Bitten by the Brimfield Bug

First let me quote the Brimfield Fair flyer:

“Since 1959, Brimfield, Massachusetts has been the Antique and Collectable Capital of the United States. Today, there are 21 independent shows and thousands of dealers.”

Wow!  Can I just say WOW again?!?  I have never ever in my life seen so many antiques and collectibles in one place.  There were people, cars and treasures everywhere.  Fields and fields full of dealers and sellers.

Loved this sign outside of one of the tents

My aim was to get to Brimfield at 8am, but the rain and the traffic didn’t cooperate for that.  Many of the lots were already full when we got there at 9, but we got a great parking space in the heart of it all.  Bundled up in rain gear (I even wore my 6 year old’s baseball cap!), my mom and I were ready to brave the elements to seek out some treasures.

I saw this sweet little car and immediately thought of my little Conor – 2 going on 16.  He would have loved if I picked this sweet motor up for him!

There were all kinds of treasures: beautiful pieces of furniture, grain sacks, antique linens, pocket watches, estate jewelry, antique bottles, type setters trays filled with letters, huge zinc letters, lights that came from ABC circa the 50s and the list doesn’t end there.  On top of that there was just so much great energy.  People so excited to be there with their friend, their hubby, their kids (or like me, I was so happy to be there with my mom).

I loved these lights:

This space was really cool.  They had a lot of industrial finds mixed with beach chic.  The lights were strung up with twine and then balanced on piping.  I thought that would be a cool look in our kitchen.  I also loved those mirrors.  Aren’t they gorgeous?

We came across these beautiful purple glass bottles:

These bottles actually started out clear, but the magnesium in them mixed with sunlight has turned them a beautiful and vibrant purple.  They’d look gorgeous on a window ledge by a kitchen sink!

I picked up this beautiful, blue Ball Jar for $2.  A bargain I thought!

Then I saw this sweet little paddle.  Of course, it is just waiting for some Annie Sloan Chalk Paint:

vintage wooden oar

My mom found this incredible mirror, hand-made in Stow, Massachusetts with shells that had been collected from around the world.  You can see John watching TV in the background.  I’ve been wanting a shell mirror for quite some time.  I thought my mom was buying it for herself, but she gave it to me as a gift when we got back from Brimfield.  I LOVE it and it looks perfect in our living room.

Here’s a close up of the shells:

It is so rich with the colors of the sea – blues, greens, pinks and whites.  I love all the sand dollars.  Such a beautiful gift and a wonderful way to remember our first trip to Brimfield!

As I mentioned yesterday, I was hoping for a pie safe.  I spent the 6+ hours in the rain trying to find the perfect one.  There were so many pie safes!  I saw this really great one from Iowa that was painted black and had an amazing red shining through.  The hinges were beautiful, but it wasn’t the size I was looking for.  Then I found a cupboard (very rustic, probably from the 1800s) that had chippy white paint which would have worked for the space, but wouldn’t fit in the car.  Oh, well.  I’ll just have to hunt some more, which isn’t a bad thing!

I’m already plotting and planning my next trip to Brimfield and I’m hoping I’ll have a truck by next time! (Huge hint to my hubby, not like he needs one!)