Browsing Brimfield’s antiques markets with Martha Stewart herself
Shayna Seymour chats with lifestyle guru Martha Stewart and veteran shoppers sorting through all the items Brimfield has to offer
Updated: 8:10 PM EDT Jun 28, 2022
YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK. IT CAN BE EASY TO GET OVERWHELMED AT BROOMFIELD. YOU NEED A CART HERE. OVER SIX DAYS, THEIR CLOSE TO TWO DOZEN SHOWS WITH HUNDREDS OF UNIQUE VENDORS. >> WHEN YOU FIRST COME, IT IS OVERWHELMING. >> IT IS AWESOME. >> LOTS OF GREAT STUFF TO BE FOUND. >> THEN WHEN YOU REALIZE YOU’RE NEVER GOING TO SEE AT ALL, YOU CALM DOWN A LITTLE BIT. SHAYNA: SORTING THROUGH IT ALL TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND LEGENDARY LIFESTYLE GURU MARTHA STEWART TOLD ME THAT IS THE POINT. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS PLACE THAT YOU LOVE THAT BROUGHT YOU BACK? >> IT IS THE FIND. THE EXCITEMENT OF FINDING SOMETHING, A TREASURE. I DON’T NEED ANYTHING, OK? NOTHING BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS HERE I COULD PROBABLY TAKE HOME. SHAYNA: WE CAUGHT UP WITH STUART NOT LONG AFTER SHE HOSTED A TAG SALE AT HER HOME IN WESTCHESTER, NEW YORK FEATURED IN A RECENT ABC SPECIAL. THAT EXPERIENCE INSPIRED HER TO RETURN TO BROOMFIELD. >> I HAVE NOT BEEN HERE FOR 20 YEARS. WE CAME THE FIRST TIME TO DO A STORY FOR OUR MAGAZINE, MARTHA STEWART LIVING. WE DID A COVER STORY. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. THIS YEAR WE DECIDED AFTER MY BIG GREAT AMERICAN TAG SALE AT MY HOUSE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WE DECIDED TO SEE WHAT THE REAL TAG SALE WAS LIKE AND HERE WE ARE. SHAYNA: STUART TOLD ME SHE DID NOT REALLY NEED ANYTHING BUT SHE DID FIND SOMETHING TO TAKE HOME. >> I FOUND A LEAD PEACOCK. A GIANT LEAD PEACOCK. IT IS ALREADY WRAPPED UP IN MY CAR. SHAYNA: WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH THE LEAD PEACOCK? >> IT WILL GO ON MY PEACOCK HOUSE. I RAISE PEACOCK’S. SHAYNA: PART OF THE LURE IS FINDING SOMETHING UNEXPECTED. >> YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU WILL FIND. IT REALLY IS AN ART TO DISCOVER. SHAYNA: FROM MARTHA STEWART HERSELF, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. STEWART. THAT SEARCH FOR THE UNEXPECTED IS A PHILOSOPHY THAT UNITES STUART WITH EVERYONE SHOPPING AND SELLING AT BROOMFIELD. WHEN YOU COME TO BROOMFIELD, ARE YOU LOOKING FOR STUFF FOR YOURSELF OR YOU LOOKING FOR YOUR AUCTION? >> BOTH. SHAYNA: FRANK RUNS BEVERLY-BASED KAMINSKI AUCTIONS AND SAYS THERE ARE DEALS TO BE FOUND IN THESE TENTS IF YOU KNOW -- IF YOU YOUR RESEARCH. >> WITH THE INTERNET TODAY, IT IS SO MUCH EASIER TO QUICKLY LOOK UP AN ARTIST OR QUICKLY LOOK UP A PIECE OF SILVER OR FURNITURE. SHAYNA: SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THE VALUE OF RESEARCH IS DIANA CRAWFORD. >> TYPE IN SOMETHING I AM GOING TO RESEARCH. BRIMFIELD CRAWFORD IS A LONG TIME EBAY SELLER WHO ALSO WORKS AT WORTH POINT. IT IS A WEBSITE AND APP THAT HELPS PEOPLE IDENTIFY IN VALUE ANTIQUES, VINTAGE ITEMS AND MEMORABILIA. >> WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RESEARCHING, WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN SELLING FOR OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS OR THE LAST FEW YEARS. WE ALSO LOOK AT THE CURRENT MARKET VALUE AND WE STUDY THE TRENDS OF THOSE TYPES OF ITEMS. BRIMFIELD CRAWFORD SHOWED ME HOW SHE USES THAT INFORMATION WHILE SHOPPING. >> WE DISCOVER THEY HAVE BEEN SELLING FOR AS HIGH AS $900. BRIMFIELD THIS CHAIR -- SHAYNA: THIS CHAIR? THIS ONE SEEMS A LITTLE DISTRESSED. >> WHAT IS YOUR ASKING PRICE ON THIS CHAIR? 