Tuesday Travels: Brimfield Antique Show #TeamSnuggle

If you're a long-time reader, then you know I absolutely love thrifting and antiquing, especially for my beloved Pyrex. I'm a huge fan of thrift stores like Savers and Salvation Army, but I also find some really great deals at antique markets too.

Three times a year the town of Brimfield, MA holds an enormous antique show that has an endless supply of antiques and vintage goodies. The show started in the 1950s, according to its website, and hosts thousands of dealers over a half-mile stretch of land. You can find reproduction primitives, expensive antiques and really kitschy stuff at every turn and bend. If you're looking for it, someone at Brimfield probably has it.

The show runs three times every year: one week each (Tuesday through Sunday) in May, July and September. I've visited both in May and July and on both a weekday and a weekend. If you're able, the facilities are less crowded during the week, and believe it or not, during July. However, keep in mind the July heat can be a scorcher and nearly everything is outdoors so there is little escape from the heat.

Regardless of when you go, you will most likely need to pay to park. Parking fees range from $5 to about $10, depending on how close to things you want to park. Bear in mind, however, that the further into the thick of things you park, the longer it may take you to leave when you're tired and want to go home.

The show is divided into fields. Most of the fields feature free admission, however, a few do charge a per person fee. In addition, some fields are only open certain days of the week or at certain times. In theory, the show is open from sun-up to sundown, but not all of the vendors are always open and available.

There are plenty of Port-O-John facilities, but there isn't always toilet paper and/or sanitizer/soap and water. I always bring napkins/tissues in my backpack as well as a small bottle of sanitizer. I especially like the option of my own sanitizer when it comes time to eat. There are many food vendors at the Brimfield Antique Show that serve a wide array tasty goodies including saugies, kielbasa, barbeque, ice cream, popcorn, smoothies, dough boys and more.

I highly recommend you bring your own sunscreen and use it frequently, although I did find a few Port-O-John stations that offered sunscreen for its customers, free of charge (tips could be left). And I also encourage you to bring snacks (protein-carb mix leaves you fuller longer!) and water in a backpack. It can start to add up if you have to keep buying bottled water from vendors or the food carts. (And who the heck wants to wait 10 minutes in line for water when you could be perusing vintage goodies!)

Although I don't recommend it, some people do choose to bring their dogs. I think it's a bad idea because it gets way too hot for their little tootsies. But also, some of the fields prohibit pets and it would limit what areas of the Show you could visit. It's really better to just leave Fido at home!

Now, if you're looking for yard-sale prices, you're not going to find them here. You also won't typically find yard-sale quality stuff either. Many of these dealers are long-time dealers and know what they have. They do, however, often accept offers, even low-ball ones, and are usually willing to haggle within reason. The closer to Sunday you visit, the more they are willing to haggle because they don't want to pack up their stuff to haul it back home again.

Didn't make it to the Show this month? Brimfield Antique Show will once again be back in September (9/8-13).

Or if you'd like to think ahead and make plans for next year, here are the 2016 dates:
May 10-15
July 12-17
September 6-11

I brought my @Snuggle_Bear with me as part of our #TeamSnuggle mission and we made a few really fantastic Pyrex and Fire King purchases. I'm so excited to add these guys to my growing vintage milk glass collection.

Disclaimer: I did receive this cute little Snuggle bear for free from Snuggle as part of the #SnuggleSummer mission with #TeamSnuggle #Spon However, I truly did attend Brimfield, paid my parking fee, food costs and the price of my vintage goodies out of my own pocket simply because I love thrifting!


Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Why Splurging is Okay: My Guilty Vice

While I know this is a frugal living blog and I tend to promote thriftiness and frugality, I do believe in splurging on occasion. Most of the time I guilt myself out of buying anything for me, especially if it costs more than a few dollars. But every once in awhile, I find something I really, really want and just have to have it, even if it's not within my typical $5 budget.

More than likely you work hard. And even if you don't have a job, you most likely still work hard to keep your house, take care of your family and look after yourself. All work and no play is never any fun. So, it's important to treat yourself every now and then. No, that doesn't mean drop $30k on a new car on a whim or sneak on the JC Penney website at 2am to indulge in a multi-hundred dollar shopping spree when your closet is already bulging at the seams. But please, especially around this holidays, make sure to devote some time and consideration to yourself. And this may mean you pick up that $20 scarf you've been eye at Kohl's, or indulge in a luxurious mani-pedi even though your feetsies will be holed up in boots for the next few months.

