Date: Fri 02-Oct-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: DAVIDS

Quick Words:

Brimfield

Full Text:

Brimfield

w/cut

BRIMFIELD, MASS. -- Armed with flashlights and assisted by candles and an

occasional Coleman lantern, dealers and collectors scurried about under the

dark pre-dawn skies each morning during the 1998 season's finale of Brimfield

Week. Lines began forming this year by 4 am for shows with 6 am starts, and

even earlier at J&J's Friday show opening.

The weather for the fall outing was near perfect with only one rain squall

blowing through the area on Wednesday afternoon. It was brisk in the mornings,

brisk in the evenings, and temperate during midday, a scenario that could

describe both the weather and business patterns throughout Brimfield.

Dealers reported strong sales as several of the people commented that they had

sold nearly everything that they had brought to the show. Buyers, likewise,

said although few treasures had emerged from the depths of the fields, there

was certainly good stuff that, with a little dickering, was obtained at good

prices.

Each of the three annual Brimfield Weeks over the past couple of years seems

to have become progressively busier, perhaps a reflection of the stock market.

Although even with the unsteady keel Wall Street followed in days prior to the

recent fall shows, the antiques market seemed to continue its healthy upward

trends. Once again huge openings were reported throughout the week with extra

large crowds at Hertans, Heart-O-The-Mart, Mays, and J&J's, which utilizes

three separate entrances, two in front and one in back, to relieve some of the

opening morning congestion.

As usual, if you looked hard enough, you could find most anything on the more

than 15 fields jam-packed with dealers, no matter if your taste is along the

highboy lines or pressed back chairs. Brimfield is it itself a field of

dreams. Dealer logic seems to be, "If you bring it, they will come," while

shoppers seem to revel in the "If you brought it, I will find you" attitudes.

The biggest letdown this year was the appearance of Beanie Babies on virtually

every field we traveled. While one would certainly expect those vile things to

rear their heads in the back lots and along the roadside, it was truly

disappointing to see booths filled with them on several of the major fields.

jonesing season is once again on hand for Brimfield junkies, but fret not and

prepare thy self by marking your calenders now for the next showing, which is

the second week in May. That's only 215 days!