Brimfield Antique and Collectables Show

A.K.A The Best Weekend of My Life and The Worst Weekend of Chad's Life

Brimfield, Massachusetts is the site of the largest outdoor antique show in New England. The 'Brimfield Antique and Collectables Show' has over 5000 dealers from all over the US. It happens 3 times a year and if you're anything like me this sounds like the absolute best possible way to spend a weekend.

I'd read about it on blogs like Elements of Style and Design Sponge  and when Martha Stewart's home design website says "it's the largest and one of the best shows of its kind in the world", who am I to argue?

I'd casually mentioned a few times to Chad how I might like to go. It always seemed like it would take forever to drive there and I wasn't sure it would be worth it. Then we got a truck. Well, Chad got a truck because he calculated it would be cheaper then renting a dumpster for our upcoming renovation project (I promise I'll have more details on that this week). Google maps also informed me it would take 5 hours and 33 minutes to drive there. Visions of me driving back to Montreal with a truck full of the best vintage finds ever went through my head.

Chad had wrongly stated earlier, 'I guess if you really want to we can go." Which means, "I know  you've already made up your mind and if I don't go along with this I'll get pained sighing from you all weekend."

Ummmm, yes I really want to spend two days of my life at the largest and best antique in the WORLD. Poor Chad had no idea what he was in for. You think he would have realized that the same person who can spend 3 hours in a Target store would probably lose her mind in series of farmer's fields turned flea market booths.

And I did. By the time we got to Brimfield bright and early on Saturday morning (after a drive on Friday night that was much longer than 5 hours and 33 minutes) I was practically jumping out the truck while it was still moving. Even though it rained on and off on Saturday and was blazing hot on Sunday it really was worth the drive (for me at least). It really had everything you could want in a flea market/antique show. A lot of the dealers mentioned that it was a particularly quiet show- both in terms of crowds and items available- which was hard to believe considering it took us a day and half to see everything. I had also been afraid of everything being too expensive but I think because it was near the end of the show (it started on Wednesday and we got there for the last two days-Saturday and Sunday) dealers were ready to bargin. There was also a mix of really high-end looking booths decorated like curated storefronts and then other 'junk' booths (as Chad would say). So priced varied from 'way more than I would ever pay' to 'not a bad deal'.

Chad really should win the award for 'Best Heterosexual Male Brimfield Companion' as he managed to keep his complaining to a minimum and carried all of my finds back to the truck. He even helped score some pretty cool stuff. 

One of the stranger displays

I wanted everything in this booth but it was very expensive

These chairs were beautiful but around $1300 each, which isn't really unreasonable just out of my price range

Where's Waldo?

And then we started the drive home- with a quick stop in Target and Trader Joe's

The front view

The back view

Want to see what I ended up getting? Well obviously the 10 foot bingo sign from the 1950s, I mean duh.... and let me tell you there was nothing better than unloading a 200lbs sign after a day of driving in 35 degree weather with no air conditioning. Still totally worth it. I mean it even lights up! Welcome to our bingo parlour. I can't wait to hang it in the living room of our new place. Unless it's too wide and that would be funny (the kind of funny where I cry).

The bingo sign in all its lit up glory

70s vinyl goodness

A  school house electric fixture from an actual 1950s school house 

A vintage demijohn that will be losing the woven basket ASAP

A dressmakers model

A box of emergency drinking water from 1953 (don't worry we don't plan on drinking it just making a display-although the guy we bought it from told us a friend of his drank one and said it tasted fine and he didn't die)

For Chad

For my dressing room

Whew...so that about wraps up the summary of the 'Best Weekend of My Life'. I would wholeheartedly recommend Brimfield to anyone who even has a remote interest in vintage/antiques or old junk. Apparently the first show in May is the best one, as dealers still have a lot more stock and the weather is cooler, although it is suppose to be crowded. I think I may want to visit Brimfield next May for the opening day....you hear that Chad? I MAY want to.