Brimfield antique market has been on my bucket list for years! I took the time this year to head to Massachusetts with my great friend Deb from SeekingLavenderLane.com, she is an avid vintage hunter as well! We had such a blast hunting for treasures together in Brimfield and I can’t wait to share some of the highlights with you. I always look for vintage trends when shopping this kind of venue and I found some great trends for you to keep your eyes peeled for!
Unfortunately, our trip got cut short because I had to return home for some family business, but we had one glorious day to tromp through the booths and get the lay of the land. I hope I get to go back someday.
In case you are unfamiliar Brimfield Massachusetts is home of a HUGE antique fair that happens three times a year during May, July and September. They claim to be the oldest outdoor antiques flea market in the US. I don’t know all the history of Brimfield, but I know it is amazing. You will often see it on old episodes Flea Market Flip with Lara Spencer. It’s famous y’all!
We stayed at an adorable B&B that was about 30 minutes away, but that was fine by us. We loved catching up during the car ride. Plus the B&B was cute and affordable, so totally worth the drive! The house we stayed in was called The Lily House and you can see it here.
On our way to Brimfield I made Deb pull off and shop a church garage sale – those are some of my favorite hunting grounds and this one was super cute. They didn’t have a ton but we both found a few small treasures. (Wanna go thrift shopping with me more? Learn about The Salvaged Society HERE!)
Onward we went to Brimfield, it was easy to navigate and parking was a cinch. We were strolling the aisles in no time. Since I flew from Texas to Massachusetts I could only set my heart on things that would fit in the extra suitcase I packed. Deb was able to look at larger items because she drove up from her home in New Jersey.
While we shopped I keep my eyes open for trends, it is crazy how even vintage and antique items can go through a trend cycle. Sounds crazy, but it is true, you will see certain things have a hot moment and this is a list of what is happening right now! I saw the following items in multiple booths throughout the market!
- Outdoor Game Pieces – Entire games sets or just the pieces all sorts of fun vintage yard games were in full force. How cute would a bowl of croquet balls be on your coffee table?
- Fireplace Iron Ends – Heavy duty cast iron, brass and more, I saw these ALL OVER. I guess even your fireplace wants to look good! I am loving how pretty these decorative pieces were and think they could definitely have other uses in your decor.
- Flower Frogs – Maybe because these are a personal favorite and I have a stash of my own, but I saw plenty of these beauties. They are great for their intended purpose, but unique stacked on a table for a fun vignette.
Pop a picture in the spikey ones for a picture holder!
- Shaving Brushes – Sounds odd but I saw a bunch of these. I love that they could make a thoughtful gift for the guy in your life. Collect a bundle of them and display them in a group for a fun vintage feature.
- Wood Boxes – Perhaps this one never goes off the trend list.. I just felt like I saw A TON of charming wooden boxes throughout the fair. I would have grabbed many of them had I not been stifled by the size of my suitcase!
- Toile Trays – Breathtakingly beautiful toile trays are making a comeback and I couldn’t be more thrilled. My mom’s best friend collected them and they remind me of her so much. She was my first vintage collecting idol.
You can get in on the trend and use them in a gallery wall or plate rack, stack them on a coffee table or in the back of a bookcase. Any way you style them they are a winner. 
- Duck Decoys – Honestly bird in general were spotted all over the place. I saw TONS of duck decoys but swans were a frequent sighting as well. Statues, pictures, planters and more. Of course this animal lover is smitten with all decor animal related.
- Crystal – I am predicting a huge resurge of crystal. You are going to see it in serving pieces, vases, dinner ware and decor. I promise. It’s coming so dust off your old pretties and use them in a fresh new way.
- Trunks – Vintage trunks are a long time favorite of mine and I have a few sprinkled throughout the house. They make for great tables, stacking and storage. They were readily available and seemed to be at fair prices. They had gotten pretty expense some years back, but I was glad to see them at a decent cost again.
- Medicine Cabinets – I actually looked until I was ragged for a medicine cabinet at the Round Top Flea Market to no avail. But Brimfield. WOW – Y’all there were SO MANY and they were amazing.
