Three times a year people come from all over the country to visit the Brimfield Antique Show in Brimfield, MA where over 6,000 antique dealers haul their wares for everyone to see. I try to attend as many of these shows as possible and am so excited to be going to Brimfield next week! 

This fair has absolutely everything you can imagine from high end antique furniture to fabulously rusty architectural salvage (and everything in between). It's so much fun chatting with the individual dealers and listening to their stories about how they got started and hearing about the history of their goods.

I usually try to plan out a strategy before I get there as it is completely overwhelming. There is literally one full miles' worth of stuff to browse. This year I'm hoping to find some vintage seltzer bottles and printer trays. Many of our clients have asked us to keep an eye out for old doors and windows. You never know what you'll find, but if you're a treasure hunter like I am, you're always on the lookout for that diamond in the ruff :)

What a fun day we had at Brimfield! Although it was a sweltering 92 degrees, the antique dealers did not disappoint. This was my first time attending the July show and I was amazed at how uncrowded it was! I was told by some of the veterans that the attendance is lightest in July due to the heat. This, coupled with the fact that we went on a Friday and there were only two days left, helped us to score some major deals!

So loaded up with sunscreen, comfy shoes, lots of water and our trusty rolling cart (don't judge), we were off. Although at first glance it can appear to just be a swarm of tents and tables jumbled together, there actually IS a system to the place. There are 21 separate markets with staggering opening dates. We did our best to go in order and travel row by row, as to not miss any once-in-a-lifetime deals. But with the sun beating down, we got tired in a mere 4 hours and missed quite a bit of the vendors (we're usually rockstars at these types of events and last the entire day). We DID, however, score some great finds.

I was psyched to find an antique organ mantle which was very ornate and large for a mere $20, not to mention some very cool Indian wooden carved stamps, a vintage artists easel, some very old spools of wool and an antique tool caddy.

There really was everything you could possibly imagine from vintage clothing to antique tools to creepy clown statues. There are outrageously expensive items and dealers that offer $1 bargain tables, and EVERYTHING in between.

I think we will definitely return to the July show next year, even with the crazy heat. Did you attend the Brimfield show? If so, we'd love to see your finds. Just tag us on Instagram @gracefullyrestord. Happy bargain hunting!