Dealers and shoppers come from all over the world to the Brimfield Antiques Show , which, since its debut in the 1950s, has become the largest outdoor antiques show in the U.S. Thousands of dealers show over the week, selling everything from painted furniture to antique dolls along a one-mile stretch of Route 20. The website advises visitors to bring a poncho because the show goes on from sun-up to sun-down, raining or shine! There are some serious treasures to be found here, but undoubtedly, dealers have the real scoop.We asked a handful of Brimfield dealers to share their show secrets…Here’s what they indulged: Go With the Flow “Sometimes in conditions like this year’s heavy rain, you just need to smile and take time to chat and get to know the vendors. No matter how ‘seasoned’ a vendor, when things like this happen at a show, those other vendors are having the same crazy thoughts that you are…This year, I had a chance to really visit some booths that I had not purchased from before, and not only did I get some good deals, I enjoyed talking to the booth owners and added a few new stops on my Brimfield list!” – Tricia LeTempt, The Red Door Antiques Simplifyingfabulous.com Inspector Gadget “When buying vintage fabrics I always recommend holding them up to the sunlight to see if they might have holes. A tip well learned from a prior mistake!” —Judy Lake, Lake’s Lampshades Brimfield | Simplifyingfabulous.com Come Prepared “Wear comfortable shoes and bring sunscreen. Also, if you come to Brimfield and always start at the same end of the street, try starting at the other end next time and go to new places you never make it to! We have so many customers that find us by chance because they decided to start at a different end of the street than they normally do.” —Linda Mack, Juniper Hill Antiques Simplifyingfabulous.com Think in Terms of Investment “Remember, even in a down market, we’re buying quality, so when the economy goes back up, our customer’s investment in the ultimate green product, an antique, will be more likely to increase in value.” –Randy Denosowicz, Antiques of Dallas Antiques of Dallas | Simplifyingfabulous.com Go for the Real Goods “Vintage enamelware items from France makes great colorful accent pieces. Most authentic French enamelware is from the 1920’s and 30’s and some go back to near the turn of the century. The quality of the heavy metal, thick enameling and embossed patterns are far superior to the modern reproductions and the real ones are green in that they do not use any resources. The look and feel of an authentic vintage piece is so much nicer than the cheap imitations that are on the market now.” —Harry Knoch, Harry and Ginny’s Antiques

Antiques of Dallas | Simplifyingfabulous.com