350? >> IS THAT YOUR ROCK-BOTTOM? >> I’M NEGOTIABLE. SHAYNA: PRICES CAN EVEN HAVE SOME WIGGLE ROOM. >> I ADVISE PEOPLE WHEN THEY APPROACH A VENDOR AND SAY WHAT IS YOUR BEST ASKING PRICE BECAUSE I WANT TO BE FAIR. >> $50 AND TAKE IT AWAY. SHAYNA: VENDORS TOLD ME THEY ARE OPEN TO CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PRICING. >> PEOPLE SAY CAN I MAKE YOU AN OFFER? BARTERING IS PART OF THE THING. >> TYPICALLY 10 TO 15%. SOMETIMES 20 IF IT IS A HIGHER PRICED ITEM SHOULD THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE OFFER. >> SOMETIMES PEOPLE ASK ME FOR A BETTER PRICE. OF COURSE I ALWAYS TEASE AND SAY BETTER FOR YOU OR BETTER FOR ME? THAT IS JUST A JOKE. I TRY TO BREAK THE ICE. IF YOU CAN GET PEOPLE LAUGHING OR SMILING, EVERYTHING IS GOOD AFTER THAT. SHAYNA: IT IS A HUSSLE OUT THERE AND THERE ARE CLOSE TO TWO DOZEN FIELDS LINING ROUTE 20 THAT HOST VINTAGE AND ANTIQUE VENDORS. THOSE FIELDS ARE NOT REALLY SORTED IN ANY SPECIF
Browsing Brimfield’s antiques markets with Martha Stewart herself
Shayna Seymour chats with lifestyle guru Martha Stewart and veteran shoppers sorting through all the items Brimfield has to offer
Updated: 8:10 PM EDT Jun 28, 2022
Legendary lifestyle guru Martha Stewart was among the hopeful shoppers visiting the Brimfield Antiques markets in May 2022. Inside the booth operated by antiques dealer Vincent Manzo (where she picked up a leaded peacock to bring home) Stewart tells Shayna Seymour the allure of Brimfield is the excitement of finding a "treasure." Frank Kaminski, of Beverly-based Kaminski Auctions, agrees. When he shops at Brimfield, he is looking for items to take to his auction house.Veteran shoppers said it is acceptable to barter with sellers at Brimfield. Danna Crawford, a longtime eBay seller, works with WorthPoint. It’s a website and app that helps people identify and value antiques, vintage items, and memorabilia. Crawford said she uses the information from WorthPoint to help her make a fair offer to sellers.
NEEDHAM, Mass. — Legendary lifestyle guru Martha Stewart was among the hopeful shoppers visiting the Brimfield Antiques markets in May 2022. Inside the booth operated by antiques dealer Vincent Manzo (where she picked up a leaded peacock to bring home) Stewart tells Shayna Seymour the allure of Brimfield is the excitement of finding a "treasure." Frank Kaminski, of Beverly-based Kaminski Auctions, agrees. When he shops at Brimfield, he is looking for items to take to his auction house.
Veteran shoppers said it is acceptable to barter with sellers at Brimfield. Danna Crawford, a longtime eBay seller, works with WorthPoint. It’s a website and app that helps people identify and value antiques, vintage items, and memorabilia. Crawford said she uses the information from WorthPoint to help her make a fair offer to sellers.