A good-sized crowd streamed through the entrance at Hertans Field for the noon opening Wednesday.
Review & Onsite Photos by Andrea Valluzzo, Carly Timpson & Kiersten Busch
BRIMFIELD, MASS. — It takes more than rain to thwart die-hard antiquers. The 2026 Brimfield Antique Flea Markets season kicked off Tuesday, May 12, with a sunny and mild day, but Wednesday and Thursday both saw heavy rain. No matter the weather, buyers simply threw on ponchos or wielded umbrellas while dealers covered delicate wares with plastic sheeting. The buying continued full steam ahead to quench the appetites of buyers who had “suffered” the long winter season since the last Brimfield Week edition last September.
Fields were filled with buyers bargain-hunting and looking for special items for their collections, ranging from smalls to oversized items. Having staggered openings, the 20+ fields that set up along Route 20 for the flea market extravaganza offered a new shopping experience every day, with at least one field opening up each day Tuesday through Saturday. Even antiques shops out of Brimfield proper got in on the act, such as Antiques at Wintergarden Farm, whose barn is typically open only by appointment but had special hours the weekend leading up to the flea market’s opening and immediately after.
Brimfield Meadows
It’s not hard to see why Ron Haring (Plano, Ill.) is called “The Victrola Man.” —Brimfield Meadows.
Run by Klia Ververidis Crisafulli with Brimfield Antique Shows (BAS), Brimfield Meadows (formerly Black Swan) opened at 6 am on Tuesday, May 12 and ran through Sunday May 17. The field featured diverse offerings, including Midcentury Modern furniture, pop culture collectibles, Asian antiques and vintage phonographs.
The phonographs and related accessories such as needles and a few pieces of collectible merchandise were with Ron Haring. Based in Plano, Ill., Haring is known as “The Victrola Man” to those in the phonograph-collecting circle, and he has been selling at Brimfield for 20 years now. As we walked through his booth, he called out, “Let me know if you want to hear any of them — they all work!” Following up with him, he noted that he is “pretty picky” about what he buys, typically opting for pieces that are already in good condition, but he can restore them if needed. Despite his nickname, the selection in his booth was not limited to Victrolas. Other examples included Criterion, Zon-O-Phone, Regina, Columbia Disc Graphophone and Polyphon.
On the other end of the dealing spectrum, Jonathan William Home, from West Hartford, Conn., had a large booth filled with a vast assortment of antiques. William calls himself a vintage curator, auction manager and noted that much of his business is done through Etsy, where he is a top seller in the vintage category. In his second year selling at Brimfield, he knew to be more prepared with a wide range of items to speak to every kind of shopper. Exhibiting that, he had large furniture, European art, glassware, textiles, lighting, woven baskets and needleworks.
Based in West Hartford, Conn., second-year vendor Jonathan William Home was “curating the vintage lifestyle” in his booth. —Brimfield Meadows.
Lydia Meade of Old Modern Market, Woodbury, Conn., was setting up at Brimfield Meadows for the first time. She brought a lot of smalls and trinket-type items, but early on day one she had already sold several larger pieces, including an Asian screen and a mink coat. Though her booth cleared out as the week progressed — “started full, ended grateful,” she said — the day one setup was thoughtfully arranged. When you first walked into her booth, you would likely notice the large leather-wrapped leopard perched atop a cabinet, overlooking a table of glass and a rack of vintage clothing. She had a center aisle table covered with crystal, pottery and brass items, and art hung all along the walls. In the end, Meade reported having an extremely successful show, saying she beat her selling goal and will be back at this field for the September edition.
Collins Apple Barn
This Black Forest bear umbrella stand and carved foo dog welcomed visitors into the booth of Swinging Bridge Auction (Huntington, Mass.). —Collins Apple Barn.
