Last weekend I dropped my daughter at college—big deal, right? But that experience pales next to my first-ever visit to Brimfield Antique Show, a name which completely undersells the experience (www.brimfieldshow.com): This show is so large that I’m sure you can see it from space. It's so large that you have to plan in advance which of 21 fields you’ll visit because it has taken over the whole town. But here's the unexpected plot twist: Not many dealers focus on modern furniture, opting instead on 18th/19th century furniture or country tchotchkes for accessorizing. So if you're looking exclusively for modern furniture (like me), this may make you feel a bit like you're looking for a needle in a haystack (I know I did)!
A couple of tips:
If you're looking for modern, you can do Brimfield in a day. The biggest issue is that it's not organized at all, so you'll have to walk the aisles--but you can be focused, and that is actually your advantage.
Look for dealers you can work with--not just product. I found several with a good eye and a focus on modern: www.duchessd.com (located in The Meadow field), www.dead50s.net (located in the Heart of the Mart field) and www.2-b-modern.com (located in the New England Motel field).
Bring a large enough vehicle to bring things home. While modern isn't the star of the show, there are good pieces to be found at good prices. Next year I'm borrowing a larger van!
So here's my bottom line: Yes, Brimfield is huge. Yes, there's a lot there that isn't what I'm looking for. But it's still a big deal source for modern furnishings.