FARMINGTON CONNECTICUT+

ONE SUMMER'S DAY, ABOUT 26 PLUS YEARS AGO, WHILE PARTICIPATING IN THE JULY BRIMFIELD ANTIQUES MARKET A PROMOTER ASKED IF HE COULD PLACE SOME SHOW FLIERS IN OUR BOOTH. THE SHOW WAS FARMINGTON CT. THE PROMOTER WAS DON MACKEY. WE SAID SURE AND THEY WERE PLACED ON THE HARVEST TABLE OUT IN FRONT NEXT TO THE DRY SINK CONTAINING A STACK OF PAINTED FIRKINS WITH A COLUMN OF OVIOD JUGS DOWN IN FRONT. THEN WE ASKED HIM FOR A FAVOR - COULD WE ACQUIRE A BOOTH AT FARMINGTON (AT THE TIME THERE WAS A WAITING LIST)? BUT UPON TELLING HIM WE WERE FROM MICHIGAN - WAY OUT IN THE MIDWEST - HE SAID SURE. AT THAT TIME HE HAD NO DEALERS FROM THE MIDWEST, WHICH CHANGED VERY QUICKLY.

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SINCE THEN IT HAS BECOME A STAPLE IN OUR LIVES. WHILE MANAGEMENT HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS, AS HAVE MANY OTHER COMPONENTS, WE STILL ENJOY THIS VENUE VERY MUCH FOR MANY REASONS - DIVERSITY OF MERCHANDISE, FRIENDLY CUSTOMERS, EASE IN PARTICIPATING , AND CONNECTICUT BEING A GREAT PLACE TO VISIT.


FOR MANY YEARS THIS WAS ONE OF OUR VERY BEST SHOWS. WE WOULD BRING AS MANY ITEMS AS WE COULD POSSIBLY CRAM INTO A TRUCK AND WOULD USUALLY SELL ALMOST EVERYTHING.
EAGER BUYERS FROM NEARBY AND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY WOULD BE IN ATTENDANCE. ONE YEAR WE SOLD A LARGE ARCHITECTURAL CORNER CUPBOARD TO A DEALER FROM LOS ANGELES. THE BUYER WAS SO ENAMORED WITH IT THEY HAD IT SHIPPED AIR FREIGHT BACK TO LA.

ANOTHER TIME, AFTER SELLING AN EXPENSIVE VICTORIAN WARDROBE, THE BUYER INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS REMOVING THE BURL WALNUT PANELS FROM THE DOORS SO MIRRORS COULD BE INSTALLED AND THEN GAVE US THE INTRICATELY CARVED CROWN, THUS RENDERING THE PIECE WORTHLESS. THAT WAS HIS PREROGATIVE ......OH-BOY!


OVER THE TIME SPAN THAT WE HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THIS SHOW, THE WHO'S WHO OF SHOW DEALERS HAVE JOINED IN ONE TIME, OR MANY TIMES, TO TAKE AVAIL OF THIS MARKET. FARMINGTON IS TRULY AN ANTIQUE FESTIVAL BECAUSE OF ITS PLEASANT ATMOSPHERE AND LAID BACK AURA. FOR THIS REASON WE HAVE MET AND BECAME FRIENDS WITH MANY A FELLOW WANDERER OVER THE YEARS.

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SURE, SOME TIMES THERE HAS BEEN RAIN OR WIND, MUD OR DUST BUT, AFTER ALL, THIS IS AN OUTSIDE MARKET. LET US NOT FORGET THE UNCOUNTABLE PLEASANT SUNNY DAYS THAT OCCURRED ALSO. BUT, WHATEVER THE WEATHER, ONE THING IS FOR SURE -THE PEOPLE COME.

EXPERIENCED COLLECTORS, DEALERS BUYING STOCK FOR THEIR SHOPS, OR YOUNG NOVICES.

WITH MANY CHOICES OF WHAT TO BUY OFFERED.



WHETHER YOU HAVE NEVER ATTENDED THE FARMINGTON ANTIQUES FESTIVAL OR IT HAS BEEN AWHILE, I RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO SO IN THE NEAR FUTURE BECAUSE WHEN A SHOW HAS BEEN AROUND FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS YOU KNOW SOMETHING HAS TO BE RIGHT.


LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!