Household Hunting and Gathering At Three Famous Flea Markets

Tag sales are just fine for most of us, but for the true fan of finding glorious vintage rustic home decorations there is nothing like a giant flea market. 

Of course the famous such markets are in Paris and New York City but — think about it: You’re here in The Country. Old adorable things are closer to their original owners here. And perhaps there will be a larger-than-average supply of amazing finds; there were no sales last year, of course, because of the COVID-19 quarantine.

I wish I could say that there is less sharp-elbowed savvy competition at these sales but that would be a lie. There will be war — perhaps over a McCoy vase or some bits of delicious silver flatware, unmatched but enticing (I want!).

Hey, a little competition builds character and gets the blood racing.

The big market of the East Coast, and one of the most famous markets in America, is the venerable Brimfield Market in Sturbridge, Mass., which is actually an amalgam of several smaller markets with thousands (yes, thousands) of dealers and an estimated 50,000 visitors.

Three Brimfield markets have been scheduled for this year. The first was May 11 to 16. The second will be July 13 to 18 and the final sale of 2021 will be Sept. 7 to 12.

The hours vary but when aficionados talk about shopping at Brimfield, they invariably describe using a flashlight in the wee dark hours of the morning. Get excellent details at www.brimfieldantiquefleamarket.com.

On a somewhat smaller scale is the Elephant’s Truck flea market in New Milford, Conn., which is held every Sunday from April through December. With food trucks and other entertainment, the Elephant’s Trunk is almost like an ag fair for vintage furnishing fans. Instead of cows, there are couches.

You can buy tickets for early entry online at www.etflea.com. Early Buyers can enter at 5:30 a.m.;  Prepaid Buyers enter between 7 and 8 a.m. 

General Admission is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; these tickets can only be purchased at the gate. A seasoned campaigner of Elephant’s Trunk sales confided to me that the best time to go is 7 a.m. If you go during the Early Buyer slot, she said, many of the buyers are not at their booths because they’re off looking at the wares of other dealers.

Coming up on Independence Day weekend, the town of Hillsdale, N.Y., will hold its annual  flea market on Saturday, July 3, at Hamlet Park (at the intersection of Routes 22 and 23). The market opens at 8 a.m. for early birds with a $10 admission fee; admission from 9 a.m. until the end of the shopping day, at 3 p.m., is free.

This sale has clothing in addition to home furnishings. And if you’d like to participate as a vendor, there are some spaces available (contact Steven Tiger at stiger@taconic.net or 518-938-1404).