OUR STORY…

Heart-O-The-Mart’s 500 exhibitors are part of a 4000 exhibitor extravaganza that occurs for six days each May, July, and September.  It is an event without parallel in the United States as tens of thousands of Antique & Collectible enthusiasts from throughout the world descend on this otherwise sleepy town of 3000 residents.

A BRIEF HISTORY

Heart-O-The-Mart joined the Brimfield Antique & Collectible experience in July 1982, a full 22 years after the late Gordon Reid initiated a small gathering of 100 Antique exhibitors on his Brimfield field for a on-day, outdoor, station-wagon show.  By the mid-1980’s Brimfield had grown to over 2000 exhibitors.  Gordon Reid’s show, now called J & J Promotions and under the management of his daughters Jill Lukesh and Judy Mathieu, had reached international recognition as a high-quality, 750 exhibitor Antique & Collectible show where discriminating buyers pick and barter in an exciting outdoor atmosphere that still exists today.

A SIX DEALER START

Six exhibitors scoffed up Heart-O-The Mart’s choice Rte. 20 frontage spots in July 1982 as a hand-made “Dealer Space Available” sign alerted passers-by that yet another field would be opening. From this modest beginning in 1982 emerged our now 500 exhibitor show which is Brimfield’s third largest – regularly sold out of exhibitor spaces up to a year in advance – and the destination of thousands of buyers each May, July, and September.
We pride ourselves at Heart-O-The Mart in being a high quality show which tries very hard to meet our exhibitors’ needs so their stay with us is profitable, comfortable, and fun. Our opening day is on Wednesday at 9 am, the second day of “Brimfield”. The excitement is exhilarating as thousands of eager buyers are on alert awaiting the 9 am “Open the gates!” call which opens four entrance gates, allowing every road and path on an 17 acre field to fill with thousands of very serious, knowledgeable buyers. By 9:15 am, every exhibitor’s booth is crowded as the buying/selling occurs at an almost frantic pace. But this is only part of the story…

BRIMFIELD – A TRULY UNIQUE ANTIQUING EXPERIENCE

Brimfield – which Arts & Antique Weekly called “the mother of all outdoor fairs” is such a unique experience because it’s not one show, but rather 20+ shows which open in a synchronized sequence starting at dawn on Tuesday and running throughout the week. Each day brings exciting new field openings. In its entirety it’s such a bountiful feast of antiques & collectibles that even the Smithsonian Institute formed a field team to study the Brimfield experience in 1993. Television stations, magazines and newspapers from throughout the world send teams to Brimfield to view and report on this 4000 exhibitor spectacle that occurs every year in May, July, and September.

You will never know the excitement of Brimfield from a virtual experience on the net. You must join the pilgrimage to this otherwise quiet little New England town and experience live the phenomenon that has come to be known as Brimfield Week. E-mail us, fax us, call us, or mail us for answers to any questions you may have that a visit to our website hasn’t answered for you.

We are looking forward to meeting you. Stop in to say “hello” at our Heart-O-The Mart office when you “do Brimfield”. We hope it will be soon.