Brimfield, Massachusetts-Part 1

Brimfield, Massachusetts, is known for its huge flea market held three times a year. The show is spread out over many “fields” run by different promoters. If you ask other collectors, you will soon learn which field has expensive 18th-century pieces and which is filled with 20th-century toys, glass, and pottery. Because the flea market is in New England, there’s an emphasis on what is popular in that area. So California pottery, Western antiques, Midwestern oak furniture, and other items more popular in other parts of the country are not in abundance.

Most of our time was spent at the J & J field, where quality prevailed. Dealers told us Japanese dealers are buying Noritake and Nippon to take back to Japan. Old doors are selling well; a few years ago, they did not. The big ones are being used as headboards for king-size beds. We also learned that early historical Staffordshire should not be called “Flow Blue.” That term applies to later 19th-century pieces with the characteristic blurred, flowing, dark blue glaze.

Toy sailboats and pond boats were selling for $125 to $700. Buyers float them in their backyard pools. New boats are being made in the Philippines, aged, and sold at shows and gift shops.

We saw old pottery marked with a paper label that said, “Made in Indonesia.” It was labeled to conform with U.S. import laws, but it was actually Thai pottery recovered from shipwrecks and cleaned. Nice celadon and blue and white pieces were offered. Newly made painted furniture from India is the work of miniaturists mimicking old designs. Pieces sell for $300 to $600.