While the field — or parking lot, rather — of dealers was smaller than what you may find at other Brimfield stops, those who made their way to the Collins Apple Barn Antique Show were treated to quality over quantity. From jewelry to antiques, art to hardware, pop culture collectibles to a hot meal, anyone could find something here. As the organizers said, this field offered “a quaint country setting, outstanding dealer community and a full-service on-site restaurant for your convenience.” Many folks walking down Palmer Road looking for a snack that wasn’t from a truck found themselves in line at Apple Barn Café, which was serving a special menu of breakfast, lunch and baked goods for the duration of the show. Of course, the stream of Brimfield visitors walking to the café through the parking lot meant there were ample opportunities for dealers to show off their wares, resulting in great foot traffic for the duration of the show, which ran the whole extended week, May 12-17.
While walking through, we spoke with the team at Swinging Bridge Auction, which had the largest booth at the show. Owner David Baillargeon said they have been attending Brimfield for about 60 years, though they’ve taken a few off. Underneath Swinging Bridge’s expansive function tent, one could find everything from large stained glass windows to postcards, model cars to a Black Forest umbrella stand and an early box camera. If you took a walk further back, a few select items were set up within their U-Haul truck, including a 14-foot-long alligator skin displayed across the truck’s ramp and a trio of sculptural horse heads.
Julie, no last name given, was selling jewelry and had a very excited stream of customers the whole time we were in her booth. Her offerings were dominated by Betsy Johnson brooches in fun animal shapes, vibrant colored bangles, beaded necklaces with jeweled pendants. She did have some more subtle and classic pieces such as sterling silver rings and pins.
Dealer’s Choice
The Dealer’s Choice pavilion was filled mostly with jewelry and silver, though some photography, clothing and art dealers set up booths under cover as well.
Opening at 11 am on day one — and only for one day — Dealer’s Choice was a clear indicator of the direction of today’s trends. What used to be a large field, lush with antiques, has slowly been taken over by vintage and second-hand clothing sellers. Still, jewelry, art and furniture have their place, and loyal collectors come to visit those dealers.
The management at Dealer’s Choice is welcome to this change, as it invites a new wave of shoppers to the field who may not have come in previous years. Leading up to the event, the promoters highlighted some of their sellers on social media, attempting to appeal to this crowd. One such dealer was Minneapolis-based Kristi Stratton of Hunt & Gather. Stratton comes from a family of antiques lovers, so her booth meshed the new wave with more classic pieces. For this show, Hunt & Gather brought clothing from workwear to lingerie and hung the selections on racks bordering tables filled with various antique and vintage goods, like unique signage, Raggedy Ann dolls, children’s books, magazines, postcards, artwork, packaged crayons, pennants, buttons and many other smalls.
Co-owner Jamil Rashad took care to measure the jacket of a three-piece suit to make sure it was the right fit for the interested buyer. Westdale Vintage, Fayetteville, N.C. —Dealer’s Choice.
Also traveling to show at Brimfield and making the last-minute decision to set up at Dealer’s Choice was Westdale Vintage, owned by Michelle Clark and Jamil Rashad. Based in Fayetteville, N.C., the dealers specialize in high-quality vintage clothing and accessories sourced from the original owners. Unlike many of the “t-shirt guys” who have come to sell at Brimfield, Rashad emphasized the importance of the stories behind the pieces rather than just picking through piles of clothes, noting that the best part of the job for him is getting to know the clients and learning where the pieces have been. To that point, care and quality are at the center of their shop, as exemplified by Rashad taking the time to measure a three-piece suit for an interested buyer, ensuring that it would be the right fit. When we checked in with them a few hours after opening, Clark shared that the show was going great and people were actively buying jewelry, handbags and couture.
While other shows had to contend with the unsavory weather as the week progressed, the one-day event at Dealer’s Choice was timed just right and the crows showed up to take it all in.
New England Motel
This circa 1920 Weller hosta leaf jardinière in matte green was a highlight from Pat’s Pots (Westport, Mass.), along with Japanese woodblock prints and fine art. —New England Motel.
Buying began early Wednesday morning at New England Motel, one of the longest-running shows at the Brimfield Antique Flea Markets. Eagerly anticipating the 6 am opening, crowds gathered at several gated entrances to make a mad dash to their booths of choice.
