Brimfield Antique Show: Impressions from a Newbie

Four hours into the antique show, David Lamberto, owner and operator of Hertan's Antique Shows, one of the 21 fields at Brimfield, was in a great mood. He said the show was "the best in ten years," that the crowd was excellent, the quality was up and he was beginning to believe (as some people were saying) that "the antique business is back."

I'm taking my first walk around Brimfield with Thom Pattie, WorthPoint's Chief Worthologist. Quick impressions? This place is huge. It's far more extensive than I imagined, even though I'd been told it was hundreds of acres of antiques, 5000 dealers, and 21 separate shows.

The 150 exhibitors at Hertan's Field are selling everything from furniture, to glassware, silver, art, toys - you name it and chances are it’s here.

Hertan's is in a park-like setting, nestled in a grove of trees. About half of the shows at Brimfield allow pets. Hertan's goes a step further with a pet walk down to the pond. Half way down you'll find a mailbox stuffed with doggie biscuits.

But not everyone is happy at Brimfield this year. Al Benting from Benting & Jarvis Antiques out of Newbury, MA is sitting in a chair in his tent and venting. He has $150,000 of gorgeous antiques at Brimfield, but he's only sold $7,500.

"Ten years ago I'd have sold $45,000 by now," he claims. "Brimfield is a sea of manure and occasionally one can reach down and pluck a pearl," Benting says.

"New people are uneducated," ventures Steve Siewert, a smiling customer, "but that's where we all start."

"People don't know what stuff is worth and they don't know what the dollar is not worth," Kathy Siewert offers. "We were like that when we started. Our rule was to buy good quality antiques at half the price of a similar quality new item."

Benting doesn't want to hear it. He's done with Brimfield, he says and he's not coming back. He ticks off the reasons. His costs are going up. In ten days out buying and selling, he's spent $1,430 in diesel fuel. The dealers are selling too cheaply. The customers are expecting deep discounts.

Jane Benting chimes in "But this is not a livelihood, it's a lifestyle." She says she doesn't know what she would do if she retired and one gets the feeling that the Bentings just may be back.

A young woman, Carolyn Holm, walks by carrying a prosthetic leg over her shoulder. And here in Brimfield she doesn't seem out of place. She's buying the leg for her boy friend, Steve Vezinat, who has a store in Paris called Cabinet of Curiosities. She makes sure I have the web site address, www.cabinetdescurieus.com.

Last year, she tells us, she bought him prosthetic arms. Thom takes a picture of Carolyn and the leg. Then she spies Steve and asks Thom to take one of them both. Steve is interested in a small carving in the back of the Benting tent. Al tells him it was a tobacco store figure. Steve's curious but he doesn't buy. Steve and Carolyn walk off arm in arm, with the leg still over her shoulder.

One of the premier antique dealers in Pennsylvania, Greg Cramer, stops by, and Al is still having a little fun complaining about uneducated, rude customers who want him to lower his price. Cramer offers some sage advice, "I get my bullet proof vest on when I get up in the morning," he says smiling. Then he ambles off.

Jane Benting opens a bottle of wine and Al has a sip. "Three sips and he gets silly," she says.

A man whose name I didn't get, walks by sees an empty chair and asks if he can sit down.

"How was your day?" he says innocently to Al.

"I'm considering disemboweling myself," Al begins.

Jane interrupts, "Not until you pack up the truck." She's not smiling.

Click here for Cabinet of Curiosities