Brimfield Antiques Show | September 2015

By Noelle Barbosa • September 14, 2015 • ART, DESIGN, INTERIORS

This year marked the 55th season of the the highly-touted and always-anticipated Brimfield outdoor antiques and collectibles show. The yearly event takes place in May, July and September each year, running from Tuesday to Sunday. Mr. Chat, my mom and I hit the road at approximately 9:00 a.m. on Saturday and our 66 miles drive from Boston took us 4 hours. That’s right … 4 LONG hours of crawling, stop-and-go, and a quick bathroom break. Note to self, avoid Brimfield on the weekend unless you leave the house well before sunrise. I can’t imagine the traffic being as hair-pulling on a leisurely Wednesday or Thursday, but maybe it’s just always busy during showtime.

The event is massive and so incredibly overwhelming, you may need to go all 6 days if you truly want to discover, uncover and explore everything your heart desires at a leisurely pace. I found lots of trash and an almost equal amount of treasure. I was really there to scope out the fashion and style magazines from yesteryear because you know just how much I love looks from the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. Surprisingly, there was a good amount of women’s magazines dating back to even the early twentieth century when skirts were just beginning to inch from floor length to well above the ankle and women were sporting the popular bob hairstyle (think of the chic, playful style Mary Crawley debuted in Downton Abbey season 5).

I was completely mesmerized by Today’s Secretary from 1955 which I bought for 25 cents – a steal considering it cost 35 cents in its heyday. A book rack made from reclaimed wood to hold the endless rows of vintage magazines I planned to buy was another big draw. The writer in me couldn’t help but drool over the beauty and depth of an Oliver typewriter – what gorgeous craftsmanship. I was jazzed by a display of well-kept phonographs. Seriously, I was born in the wrong decade. A European-style mirror surrounded by wood from an old door and dressed with a mantel salvaged from a cast iron radiator made me do a double take even with its cool $1,000 price tag. Lastly, as a girl who grew up playing with Barbie and Ken, I had to take a quick snap of the happy couple in their wedding attire.