Not ones to let flea-market season die easily, we went last weekend to Todd Farm. Todd Farm is a flea market that has been held for the last 37 years Sundays in Rowley from early April through the end of November. Up to 240 flea market vendors are spread out on its fields on any given Sunday. If you're looking for something in particular, its best to go early. And by early, we mean early like 6am (although you can still buy things until early afternoon). More after the jump.
Merchandise at Todd Farm varies from antique furniture, clocks, jewelry, art, and tools to industrial castors, scavenged old doors, honey products, homemade evergreen wreaths and vintage holiday decorations this time of year. For for the last few weeks of the season, things can go cheap because no one wants to store it over the winter if they don't have to.
We ended up buying an old industrial tray with a fat metal handle to use as an inbox ($1), a vintage file cabinet painted fire engine red ($5), and then we split a pair of these Thonet chairs with our friend Camilla. Each of us plans to paint and re-upholster them over the winter and use them as a desk chair. You never know what you'll find at Todd Farm so its a great way to get out early up on a crisp November morning with a friend and have fun looking.
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I LOVE Todd Farm. My husband grew up just up the street from there in Ipswich, and we regularly go on weekends to scout the deals. The barn on the property has a ton more furniture people sometimes miss. It's an amazing piece of property and a fun weekend trip.
Another person who loves Todd Farm!!!! My husband and I go early morning and love it. So many great things and we have met some really cool people also.
i am so annoyed with apartmenttherapy for spilling. i keep very few secrets in life, and Todd Farm is one of them. whether you score the $3 alabaster lamp or the perfect bakelite piece, or you simply wander through a beautiful field in a beautiful area on a Sunday morning conversing with many hilarious heavily accented vendors, there is no more quintessentially New England way to spend a Sunday morning. my aunt and uncle refer to it as "church".
bargaining is half the fun, and vendors expect it. nobody likes city boys and girls who don't play along with this tradition and ultimately jack up prices for everyone else. here's the script: "how much are you asking for the [ugly tchotchke]?" "50." "Hmm, would you take 30?" "No but you can have it for $40." There, see how easy that was?
the Todd family has owned the land for some ungodly number of centuries (around 4), and last year's family feuds have halved the flea market's size (to build McMansions on the other half), but it's still worth a trip.
Wow...that wooden chair upholstered in black leather right next to the pink wing back is only $15!?
i went today and it was awesome! i think i went too late for furniture, but i got some lovely jadeite spice jars. i'll be back next week at the crack of dawn; thanks so much for posting this!