“Oh no! It won’t fit in my car. What should I do?”
Just imagine the irony of finding so many treasures that you can’t fit them in your car to bring them home? It happens all of the time at the Brimfield Antique Flea Markets, coming up in May, July, and September.
Well, don’t think you’re the only one who has experienced this dilemma. It happens so often that there are delivery services and packing and shipping companies ready and waiting to serve your needs. There are plenty of creative options available depending on the size of your purchases, where you live and how much you are willing to spend.
Often times, the dealer who sold you the merchandise may have a solution. Depending on how far away you live sometimes dealers will offer delivery at a reasonable fee. You may have to schedule it for a future date. Another possibility is that the dealer may know of another dealer whom he trusts who lives in your area and would be willing to bring your purchase to you, again, for a fee. The trip home from Brimfield generally allows for extra space on the dealers trucks and vans since they most likely have sold much of their inventory at the show.
It’s all about networking.
You may prefer to plan ahead and make as much space as possible in your vehicle to avoid this problem. Some folks attach a roof rack to their car or SUV while others come with a trailer attached. Another alternative is to drive out in multiple vehicles so you can make use of both to pack your purchases for the trip home.
Perhaps you may decide to travel home with the first load and return later to pick up the balance. One word of caution: some of the dealers are NOT set up every day. They may be at Brimfield for a one day show or possibly move from one field to another to benefit from the boosted traffic on opening day at more than one show field during the week. You MUST make a plan with the dealer to arrange for safe storage and pick up of your merchandise. Be sure to ask for their cell phone number, home address, field name, etc. so that you can have a clear plan and method to communicate with them. You cannot depend on the owner of any particular field to take responsibility for your merchandise. It’s just too much liability for them. It is up to you to take care of your purchases. There is no central “lost and found” area that services all of the individual shows jointly.
Please be sure to make a good plan in advance of how you will handle your purchases. There are porters available to move purchases to your car or truck for you. Most fields will allow you to drive onto the field to pick things up after the busiest part of the day has passed. It’s always important to respect the rules of each field. Their purpose is to ensure a safe and enjoyable shopping experience for everyone. This sometimes requires patience and understanding from shoppers and dealers alike.
You may also consider stopping into the Brimfield Post Office and asking them for a price to ship or mail your packages back home. Their staff is helpful and it’s very conveniently located at the east end of town.
Please bookmark our website www.brimfieldfleamarkets.com and return often for more insider tips. You can also “Like us” on Facebook to stay in touch.
Happy hunting!
Cartoon courtesy of John Stinger of Stingerfineart.com