BRIMFIELD, Mass. — It is strange to see Route 20 in Brimfield so empty in mid-May.
The fields lining the roadway are vacant, traffic is light, and, at noon, there wasn’t a single pedestrian to be seen. This is the home of the Brimfield Antiques Show, one of the country’s premier antique events.
Three times a year, people from around the country flock to the central Massachusetts town for the Brimfield Fair. Like everything else, the COVID-19 crisis has shut down Brimfield, but it hasn’t killed it off.
This year, the Brimfield Antiques Show is thriving, not in the physical world, but the virtual one.
Klia Ververidis is the CEO of Hertan’s Antiques Shows. Her field is one of the most popular at Brimfield. And this year, Klia is bringing her dealers online, to her Facebook page, where live-streaming is allowing the Brimfield community to stay together.
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Klia is posting videos of the opening of various Brimfield fields at the exact time they would traditionally open. And, so far, Klia said that dealers are reporting strong sales.
One dealer reported selling an item for $3800, and a live jewelry auction netted nearly $10,000 in sales.
“I think a lot of people think, when you bring something online, it becomes homogenous and generic, but in this case, everyone’s personality is coming through loud and clear,” Ververidis said.
The Brimfield Antiques Show runs through Saturday afternoon. There are several online Brimfield events taking place. To follow the Hertan’s live feed, visit their Facebook page.
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