Making our way down the long aisles, we noted there was something for everyone, from vintage clothing and jewelry to furniture, china and glassware, to toys and more. One dealer filled their booth with rows of colorful wicker baskets while others focused on decorative arts. Pat’s Pots (Westport, Mass.) featured not only pots from Rookwood, Weller and more, they also stocked Japanese woodblock prints. Highlights among the latter included “Rapids on the Nakabusa River” by Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950) and Kawase Hasui’s “Meguro Fudo Temple.”
Fine designer and estate jewelry, as well as costume pieces, are plentiful on this field, but good pieces don’t last long, getting plucked by buyers quickly. Chunky necklaces in the booth of Nellatiques (Leominster, Mass.) vied for attention with delicate pieces from the nearby Fine Jewelry by Pamela (Rochester, Mich.).
Despite a steady drizzle, energy was high and buyers were quite enthusiastic. One hand lettered chalkboard sign, spotted outside a dealers’ booth said it all: “Come On In / We Make Great Deals.”
Heart-O-The-Mart
Due to the rain and the size of the crowd that was waiting — so large it nearly spilled into the road — the gates opened up a few minutes early Wednesday morning at Heart-O-The-Mart.
Typically, the gates for Heart-O-The-Mart open Wednesday at 9 am sharp, but after back-and-forth between the gate attendants and the show office, the decision was made to open a few minutes early due to the size of the crowd gathered in front of the gate, which was spilling into the main road where vehicle traffic posed a danger.
As soon as the gates opened, a steady stream of buyers descended onto the field with the crowd taking several minutes to dissipate.
The offerings were diverse. There were Susan Oates’ (Huntington, N.Y.) garden sculpture and antiques. As we were photographing a pair of stone urns in her booth, another dealer nearby told us that Oakes’ sculpture by Berthold “Tex” Schiwetz was “a really good piece.” For buyers looking for garden accents, The Village Braider (Plymouth, Mass.) also had pieces to choose from, including a trio of stone cherubs on pedestals.
“Earth Watcher” by the late Texas sculptor Berthold “Tex” Schiwetz was a standout in the booth of Susan Oates, Huntington, N.Y. —Heart-O-The-Mart.
Tobin’s Treasures (Springfield, Mass.) filled a booth with vintage video games, toys and more. Two displays flanking the entrance of his tented booth were set up with Halloween decorations on one side and Christmas on the other.
If one was looking for larger-than-life items, the booth of Obnoxious Antiques (Florence, N.J.) was a must-see. Large circus broadsides and oversized character displays are often seen with them, and this recent show featured several oversized skeletons on display in front of the dealer’s tent.
Hertans Field
Show promoter Klia Ververidis Crisafulli (center) was walking around Hertans Field when an interviewer caught up with her shortly after opening.
Opening up just as the rains were slowing down Wednesday, buyers queued up at the entrance gate for the noon show opening at Hertans Field, run by BAS’s Ververidis Crisafulli. She was easy to spot walking around the field, checking in on her dealers and buyers, while attired in a bright red jacket as part of a ringmaster-inspired outfit that was complete with a tall hat emblazoned “Brimfield Antiques Shows.”
Vintage clothing remains a favorite collecting category, and within minutes of the opening, several buyers were seen with their arms already holding up piles of clothing as they dashed to grab what they liked before others could.
The food court across the road always has plenty to choose from, but buyers needing to take a minute to rest or quench their thirst found the beer garden run by Timber Yard Brewing a welcome respite.
Vintage handbags are the stock in trade for Joy Susan, New Britain, Conn. —Hertans Field.
After opening, booths were quickly filled with buyers and the traffic remained steady throughout the afternoon and the remainder of the week. Unaparts (Bethany, Conn.)found its vintage toys and sports pennants attracting much interest, while Joy Susan, (New Britain, Conn.) was drawing in shoppers with her vintage handbags.
May’s Antique Market
Despite large puddles and a torrential downpour, May’s Antique Market operates “Rain or Shine,” as posted on the field’s website.
Although the start of Brimfield Week opened with warm sunshine, the morning of May 14 saw heavy downpours, flooded fields and thousands of Brimfield shoppers suited up in layers of rain gear, including coats, hats, ponchos and myriad colorful umbrellas. The rain didn’t stop the loyal buyers at May’s Antique Market, however, who lined up in droves down Palmer Road before the field’s 9 am opening.
