I'm not well-versed in the antiques market. However, my mother was, and I would tag along with her…read moreto Brimfield, MA, all the time, so I am familiar with the process. I've been furnishing an older home in the Berkshires for about a year and a half, and compared to the Fairfield County area (the old Mongers Market, Our Place, etc.) I find this shop to be perfect. I've been splitting time between NW CT and Western Mass for neat finds. Like most spots, you need to be able to maneuver in small spaces in most booths. You also need to be able to crouch down and stand back up now and then, or bring someone with you who can. I did not consider any of the prices I encountered to be over the top, and there's plenty of parking. There is also a lot of variety and unique finds. I highly recommend it if you're in the market for some treasures. I know I will definitely be back soon.

Good selection. Well organized. Collectables, furniture, Kitchen ware. Overall, overpriced.read more

Writer Friend lives for thrifting. She had been trying to get me to go with her to check out STS…read morefor a while. Well, she got the chance, and dragged me through the shelves, stacks and racks one morning. I will say this: you really need to know what you're looking at, and it's general worth. There are a few gems hidden among the dross, so it's important to be able to tell them apart. WF found a couple of candlesticks, that looked the same to me, and each priced at $3. She looked at both, picked up one, and explained that one was pewter and probably worth $50-$100, and the other one was cast aluminum, and not even worth $3. It seemed that these difference were all over the store; similar things priced the same, with one being a bargain, and the other being a waste. One thing that I didn't appreciate was one of the old ladies shadowing us while we made our way through the shelves; she was always within a few feet of us. Maybe she wanted to be close by in case we had questions, but it made me feel like a criminal she wanted to catch in the act. When we finished exploring this room, we headed over the other one, which was primarily clothing and textiles. WF was looking for curtains that she could repurpose for another project. This room was bright and cheery, as opposed to the other one, with windows covered and few lights. The clerk in this area barely noticed us when we walked in and didn't leave her seat behind the desk the entire time we were there - she didn't even respond when we said "Good morning!". We didn't last long in here, since there was nothing WF saw that met her needs. If I had more room, and a better grasp of antiques, I may come here more often, if for nothing else than to find those hidden bargains and resell them on eBay. Right now, with limited storage and a hatred of dusting, I'm just going to limit myself to browsing.

Thrift adventure on a large scale! This is a pair of large shops on their own campus off the main…read moreroad. One shop is all clothing, nicely organized in an airy, bright space with dressing rooms. I'm a weird size, so I didn't linger, but in general, selection looked "nice," more consignment-store style than down-and-dirty thrifting. The other shop is simply made of awesome. The main area is a pleasant selection of furniture, linens, and "better" decor. Then there's The Little Shop off through a doorway, which is crammed with so many bargains, experienced thrifters will whimper. This section has all sorts of things (toys, decor, china, useful household stuff). These are paid for separately from the main store, and you find out the price by asking. Prices turn out to be low. It's much more compact back here, so don't bring a huge handbag and do pick up a shopping basket if you start seeing temptations.

I visited East West Vintage for my second time since they opened last year. Both times were some of…read moremy best vintage shopping ever. If you love unique, one of a kind pieces that are cool, yet timeless.. you must pay them a visit. The store is so well curated. You feel more like you're rummaging through your cool friend's closet than a retail store. I left with 4 pieces of clothing and some glassware. Each one is a gem and will all be closet staples. They're well priced for the quality and each time I've felt welcomed by the staff. Shout out to Lily who helped me today! xx

Second Chance Shop is a very nice thrift store in Simsbury that I heard from my friend Dan about…read more Their hours are limited so be sure to check before you go. Their clothing racks are organized by color and size, and everything is in excellent condition. I however am mostly drawn to their home items, like their plates and dishes. I once picked up eight dessert plates for 15 cents each. None of them had a single scratch or nick. They have a whole bookshelf of hard cover books for just $2.00 each. There's plenty of jewelry, I saw a really cool pair of large pearl earrings, but they were clip ons. They also have some beautiful artwork, that's already framed. This is a lovely thrift store, that I wouldn't skip stopping by!

"One thing I think you should know I ain't gonna miss you…read morewhen you go I'm just second hand news" (Fleetwood Mac) It kind of feels wrong to call the Second Chance Shop a "Thrift Store" because its the GD nicest thrift store I 've ever seen. If there's such a thing as a hgh end thrift store, this is it. It's super organized and gorgeous inside, with jewelry, clothing, household and kitchen accesories and a lot more. The pricing is ridiculously low. I saw $1 books, $5 shirts (one of which I bought), $5 jeans and dress slacks, lots of dresses under $10, and a box of 25 cent greeting cards. They are affiliated with The Village for Families and Children in Glastonbury, Suffield, West Hartford and Simsbury, so all of the store's proceeds go to a great cause. We know we'll be back!

Beautiful and unique place with a large selection of merchants selling antiques, crafts, art, funky…read morecrazy and weird (in a good way) must have stuff!

I was spending a few days staying with some friends in Middletown last week and had some time to…read morekill on Saturday. What's the best thing to do when that happens? Obviously it's to check out some antique centers and the first one we checked out was Forest City Merchants. This antique centre is located inside of what looks like an old factory building and has a pretty decent amount of space. The floor itself is separated by some small walls and there's a few separate rooms throughout the building. I spent maybe twenty minutes or so wandering around without finding anything, but hey, you could go to the same antique center once a week for a year and hit the absolute biggest jackpot one week and then strike out 49 weeks in a row, so that's just what happened on this day. I did see some cool action figures and such, and luckily it didn't appear that any of the booths here had Temu garbage. Overall, Forest City Merchants was a solid antique center to walk through and certainly a place to check out if you are in the area. I'll definitely be back in the future since I'll be staying in Middletown again.

Interesting place for buy antique and all stuff i like the colleccion stuff and more .read more

I didn't hate it, didn't love it. It's one of those places that looks like a flea market on the…read moreoutside but feels more like a collection of boutique stalls once you're in. Each vendor has a cute little setup, which is nice for browsing, but the pricing? Definitely not flea market pricing. As a reseller, I'm always on the hunt for deals, and there just wasn't any room here. Most items were priced at full retail--or even higher in some cases--which kind of defeats the purpose. Yes, some of the stuff is old, used, and vintage-adjacent, but nothing rare enough to justify the markup. If you're just looking for a weekend wander or want a quirky spot to kill time, it's fine. But if you're a picker, collector, or someone who knows the value of what you're looking at... this probably isn't your gold mine. Personally, I won't be rushing back.

What a wonderful great new place! The prices are very very reasonable. Everything is very well…read moreorganized and very clean. I'm purchasing several things on my first visit!

The entire place smells like weed, I couldn't stay in there for more than two minutes I was…read moresuffocating.

My wife and I recently visited the Watertown Antique Collective. Although it's not in a very…read morecharming location, you will completely forget that the instant you walk through the door. There is a warm atmosphere that reflects the lovely nature of its owner, Jeff Cote. It is the most beautifully laid out antique shop I've ever been to. But describing it as an antique shop doesn't really do it justice. There is a bounty of carefully curated items to be discovered here. Every room you step into opens a new world of wonders. There are large pieces of furniture and small ones of both antique and modern design. There are vases, candlesticks, racks of clothing, and knick-knacks of every variety. And if taxidermy is your thing, this is the place for you. I can't say enough about this truly enchanting emporium. We were so delighted to discover this marvelous shop, and I'm sure you will be too.