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Date: 5/16/2022
BRIMFIELD – The Brimfield Flea Market is at times overwhelming. With literally hundreds of vendors selling a dizzying array of genuine antiques, collectibles and new items, it doesn’t take long for a person to find themselves simply not sure where to look.
The flea market, which describes itself as “the oldest outdoor antiques events running for over 50 years,” finished it first run of the year. The vendors will return this year July 12 to 17 and Sept. 6 to 11.
Spread along Route 20 in the center of the town, some of the fields where vendors set up camp have an admission fee, of $5 or $10, while others don’t. Some vendors have meticulously designed areas that allow potential shoppers a clear idea of what is the inventory. Others look as if someone emptied out an elderly relative’s attic and then dumped it onto the ground with little rhyme or reason.
It’s easy to see the wily vets who come to Brimfield. Those are the people who look like they are prepared for a 50-mile hike, which is probably how many miles they will walk during their visit. Many have backpacks and wear clothes they can easily take off when the afternoon becomes warm. They have water bottles affixed to a belt or snug in a pocket. Many have some sort of wheeled vehicle, ranging from a four-wheeled wagon to a suitcase on wheels.
Clearly these shoppers have an agenda. They know what they are seeking. For many, though, Brimfield is far less a market and far more a treasure hunt. And it offers people an opportunity to see items they normally wouldn’t.
Note there is no on-street parking for the market. There are many parking areas that charge $5 to $10 for parking. I chose the first one I saw as I entered the center of town.
I then started walking and looking. I think I covered a small fraction of the vendors. I was walking as fast as I could, scanning each tent for interesting items. One dealer told me the first day of the market was good for him and that people are not just looking, but buying.
I turn a corner in one field and see a magnificent vintage wood stove towering over me. I’ve never seen such a tall stove. Its owner is David Erickson of Littleton. He finds and restores cast iron wood stoves and has been coming to Brimfield for 38 years.
The stove in question came from the Community Hall in Hillsborough, NH, he explained. It was once the gathering point of that town, but when he bought the stove, the hall was owned by a single person who had kept the building intact.
He said the stove’s height was designed to heat buildings with tall ceilings.
The stove needed much restoration work and Erickson said that he took it apart, sandblasted all of the pieces and then, using a second stove of the same type he found in a junkyard, was able to restore it to its original grandeur.
The result was very impressive.
Walking around the market for this reporter was a treat until my bad knee started to scream. Luckily my hike was interrupted when I spotted a dealer in various paper items. “Do you have anything related to movies,” I asked. “Yes,” came the quick answer. I then went through several boxes of lobby cards and inserts, two forms of movie posters now long discontinued.
Yes, I found two items I “needed” at a very reasonable fee.
An additional stop was at a postcard dealer, another weakness of mine. I bought four antique cards, all of Springfield.
It was a successful hunt only brought to a close by time constraints and arthritis.
For additional information go to https://brimfieldantiquefleamarket.com.