Mix one-part flea market, toss in some high-end china and silver, sprinkle in some Chinese repros, add seasoned sellers, and first-time vendors; now combine with a few thousand treasure-hunters and you have the Brimfield Antique Show.  It’s all that and more.

The well-known show is held in the middle of southern Massachusetts three times a year, with the May show billed as the largest (others are during the summer and fall).  It rained the two days we attended. And, it was cold; in the 40s. We arrived a little after 8 AM on Saturday morning and had a few hours before the downpour began. Almost immediately, we saw some interesting glasses that my friend contemplated and didn’t buy.  Later she regretted her decision. They say at Brimfield “buy it when you see it.” Show officials say that because they are warning the item might sell, but I maintain you will probably never find the booth again.

The event takes over the small town of Brimfield with various show organizers occupying fields throughout the town. Not all shows are open all days and you should navigate the less-than-wonderful websites in advance to get the details. Tents of all sizes offer some protection from the elements, but steady rain did cause quite a few vendors to pack up early and abandon ship. Be prepared to walk; we covered almost six miles in a day.

While it was still dry we literally wandered into the middle of a taping for an HGTV show.  There was Lara Spencer (also from Good Morning America) taping her Flea Market Flip show (catch it on HGTV Fridays at 9 PM).

One nice surprise was the quality of the food.  It’s an outdoor collection of booths and trucks – but everything we had was good. The lobster roll, chowder, and roast beef we tried were prepared freshly and were delicious. Our first day, we hiked back to the car so we could eat in a dry, warm location.

There is a lot of furniture and items that would be great in a yard or on a patio. We only purchased small items since we had planes to board.  For others without easy transport, there are packing/shipping options conveniently located throughout.

Our second day was still very cold and muddy, but the rain held off and made for a much better experience. Throughout both days we enjoyed conversations with the many vendors we met. One of my favorites was the fun-loving couple selling items from unclaimed storage units.  And yes, they had been on A&E’s Storage Wars TV show.

We learned about some interesting items, bought a few small treasures of our own and most of all, had fun.

If you go:

Next 2018 shows are July 10-15 and September 6-9.

www.brimfield show.com

Download the app: Brimfield Flea Finder

The closest town of note with hotels is Sturbridge, MA; we found nice accommodations in nearby Stonebridge at the Stonebridge Conference Center.