The best part about May’s is the show’s unique opening style, which allows everyone an equal opportunity at finding something fresh and one-of-a-kind. One of the oldest shows at Brimfield, since 1977, its slogan “At May’s, everyone’s an early buyer!” was still in full effect, with dealers just beginning to set up as the bell rang and shoppers piled in for the morning rush, umbrellas and all.
Martha May, the field’s longtime head honcho, was tucked away, safe from the rain, in the field’s small office, answering the questions of curious collectors on opening day. “As you know, we had a very rainy opening, which was discouraging to say the least. For the dealers who showed up, the reports were very good. In fact, many said they had one of their best shows in a long time,” she shared after the show. “The dealers who opted out of Thursday came for Friday and Saturday and seemed to make up for their loss on Thursday. There were a lot of younger shoppers on Saturday, who had never been to Brimfield. Vintage clothing was definitely the draw for them.”
Jon Felz, New York City, is a longtime May’s Antiques Market dealer and subscriber to Antiques and The Arts Weekly. “I deal in everything from high end jewelry to fine art, guns, silver, autographs and antique coins,” he explained. He was proud to show off his Art Nouveau dragonfly brooch, which was awaiting its new buyer, who had stepped off to withdraw cash for the purchase. Felz laughed, “When you get great stuff like this, you’re kind of sorry that it sells!”
May added, “On another note, there is growing confusion regarding the world-famous Brimfield Antique Shows in Brimfield, Mass., versus the trademarked Brimfield Antique Shows, which take place in various states beyond the city limits of Brimfield. I am forever taking calls from people who are confused and find myself having to explain the difference.”
As May observed, this year, the younger audience was stronger than ever. From elementary-aged children attending with their collector parents, to teenaged and young adult thrifters and dealers, May’s saw an uptick in vintage clothing booths, as has been the trend in the last few years. In addition, there were many more gold, silver and costume/estate jewelry sellers present, if buyers were hoping to secure some last-minute jewels for their mothers, wives, sisters or otherwise before Mother’s Day on the 24th of the month.
Buyers flocked to Granby, Mass.-based The Gold Standard, which advertised “Cash Paid For Gold, Silver, Coins, Watches.” This particular table in the large booth was offering “Vintage jewelry, watches, belt buckles, $10.” —May’s Antique Market.
While there is no denying buyers at May’s are incredibly loyal, so are the dealers. The field’s website even touts, “May’s loyal base of dealers sign up months in advance to secure their space on the field, many doing so for over 40 years.” One of those loyal dealers is Roland Morgan, based in Rhode Island, who has been selling at May’s for approximately 45 years. When this reporter asked why, he simply explained, “The treasure hunt keeps me coming back every time.” Morgan specializes in garden wares and items in the “Newport elegant” style.
Weekend Warrior Show
Esotericana, Dover, N.H. —Weekend Warrior Show.
It’s been said that Brimfield is dead by the weekend, but the heavy traffic — both car and pedestrian — Saturday afternoon proved that was anything but the case. Buyers who hadn’t had the chance to come during the workweek, as well as those who wanted just one more pass through the show fields, made for a crowded affair as shopping extended well into the weekend.
Taking advantage of this, Ververidis Crisafulli added another antiques show Saturday: the Weekend Warrior Show, which filled in booths on the Hertans Field from dealers who left on Friday. Among the dealers was Ooh La La Boutique out of West Hartford, Conn., which marked the dealer’s first time having a focused booth of jewelry. “My collection was begun by my mother-in-law, and I have been collecting in earnest since she died; she’d be delighted with what it’s become! I showed primitive and folk art at Brimfield many years ago, but this was the first time I was there for the jewelry,” said Laura J. Shafer. Although customers were enthusiastic about her displays, she reported that sales were a bit off. “All the same, Hertans was a super friendly field with a chance encounter with an old friend who was likewise exhibiting and neighbors who were generous in helping me carry heavy stuff.”
The next edition of the Brimfield Antique Flea Markets will be July 14-19. For more information, www.brimfieldantiquefleamarket.com.
