There are still permanent signs to mark the antiques trail through Brimfield but ones with QR codes are becoming an ever-present sign of the times.

Review & Onsite Photos by Madelia Hickman Ring, Carly Timpson, Kiersten Busch & Z.G. Burnett

BRIMFIELD, MASS. — Regular shoppers to the thrice-annual Brimfield Antique Flea Markets know to dress for any weather extreme — from scorching heat to torrential rains to gale-force winds — so the picture-perfect weather enjoyed for most of the week of September 2-7 was an ideal way to cap the Brimfield Antique Flea Markets’ 2025 season — it’s 66th since Gordon Reid conducted the first flea market in 1959. Digital media has helped launch the event into greater orbit and draw new buyers and sellers to each edition, but a small-town vibe persists, not least in the men and women who help field owners by manning the gates, keeping order ahead of show openings and making sure buyers can get their purchases safely stowed; we show some of them in these pages. 

Dealer’s Choice

When the gates for the Dealer’s Choice field opened at 11 am on Tuesday, September 2, shoppers were lined up down the street, with many joining in after attending the earlier openings of other fields.

Whether you wanted an old slot machine, a jukebox, rugs, advertising or jewelry, David Stark had you covered. The Springfield, Ill., dealer, who has been selling at Brimfield since 1984, noted that he’d sold quite a bit of gold and silver jewelry, as well as some good advertising signs right after the Dealer’s Choice field opened.

As trends change and collectors of different ages rotate through, what’s seen as popular nostalgia change, too. This reporter noticed that this season’s boom favored Snoopy and other characters from Charles Schulz’s Peanuts. Many dealers with vintage clothing had Snoopy t-shirts, one had a Snoopy suitcase and others still had Snoopy banks. Conor Howard-Rose and Janna Powell are Highpoint Vintage, based in Cape Cod, Mass. The duo was right on-trend with their racks of vintage clothing and a table full of ephemeral goods. Also on that table, they displayed a Snoopy-shaped pillow, several “Joe Cool” textiles and a circa 1970s flat sheet featuring Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy and Linus was being used as a tablecloth for their display.

Maya Messoriano, who is Minds Eye Vintage, also had Snoopy in stock. She brought several felt pennant calendars featuring Snoopy and his best friend, Woodstock. The Easton, Penn., dealer also brought her own furry best friend, who was curled up under a table displaying vintage glasses, baggies of dice, turquoise rings, pins, photographs and other ephemera. When we asked how the day was going, Messoriano shared, “God, I love it out here. It’s my favorite place to be.” She added, “There are some pretty well-versed shoppers here, so it’s good to have anything unique. People have seen a lot, so it takes a lot to impress them.” As we were talking, a young man quickly purchased a tattered drop cloth and went on his way.

Amy Hazam (left) and Crystal Gitchell (right), both from Virginia, just outside Washington, DC, were selling at Brimfield for the first time. Though they have separate companies, they shared a booth. Hazam is Vintage Swank, specializing in “men’s and women’s wearables from the 1940s-70s — stuff you can dance in!” Gitchell, Marchioness, considers her goods to be “vintage womenswear for the die-hard collector or costumer.” —Dealer’s Choice.

Across from Messoriano were Cathy McLaurin and John Osoiro-Buck of Labor and Glean. The North Carolina-based dealers, like many around them, had racks of vintage clothing. However, they kept things a little more traditional by also including antique furniture and estate finds. Their website states, “Labor and Glean scouts and returns wonderful broken things into circulation. Traveling between New England and rural North Carolina, we dig the dark corners of life’s dust-filled cabinet to unearth the mended, the make-do, the well-worn and the exquisite.” McLaurin reported, “We’ve sold a few small furniture pieces and a lot of great stuff out of a farm in North Carolina, all from the 40s and 50s, and made of tin.”

Another dealer who recently acquired a selection of estate items was Mark Terry, who noted he was having “a really good show.” Terry, who owns Sycamore Tag Sales & Auction Services in Long Island, N.Y., was excited to share his offerings from the estate of Henry Fitz, Jr (1808-1863), a pioneer in photography, specifically the daguerreotype.

This large American flag came from the Long Island, N.Y., estate of Henry Fitz, Jr. It was offered by Mark Terry, Sycamore Yard, Tag Sale & Auction Services. —Dealer’s Choice.

Lately, we’ve been hearing that gold and silver prices are up, and those products are doing well at antiques shows and auctions. Father-and-son duo Solomon and Matt Azaraev could attest to that. The Red Bank, N.J., dealers specialize in estate jewelry, coins and watches, and had plenty of fine pieces to offer, some of which were in their original cases, including several silver items by Tiffany & Company and a few Tag Heuer watches.

