucier are the dynamic duo behind the good home. Unlike most of the dealers in the app who we met over the past two years, I have known Richard and Nancy for 35 years. They are one of the main reasons we live in Massachusetts, why we are so involved with Brimfield and what inspired us to create the app. They are my parents. So I might be a little biased, but I think they are pretty great!


My parents have been drawn to high quality vintage items for as long as I can remember. I grew up knowing that older stuff was better. As kids, we loved going to yard sales on the weekends. Or better yet, a trip to the town dump to see what treasures people had left behind! Our kitchen table was reclaimed lumber on top of cast iron sewing machine legs way before that was trendy. 



Then about ten years ago my uncle purchased antiques in Hungary and had them shipped back to the U.S. and began selling them. He set up in Brimfield and my parents would help him set up and my mom would help him during the week. After a few years he had sold most of his original stock and wasn't interested in continuing to buy or sell. My parents were interested in becoming dealers and began sourcing their own goods to add to the remaining inventory. They started to attend auctions and now they had a really good excuse to buy stuff at yard sales. 



They have been setting up in the same spot at Quaker Acres for six years now and they have gotten better and better at what they do. They don't have a shop or sell online and Brimfield is the only show they do (for now), so they work all year prepping for it. Their set up is unique due to their specific site and they have it down pat. They bring their vintage camper (the inspiration for us getting our own) for some comforts of home during the day. Because they are local they don't have to do a marathon set up. They use their own tents and set them up the week before and gradually bring a few trailer loads of merchandise at a time. They are usually still showing up with car loads of stuff on Wednesday and Thursday of the show which is why we sometimes joke there is more there at the end of the show than they started with! But that also means they always have fresh merchandise!



They do get a lot of repeat customers despite being generalists. My mom likes to say it's because they have a good mix of things for men and women so couples stick around the booth longer. It's also probably because they are really friendly and love what they do. They both tend to buy what they love. My mom is drawn to pyrex, kitchenware, planters, vintage textiles, and furniture while my dad buys a lot of tools, lamps, trunks and toolboxes. Over the years, as they have gained more experience, they have learned to branch out a bit and and they have become really knowledgeable about a lot of what they sell. They also love learning from their customers. Whenever anyone buys something who is a collector they pick their brain a bit and learn something new.







Up until last year they had to work the shows around my dad's school year. He was an electrical instructor at a local vocational high school. I started spending more time at the show with my mom during the May and September shows when he was at work which is how Ryan and I started to get more involved in the show (and saw how much the app was needed). My dad is now retired from teaching but still does electrical work. But his schedule is flexible and it allows them to focus more time on sourcing merchandise for the shows.

He is drawn to lamps and lighting because of his electrical background. He rewires lamps to sell frequently and has also made some really cool light fixtures out of all sorts of repurposed materials. Here are a few of my favorites:


They are definitely two of our biggest supporters. There are app signs all around their booth and so many people have told us "I found out about the app from your parents!" My dad has been known to set up special seating for customers but once you sit down you have to download the app. He's that good!



If you are at the show, I hope you get the chance to go see the good home on Quaker Acres and please tell them that we sent you!


Thanks for following!

Kaitlin