These cabinets are beautiful to use in your bathroom or as a pretty wall hanging, table top decor or small space storage. Snag one of these for me please! I couldn’t but wanted to so bad! 
- Doctor’s Bags – Yep. Good old fashioned leather doctor bags where plentiful. I might have snagged one. I REALLY am on board with this trends. These old leather bags will look great in a bookcase or on a shelf, nestled by a chair or stacked by the door. A reminder of simpler days. LOVE!!!!
- Drying Racks – Oh My Word. These were EVERYWHERE. In all shapes and sizes and I could have carried them all home because they were beautiful not to mention useful.
I promise these stunners are on the rise and you will want to scoop one up while the gettin’ is good. Use them for fresh smelling linens, hang blankets or dish towels on them or use them to display a fun collection of your own. 
- Glass Knobs – In multiple booths I saw buckets and trays FULL of glass knobs, stoppers and pulls.
Door and cabinet hardware in all it’s shiny glory. A bowl full on a table or a home full of doors with vintage knobs – yes please! These gems are some serious eye candy.
- Wooden Canes – These are so fascinating when collected and displayed together. Worn and weathered with stories to tell.
- Old Windows – There were all shapes and sizes of vintage windows on display, but not your average windows. Unique ones with a variety of glass pane shapes, some stained, some leaded, all magnificent. These are awe-inspiring wall art, hung or leaning. Oh, how I was I could have carried some of them home with me. Architectural salvage is the best.
Besides seeing the trends and adding to our vintage collections we snacked in style. You MUST try the Fried Dough with scrumptious maple cream.
The Lemon Gelato was a tasty cool treat.
Whatever you do take your time to enjoy the nice vendors,
the unusual sights,
the really special finds,
the oddities,
the friendship that comes with thrifting together,
and always be on the lookout for Jesus! Hope you enjoyed shopping with me. Did you know you can go thrifting with me all the time? Join The Salvaged Society and tag along with me to get tips, insight, fun and community. All the details HERE!
I love Brimfield Fair. I haven’t been for years. It seems every time I went It was the hottest day of summer. You can find anything there. Do you live in Ma. ? Love your blogs.
It was warm, but I’m from Texas so I am very used to it! I was just visiting and I found some great stuff! Shared it on a Facebook Live today, you can see it here: https://www.facebook.com/SalvagedLiving/videos/954718501977600/?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVoVL7M1DkDtSQQYUeVuqDRF69hSDoIQ2q6bOERkkAPVb2vMa4Ep164usG9LRGVj580G4SPKJUOPMwo9hnk4RRBa7vTOxRqCxSLprsVcCgpySiHf57mQJU_71RxatinLTDmaPGGjz9aMglz7-wchWZ_met3RCWpNw9a4CFEQgrjbQ&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
I love that you shared this! My family is from up that way. Anyway, I saw so many things that I already have. My mom was a saver and so am I! I used to live overseas for my work, but am retired as of last year. I was used to living in a much larger house than what we have now in Florida so things are a little cramped. I refuse to get rid of any more than I already have! I love to switch things out and feel that I use just about everything I have at some time or another. I have ALL of my mother’s sets of China and her vintage crystal. My folks were married in 1949! I have furniture, linens, silver, and jewelry, too! Some of my things were even my grandmother’s! I wear my grandmother’s beautiful filigree engagement ring that also holds my great grandmother’s diamond from her engagement ring! Sometimes I feel like a real hoarder, but then I get over it and realized how blessed I am to have so many family memories surrounding me!
Missy – you are so blessed to have so many meaningful treasures! I love that. I’m like you and have a hard time parting with my finds. As long as we keep it in check I think we’ll be ok 😉 blessings!
I was at
Brimfield this year 2022. I think this must be an old post because of the rain this year which wasn’t mentioned and your photo’s show dry ground. Please put in the dates you were there. Every year is different and this year there were less vendors and talking to vendors the quality of merchandise has gone down. More vintage clothing which is great if your into collecting great looking gone by styles. But for the diehard antique dealer pickings were slim.
This place looks amazing. Western Canada has some antiques and I always dream of going to one of the big American fairs. Such a fun read
I want to go to Canada!!!!