Brimfield Rush: The Thrill of Collecting and the Hunt for the Big Score

by Bob Wyss

A veteran journalist follows Joe Laskowski and Rachel McKay, a real-life couple from Pennsylvania, as they make their way through the Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Show and the fascinating, eccentric, often hilarious world of collectibles trading.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art

291 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2006

Reviews

[Jaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so much more than the little blurb at the top of the page. It's a teeny teeny tiny blurb.

From the introduction:

"This book follows several dealers and collectors at the Brimfield antiques market, from May 2003 to May 2004. It is not just a tale of some very smart and resourceful buyers and sellers or of their triumphs and failures. It is a story of history, culture, and heritage and how we can rediscover values lost amid the rubble of time."

A treasure of history and information.
And fun.

[Deborah Leichner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because I have been through the Bromfield Rush many, many times. In the old days we even shopped by flashlight in the middle of the night. Picking off trucks before they were even unloaded. Even helped set up so I could score items as they were unpacked. I knew the iron Man and a few others mentioned in the book that used to come around looking for specific items as I used to sell up there too. Fun times but business has changed greatly since the internet. I no longer sell or buy!

[Bonnie Staughton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been to Brimfield, MA twice and this book really gives the "feel" of what it is like to be there. Really enjoyed reading about the "beginnings" of the Brimfield Show and how the show keeps surviving after "gloomy reports" that every year may be the "last" year. The book basically followed the lives of a few dealers and how they "win & lose" when it comes to judging what antiques or paintings are real or "fake". You really have had to "be there" to connect with this book. I've never seen anything like Brimfield. A really great experience if you are interested in antiques and/or collectibles.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE Brimfield, and go every year, usually in July and September. It was great to read about the history of the fair, and to follow some dealers. The thrill of the hunt!

[Mary Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good background on the workings of the Brimfield Antique Market and the dealers who come to sell.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confession: my cousin is the author of this book! But that didn't mean I had to like it. But I did, I really did, The framework is the market but the heart is the dealers you get to know.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the read. Brimfield is on my bucket list and I really liked getting the back-story on the place.