New England Motel

Three fields opened on Wednesday, September 3, the earliest of which — New England Motel — throws open its gates at 6 am. While we were not there quite that early, lots of shoppers were, and when we got there at 7:30, we were met with plenty of people leaving with overflowing carts.

On the left is Mark DeSantis, with Steve Skowyra, a member of the family that owns the field. They were manning the main gate and said traffic in the first few hours had been “almost as busy as May.” —New England Motel.

Jeff Conway is Erstwhile Modern out of New York City and he started showing at Brimfield in May 2022. In the past, he has brought furniture, but for this edition, he focused on framed art and “smalls,” both of which he said were “selling well.”

The July 2025 edition was the first for Mikey, no last name offered, who returned for his second show with crystals, clothing and some holiday tea light holders he was selling as Wormtown Trading Co. The Worcester, Mass., native said they’ve previously done “lots of shows and festivals, including Woodstock.”

Hailing from Atlanta, Hilary Eiseman is The Purse Lady; she does the Marburger Farm Antique Show in Roundtop, Texas, Scott Antique Market in Atlanta and Cashiers Antique Show in Cashiers, N.C., but has not previously participated in Brimfield as either a buyer or seller. Friends who show in Brimfield convinced her to give it a try, and she told Antiques and The Arts Weekly, “I thought the overall experience was excellent. It gave me a different customer base and a new perspective on what to bring for next time. It’s definitely different than any other shows that I do.”

First-time Brimfield vendor Hilary Eiseman, The Purse Lady, came from Atlanta to set up at New England Motel.

By 8:30 am, Lori Frandino reported selling a baker’s dozen rugs, including one of her best, a circa 1890 East Caucasian Shirvan rug that had animals and a rare light blue outer border.

Heart-O-The-Mart

Three hours after the first fields opened on Wednesday, Heart-O-The-Mart and Don and Pam Moriarty followed with their 9 am start time. Three gates ushered in the usual rush of buyers and the “sold out” field was soon crowded with browsers.

Heart-O-The-Mart’s west side gatekeepers and parking lot attendees were, from left, Rich Longhi, Paul Niejadlik, Jean Mitchell and Jason Burgener. This photo was snapped with more than 90 minutes to go before the field opened, when dozens of shoppers had lined up.

It is not unusual for news crews to be spotted at Brimfield, with The Antiques Roadshow, Flea Market Flip, Market Warriors, American Pickers and even Martha Stewart going before the camera to help show what can be bought — and sold — there. Add to that list host and realtor Aimee Kelly, who was filming a spot for The American Dream TV. We caught the crew filming the line outside Heart-O-The-Mart and again on the field, once it opened.

There’s no question that social media and other digital streaming outlets have helped give Brimfield greater visibility. A downside of that are people taking photos of merchandise, posting it online and selling it before they’ve purchased it from the vendor. One dealer called our attention to this alarming trend, which we hope dealers can help nip in the bud.

An unidentified New England Motel shopper perused the wares of Michael Marino, who has been doing Brimfield for three years. Vintage Marino, Rhode Island.

Ryan Matthew Cohn of Westport, Conn., and New York City, had a wonderful selection of things, including a pair of Sixteenth or Seventeenth Century chairs he’d acquired from an Upper West Side apartment, a pair of Nineteenth Century urns, an Eighteenth Century polychromed birdcage and an Eighteenth Century Spanish chest.

Brimfield Antique Shows (formerly Hertan’s)

Astute Brimfield shoppers who go on Wednesday know to pace themselves if they have an early start, because the third field that opens that day doesn’t do so until noon. Located at the intersection of Main Street (Route 20) and Mill Lane Road is Brimfield Antique Shows, the field formerly (and still affectionately) called “Hertan’s.” By 11 am, a steadily growing crowd had formed as it usually does, and when field owner Klia Ververidis Crisafulli, colorfully dressed in a sparkling coat and ringleader’s hat, rang the bell from behind the wheel of a moving golf cart, impatient buyers raced to their booths of choice.

Klia Ververidis Crisafulli, shown second from right in the sparkly coat, is diligent about not letting shoppers in to the Brimfield Antique Show field (formerly Hertan’s) before noon, no matter how eager waiting shoppers get.

The more you looked at two large panels, colorfully collaged with photos, magazine clippings and graphic art, the more you saw: a black and white photo of a pregnant woman wearing a tiara and sash that red “Miss American 1961,” an image of Titian’s Venus of Urbino wearing a Women’s Lib t-shirt, a black bowler cap with the word “Disorientation” pasted over the front, a score card that said “World: 42, Freaks 0” and a clipped out headline that read “Higher Education For What?” Matt Greig discovered them in a house in Cleveland.

