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Some people come across a football field of old stuff — crusty jackets with dirty Kleenex still in the pockets; rows of dusty bottles, some still with decades-old Coca-Cola in it; and patched-up chairs that’s got more holes than actual stuffing — and would rather do anything than enter.

For others, myself included, this is the literal description of The Happy Place. And the happiest of all Happy Places might very well be Brimfield Antique Show, the thrice-yearly, weeklong event that’s considered to be the largest, most reputable, and longest-running gathers of antique dealers in the country. It is a pain to get to, a monster to navigate, and will test your patience, your endurance, and your tolerance to heat, grime, and port-a-potties. But if you’re the latter kind of person, Brimfield is the GOAT.

Follow along with Connie Wang as she explores, haggles, and purchases at this epic market.

Brimfield Antique Flea Market
https://brimfieldantiquefleamarket.com/

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TALENT
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Transcript
00:00Some people encounter old, crusty, dusty, smelly racks of clothing and actually see
00:05that as an opportunity. Brimfield, Massachusetts is sort of like their
00:09Mecca. Come along on my Brimfield adventure. This is how bizarre!
00:17Brimfield Antique Show was started in 1959 and it is the longest-running, largest
00:23outdoor antique show in the country. Robert M. Reed started it back in the
00:29early 1900s through his son Gordon to his daughters to us 57 years now for the
00:35Antique Show. I'm here in Brimfield searching for my personal holy grail of
00:40American vintage. Early 20th century denim. Brimfield doesn't have a ton of vintage
00:45denim dealers but they have a few really really knowledgeable people with really
00:49great product who I feel like are gonna have what I'm looking for. If you want a
00:53good pair of jeans you got to work for it one way or another. You either got to work
00:56for it or you got to pay for it. Plus I hear from my friends who work
00:59in contemporary denim brands that they go scouting at Brimfield for inspiration so
01:02if it's good enough for them it is definitely good enough for me. Brimfield
01:06is big. If you were gonna walk from one end to the other end it would take you
01:10hours and then there are over 6,000 different vendors who service 50,000
01:15shoppers. While most shopping is done online these days for Brimfield sellers
01:19they're strictly offline. Come on in if you have any questions let us know. So this is my
01:24chance to get off the internet and go shopping in real life. Thousands and
01:28thousands of people come here. If you can't have fun at Brimfield you can't
01:32have fun anywhere. Here's what you need to know before you get to Brimfield.
01:36Brimfield happens three times a year. Go to the first and last ones of the season
01:40because there are more vendors and because it's not stupid hot during those
01:43times of year. Number two bring cash. Some fancier sellers have credit card
01:48machines but you're gonna get a way better deal if you use cash. And number three go
01:53early. Certain promotions open at dawn break and the place is going to be
01:57really overrun by day. I'm here with Bob's Collectibles and Bob you're one of
02:03the few people who have denim which is what I'm actually on the search for but
02:08I've never actually heard of this brand before which you have a lot of which are
02:12landlubbers. Yeah they were made in the 70s and you get the brochure. This is the
02:17original brochure? Back in the 70s. Landlubbers got the fit that gets you the
02:24looks. Yeah. They're men's denim? Girls, they're men's. What? Yeah. Did you used to wear these? No. I don't know
02:31I made them. You might have?
02:32Cool. And how much do you sell these for? Fifteen dollars a pair. It's amazing. I'm gonna search for my
02:38pair of jeans.
02:44Look at the zip off overall thing. For the most part if a jean is a high-waisted pair of
02:51jeans
02:51if you wrap it around your neck like you're wearing a jeans necklace and the
02:56chew ends touch that means it should fit around your waist. Try it out yourself with a
03:00pair of jeans that fit really well and then you can tell sort of how they're
03:05gonna work on you. So this one is way too small. Next. Oh.
03:13Uh oh. I think we got a winner you guys. I've developed what I like to call my
03:20thrifting outfit and that consists of a top that's a little tighter on top so I can
03:24try things on over it without it looking lumpy. And then a skirt that's a little
