Elephant's Trunk Unpacks
for 35th Season
April 27, 2010
NEW MILFORD, Conn. - The
Elephant's Trunk Country Flea Market unpacked for
its 35th season Easter Sunday, its warmest opening
day yet. "Turnout was better than we ever hoped,"
manager Greg Baecker said. "The weather was beautiful."
About 2,000 buyers perused offerings from 200 vendors.
One of New England's top collector
havens began modestly in the mid-1970s. Baecker's
friends owned part of the future market's New Milford,
Conn., property. Together, they brainstormed ideas
for a weekly event running April through November.
"We first thought about a country music fair,"
Baecker said. "Then we thought about antiques."
Baecker first became interested
in collecting during childhood visits to his aunt
in Cape Cod. "She owned a lot of Audubon prints
and Staffordshire," Baecker said. Today, Staffordshire
is among his favorite pieces to collect.
Many of Baecker's friends were
also collectors. They scouted venues including the
Brimfield Antique Show in Brimfield, Mass., and Renningers
Antiques & Farmers Market in Kutztown, Pa. "We
pretty much modeled the Elephant's Trunk after [those
places]," he said. The market's unique moniker
stems from The Elephant's Trunk Too, an eclectic boutique
in Mount Kisco, N.Y.
In the early days, a good week
was 15 vendors. As the show's popularity grew, Baecker
and his friends negotiated with alfalfa farmers to
exchange additional acreage for a generous supply
of vegetables. A Northeast staple for top buyers and
dealers officially took root.
The fair is comprised of about
65 percent antiques,
including glass, porcelains, antique
furniture, vintage toys, work tools, jewelry, clothing,
first-edition books, and 19th century art and sculpture.
Additionally, the Elephant's Trunk offers "a
little bit of everything," Baecker said, from
hearty flatbeds of plants and flowers to gardening
supplies to contemporary paintings and literature.
"You'll never know what you're going to find,"
he said.
Last year, he said, a buyer bought
a sampler for $3,000 and sold it on eBay for $31,000.
One of the show's longtime dealers
is Joe Perry of Danbury. "I like to collect everything,"
he said, gesturing to a framed print of Laurel and
Hardy behind a table covered with vintage kitchen
tools. "A lot of people like to buy these old
tools and still use them," he said, "because
a lot of them still work." During the April 11
show, Perry sold a Bohemian glass vase marked $50
for $40. Good quality Bohemian vases have a market
value of about $150.
"There are a lot of good
deals here," Baecker said. Many buyers, he continued,
attend Brimfield during the week and sell their wares
that Sunday at Elephant's Trunk. Others buy at Elephant's
Trunk to sell at Brimfield. Additionally, many buyers
purchase items for their shops throughout New England
and beyond.
Vendors come at a first come,
first serve basis. Cars, trucks and trailers begin
arriving on the fields at 4 a.m. "We strongly
encourage vendors to arrive absolutely no later than
7 a.m.," Baecker said. "Most arrive well
before dawn." Each space costs $50 each week;
a rate Baecker said is fixed for the next four years.
Each space is 20 feet in width and 25 feet in length.
Larger trailers usually take up about two spaces.
The fields accommodate up to 490 vendors. Most weeks
average about 300 vendors and 2,500 visitors. The
most popular months are May, June, September and October.
First-year vendor Gerard Van
Kempen of Jersey City, N.J., is originally from Holland.
"I collect a lot of glass and ceramics and always
liked to buy at Elephant's Trunk," Van Kempen
said. "I've enjoyed coming this year as a vendor.
I've accumulated a lot and it was time to sell some
of it. Everyone has been very friendly and I've been
selling great." Van Kempen's wares at the April
11 show included vintage Hazel Atlas Blue Dot Capri
glasses and Fiestaware.
"You never know what's going
to sell," said longtime vendor Francine McLeod
of Bethel, Conn. At the April 11 show, McLeod sold
Khokhloma spoons for $2 apiece. Khokhloma are Russian
folk art pieces made of hand-painted wood. McLeod
also sells assorted glassware and porcelains.
Richard Ronalter, owner of the
Noble Peddler Antique Shop in Torrington, Conn., is
also an established vendor. "What do I specialize
in?" he said. "I specialize in quality."
During the April 11 event, he sold a mercury glass
vase for $150. His offerings included Majolica, Quimper
plates and Royal Doulton character jugs.
Robert Uzzilia of Cairo, N.Y.,
is a longtime collector who prefers unusual, out-of-the-box
items. On April 11, many prospective buyers stopped
to admire a large Indian head carving Uzzilia marked
$250. "I am pretty sure it's 19th century and
was originally used for an advertisement of some kind,"
he said. "I bought it at a shop in the Catskills.
It's one of my favorite pieces."
Another collector of the distinct
and quirky is Pete Dunham of Saugerties, N.Y. One
of his most striking pieces is a six-foot-tall sculpture
of a man with Native American clothing and the face
of Buddha. The man is drinking from a jug of what
appears to be wine. Dunham acquired the piece at an
auction in the Catskills and priced it at $1,200.
"It's a very different piece," he said.
"I've had it for a while. It was probably made
in the 19th century."
In addition to the eye-catching
and bizarre, many Elephant Trunk vendors sell antique
furniture. Vendor Werner Schmidt of Coldenham, N.Y.,
is a professional decorator specializing in fine art
and antiques. His display at the April 11 show included
a 19th century Sgabello chair marked $425.
Sam Mirlis, owner of Unique Interiors
of Seymour, Conn., specializes in a range of items
including vintage furniture. His offerings April 11
included a pair of Hitchcock-style rush seat chairs
for $100.
Carol Sand of Branford, Conn.,
is an estate liquidation specialist with 45 years
of experience. She has a particular passion for jewelry
and vintage purses. "I have been going to Elephant's
Trunk for years," she said. Her pieces at the
April 11 show included early 20th century purses ranging
from $95 to $135.
Fernando Sanches of Bridgeport,
Conn., likes mixing his collecting with his own artwork.
In addition to glassware and Limoges china, Sanches'
booth April 11 included artistic renderings of classic
rock albums and portraits of bands including The Who,
The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd. "Earlier today,
[Who front man] Roger Daltrey's mother-in-law came
by," Sanches said. "She lives in the area
and goes to Elephant's Trunk every year. She bought
my rendering of the Grateful Dead's Skull & Roses
album for someone in her family. You never know who's
going to visit."
Elephant's Trunk is open every
Sunday from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. through November 28.
Public admission between 5:45 a.m. and 7 a.m. is $20.
Public admission after 7 a.m. is $2. While the market
is formally open until 2 p.m., dealers begin packing
around noon, so early birds are encouraged. The market
is generally open rain or shine, although visitors
should call 508-265-9911 in cases of significantly
inclement weather. Fair-style food is available for
purchase. The day often includes entertainment from
local bluegrass bands.
No pets are allowed on the premises. Vendors are prohibited
from selling weapons, knives, counterfeit merchandise,
animal-leg traps and pornographic materials. Dealers
cannot sell or give away food or beverages.
Ample field parking and restroom
facilities are available. Elephant's Trunk is located
on Route 7 in New Milford, Conn., off I-84, Exit 7.
The location is approximately nine miles north of
Danbury, Conn. For more information, visit http://www.etflea.com.
Elephant's
Trunk Unpacks for 35th Season