I haven't mentioned it more than once or twice on CMM, but I'm a collector of Pyrex. You know, those "old lady dishes" as my husband calls them. I'm particularly fond a few specific patterns but will pick up any that I come across if it's a really good price. My holy grail of pieces was in a red and orange bird and flower pattern called Friendship. I'd only ever seen one piece of it "in the wild" as Pyrex collectors say, and the one I came across was badly DWD (dish washer damaged). So after a year of collecting, I put my most desirable piece on the back burner and moved on with my collection.

A few weeks ago, I wandered into a local consignment store and found.... my holy grail.... in really, really great, no AMAZING condition!  But it was a whopping $20.90 plus tax. Way out of my $5 price range. I texted my husband and my sister and called my mom. But despite all of their encouraging words to purchase the piece, I left it there. I couldn't overcome my sense of guilt in spending more than $20 on myself.

Fast forward two weeks later, and I realized just how badly I wanted that dish. I sent my mom back to the store since she works a few blocks away. Lo and behold, the piece was still there!  $23.XX later and I'm the proud owner of the most beautiful piece of Pyrex I've ever laid my eyes (and hands) on.

And my happiness is worth the $23 I spent. :-)

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

My Vintage Pyrex Addiction

Hello. My name is Cynthia. And I'm a vintage Pyrex addict.

Savers, Salvation Army and the like are going to be the death of me... they are certainly not making my husband a happy camper as of late!

I've been popping into the Savers across from my work on almost a daily basis just to see what great tidbits can be had there - sometimes I walk out empty handed, while other times I find awesome goodies! I'm not one to feel guilty leaving a store with nothing in my carriage. If I don't find something I want or need, I don't wander aimlessly until I find something I can settle on taking home with me.

There are a few things I don't have photos of because I bought them and then had to figure out how to get them into my house without dear hubby having a coniption. Luckily my birthday is next month so mom is "giving" all the unphotographed wonders to me as a gift. She paid for some of them, then I threw in the rest so my husband didn't have my head on a chopping block. He can be mad at my mom instead - she doesn't have to live with him :-)

But here are some of the goodies that I just snuck in the house while he's vegetating watching the football game at my in laws' house.

-8 piece set of cups and saucers for only $2
*I've found this pattern online called Morning Blue or Brittany Blue
*strangely, 4 of the cups say "CORNING" on the bottom, while the other 4 say "PYREX."

 
 

 

 

And here are the matching creamer and sugar bowl, minus the sugar bowl lid. I paid only $1 for this set!

 

 

 And here's a Butterfly Gold bowl that I paid only $4 for! This is part of a set of nesting bowls. I'll be excited if I can complete this set.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

My Shaws Haul & Saver's Splurge

I made a late night trip to Shaws to pick up a few things; I had some Yoplait coupons that were expiring and my husband loves their yogurt. He's lactose-intolerant and the lactose-free yogurts are rarely on sale. Since Shaws included the lactose-free variety in their 10/$5 sale, I just had to drag my butt there today.

 

Items Purchased

6 Lactose-Free Yoplait Yogurts $.50/ea = $3

1 Yoplait Simplait $.50

1 Chex Mix $1.50

1 Fresh Express 50% off = $1.49

Clementines $3.99 *wyb $10 before special items

Multi-Grain Cheerios $1.88 *wyb $10 before special items

Shaws Spiral Ham clearanced to $.99/lb = $8.83

 

Coupons Used

-$.40/6 Yoplait Yogurts (doubled)  **The coupon I used expired today 1/5, but you can get an identical one (In Spanish) from this website**

-$.40/1 Yoplait Simplait (doubled)

-$.60/1 Chex Mix (doubled)

-$1 Fresh Express (Shaw's Coupon)

-$.85/1 Multi Grain Cheerios (doubled)

-$1 Clementines (Shaw's Coupon)

 

Total Before Coupons With Sales/Discounts

$21.20

 

Total After Coupons

$14.69

 

And since I was so excited to save so much on my shopping trip, I stopped by the Saver's across the street from Shaws. I've mentioned before I've developed an obsession with Pyrex. I couldn't leave this beautiful butterdish on the rack. It was only $2.99! I just hope my husband thinks we've had it all along! He's not quite on board with my hankering for "old lady dishes" as he puts it.

 

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts