Shopping Brimfield gives me the same sort of consumer apprehension that I get in Tokyo, I see so much great stuff I can’t pull the trigger. I’m afraid that I will spend my money before I come across something really amazing. With this in mind, I only made a few acquisitions at the show. However, I did pick up something that I have been meaning to buy for a long time — two Fire-King coffee cups and saucers in the classic green colorway. When introduced in the 1940s Fire-King was a cheap brand of sturdy dinnerware sold in gas stations, grocery stores and even given away in promotions by flour brands and the like.

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Something of a debate we had going at Brimfield — how much would you pay for this vintage No.3 Duluth Pack canvas bag? The company still makes a very similar bag (if not the same) which is available online. But vintage can be more fun than new and this bag looks to be in especially good shape. Plus, this nice old bag also predates that circular logo-badge that the new bags have, which is a good thing. So the question is, how much would you pay for this bag at a flea market, cash and carry?

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The last bit of images from our two day trip the the world’s largest outdoor antiques sale in Brimfield, Mass. See all of the coverage here.

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Our second day at the Brimfield flea market started off with a light drizzle, but cleared up in the afternoon and proved a successful outing. Barbour coats and rubber boots were the order of the day. I probably saw more waxed canvas yesterday than in the last five years combined. Personally, I opted for a GoreTex shell, that I paired surprisingly well with a pair of McNairy suede chukkas (though if I had to do it over, I would have opted for Bean boots). I saw a lot of things I wanted to buy, but managed to exercise some restraint. I did manage to pick up a few things and will share a breakdown of my purchases here soon.

Remember this boat motor company?

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A few friends and I are up in Brimfield, Mass. this week for the massive antique / flea market and the potential purchases are everywhere. I was amazed at all of the industrial salvage everywhere. That sort of interior aesthetic is going at full speed. Below are some of the things I saw on our relatively short first day. Americana overload — great stuff.

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