03:28wider so I can pull on pants underneath. I love these. Okay I'm gonna get this.
03:35Thank you. No thank you. That post-purchase glow. Nothing feels better than that.
03:45This pair of overalls are great but not quite old enough for my taste. I'm still
03:50on the hunt for something pre-1970s with a little bit more wear and tear. So I've
03:55heard the fashion tent at Brimfield has one seller who has a rack full of really
03:58old jeans including hand patch overalls which sounds super interesting. So I'm
04:03with Sam here. I think you have the jeans that I've been looking for. Really? Well
04:07maybe maybe. Okay. I do have some really awesome overalls and some like aprons.
04:14These are pretty cool. They're Washington DC brand. Probably mid 40s I would say. These
04:20ones might be cool too if you want to give those a whirl. The brand is Duckhead. It's
04:24a really classic pair in the 1940s. You know a little bit shredded. And I'm sorry I love
04:29the hand stitching. This is like stitched by someone who has not stitched a lot
04:34before. Well and it's repairs on repairs so you can see maybe a few layers of repair.
04:39This is what my stitching looks like. I feel like they're going to fit. Cool. We'll give them a whirl.
04:44We got a dressing room.
04:44You do? Yeah.
04:49They're really destroyed but I like them like this. I don't know. The person I think was
04:53exactly my height because of the bottoms ripped off at exactly the point where my
04:58shoes end. It's very serendipitous. They're really nice. They're really really old. I don't
05:04think I've worn anything that's been 70 years old. It's pretty cool. These are jeans
05:10and overalls that you see everywhere and they retail for like $250 and more but
05:16those are copies of these ones right and these are the originals. And I learned
05:20about a new brand. I love these overalls. I mean they're a little messed up and so
05:26so old but that's what makes them so amazing. I have never seen anything like
05:31these before and I have to have them but first the haggling. So haggling. Don't be
05:37an asshole about it. You are not on deal or no deal. And I talked a lot of sellers
05:41here and they generally offer the same three bits of advice. One, ask questions
05:46and be polite. The more you talk with someone the more you find out the story
05:50behind what you're buying and the more they want to sell to you. If you're rude to
05:53me I'm gonna be rude to you. Number two, buy more. So if you're able to bundle up a
05:59bunch of purchases chances are you're gonna get a better deal for each of
06:02them. And number three, don't be coy. That pretending to be like oh I'm sort of
06:06interested in it. They really want to find a good home for what they have and if
06:10they feel like you really like something chances are they're more apt to give it
06:14to you. Hi. Hey, how did it go? I liked it. Cool. How much are these? I'm asking a very
06:23reasonable price of $150. $150? Yeah. I mean $150 is a good price but it's gonna do me a
06:28little bit better. Well, I can knock 10 bucks off if you're buying a single item.
06:33That's good enough for me. Yeah? Cool. Good enough for me. All right. It's a deal. Sounds like a deal.
06:37Cool.
06:40$140. Awesome. Cool. Enjoy the overalls. Thank you. Yeah, have a nice day. Wear them proudly. All right. Awesome.
06:48It's easy to see why this place is so addictive. For someone who really likes to dig, there's just so
06:53much stuff to dig through.
06:55But it's actually the human element that really distinguishes Brimfield from any of
06:59the other flea markets I've been to. It's authentic because we're all trying to look
07:03for the same thing. We're all trying to find a piece that's gonna make our living
07:07rooms, our wardrobes, or our lives feel a little bit more complete.
07:19Ta-da! So when I wear distressed denim like this, I like to contrast it with pieces that are a
07:28little bit more fancy.
07:29So this frilly blouse or the pointed heel shoes and like fancy-ish accessories. I just feel like it balances
07:37out a little bit.
07:38And this is something that I would wear to like fashion week or an evening out.
07:41I think it's a little bit more unexpected than just a dress and some heels.
07:45Brimfield is really intimidating. Hopefully I've shown that it's worth it. The payoff is there.
07:51It can be huge if you just put in the time and the energy. And also when anyone is like,
07:56the overalls are so cool. Where did you get them? I have a great story to tell them now.
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