“Eclectic” was the right word to describe the things in Aaron Buell’s booth. The Dover, N.H., dealer displayed a folky Ouija board with breadboard ends with a large white-painted crucifix and a small pine wall box with glass front dominated the table at the center of his booth while an unusual contraption on three iron wheels and a triangular frame had a goat’s body slung with wooden stirrups was placed next to a modern “Visit Mt. Agassiz” sign.

The two best Steiff pieces with Charles Guinipero, Pantry Box Antiques, Stafford Springs. Conn. —Brimfield Antique Shows.

Charles Guinipero, Pantry Box Antiques, brought a tremendous amount of things from a recent Connecticut house call, including his best things: two Victorian Steiff bears he showed in an old lantern to protect them.

May’s Antique Market

Clear skies and warm sun greeted all who lined up on the morning of Thursday, September 4, before the 9am opening of May’s Antique Market. The sunny weather reflected the cheery demeanors of the eager shoppers in the constantly growing line for the popular Brimfield destination, which was open through the week’s end on September 6. Customers of all ages made up the crowd, from experienced veterans on the scene, to the newer thrifty millennial crowd, to young children accompanying their parents. Many “good lucks” were exchanged just before the gates opened, when the façade of calm and collected began to crumble, and shoppers rushed forward, carts, bikes and feet all rushing into the expansive field to find the perfect pick.

The beautiful weather brought buyers out in droves to May’s Antique Market, where foot (and bike) traffic was steady throughout the morning and into the afternoon.

As always, dealers at May’s were only allowed to begin unpacking their wares at exactly 9am to give everyone the opportunity to be an early buyer, a long-honored tradition on the field since 1977. Vintage clothes have continued their upward trend, as well as jewelry, advertisement and fine art, all of which was in abundance throughout the field. It was also the destination for all things furniture — from comfortable chairs to unique cabinets and Persian rugs, May’s had it all.

One of several popular jewelry dealers at May’s, Nathan Koldys, Litchfield, Conn., was attracting attention from buyers due to his unique offerings, including an 18K gold, emerald and sapphire Aesop’s Fables brooch, a Barry Kieselstein cord and a sword-form diamond, ruby and sapphire hairpin. Koldys, an expert in fine and high-end costume jewelry, has been dealing at May’s on-and-off for the past 20 years.

This 18K gold, emerald and sapphire brooch was modeled after the Aesop’s Fables tale of The Fox and the Grapes. It was one of Litchfield, Conn., dealer Nathan Koldys’ favorite items; he also had a Barry Kieselstein cord with skulls and a diamond, ruby and sapphire hairpin shaped like a sword. —May’s Antiques Market.

Although not a first timer, it was Dave Springer’s first time selling at May’s in 18 years. Recently retired, the Stratford, Conn., dealer previously worked as an antiques dealer for more than 30 years. “Business has been brisk!” he reported, around an hour and a half into the morning. To prove his point, a customer came up and bought a dagger from him while we were speaking.

Brimfield Auction Acres

Buyers sprinted into Brimfield Auction Acres when it opened on Friday, September 5, matching vendors’ ever-present eager energy to sell and buy, themselves. There were many familiar faces among the dealers’ booths alongside a number of first-time sellers, and the majority of these had healthy sales by noon. One newcomer excitedly reported a $6,000 profit within 10 minutes of opening. Repeat dealers can be relied upon for consistent quality and variety, and their inventories are never the same twice. Auction Acres is known for hosting specialist dealers, attracting serious customers who are well aware that access to their goods is well worth the entrance fee.

Half an hour before opening, the Brimfield Auction Acres’ admission line was halfway to the sidewalk.

Paul Norton of Terryville, Conn., exemplified this standard with his display of antique and vintage trunks, each in excellent condition and with their own stories to share. Norton owns and operates the Hartco Showroom in Plymouth, Conn., which he also describes as his “mini museum.” A leading authority on antique luggage and travel articles, Norton was more than generous with his time and knowledge about every single piece that he brought, emphasizing those made to commemorate the 1876 Centennial. “I’m preparing for next year,” he said with a smile in reference to the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence.

Paul Norton, Hartco Trunks Showroom, Terryville, Conn., presented this pristine Martin Maier Centennial trunk as his booth’s centerpiece. —Brimfield Auction Acres.

The 2026 Brimfield Antique Flea Market will take place May 12-17, July 14-19, and September 8-13. For additional information, www.brimfieldantiquefleamarket.com.