Life to the Brim: Brimfield Dealer Profile: Rustored Salvage

One of my favorite parts of developing the Brimfield Flea Finder app, has been meeting so many talented passionate people who love what they do. This series of Brimfield Dealer Profiles will highlight a small sample of dealers that can be found using the app. For the July show I will focus on a handful of dealers who have participated and supported the app from the beginning. I'm thrilled to help shine a little more light on these businesses that they work so hard building and running every day.

Rustored Salvage
Industrial salvage. Shelton's F9. Use the Brimfield Flea Finder app to find their booth at the show or their contact info between shows.

Eric Moore is the dealer behind Rustored Salvage. He's not exactly a veteran Brimfield dealer but you wouldn't know that by looking at his booth. He has managed to secure a coveted spot directly on Route 20 despite being a relatively new kid on the block. His booth is always bustling and he has a laid back positive energy that people are drawn to. It's obvious right away that he enjoys what he does and knows exactly what he's doing.

He says he has always been drawn to old interesting items and has been crawling through barns and attending auctions all his life, but it wasn't until he got laid off from his corporate job three years ago that he began doing it as a full time job.

His booth is an eclectic mix of industrial, institutional and unique salvaged items. It's not overly curated, but he says he does like to stage it in a way that shows buyers what the items could be used for. Although he has different items at each show, the feel of his booth never changes much. He seems to have an endless supply of work benches, carts, crates and the typical industrial pieces you would expect, but then there are always unique pieces mixed in. At this show he has several large pieces of a bowling alley. He says he bought the whole place and left most of it behind in his warehouse in Hopedale, MA.

I've been to his warehouse. It's a sight to see. You could get lost in it for hours (that may or may not have happened to me). This picture doesn't even do it justice. It keeps going!

But Brimfield is an integral part of his business. If you are going to sell vintage items in New England, Brimfield is an opportunity to get yourself in front of a large number of buyers in one place. He does about 30% of his overall sales during his three weeks at Brimfield. But to him, it's not only about the sales at the show. "As a wholesaler, the show provides exposure to all of the dealers who then continue to buy from me throughout the year."

Moore said he would probably do Brimfield even if he had to travel farther, but one of the benefits of being 45 minutes from home (besides sleeping in his own bed at night) is being able to re-supply his tent as items get purchased. "There is nothing worse than an empty tent to a prospective customer." And since he does tend to sell to dealers, he is often picked over very early in the show so they can stock their own booths.

While some dealers may try different fields before finding a permanent home, Moore is very happy with Shelton's and won't be going anywhere any time soon. "I think the key to Shelton's field is the owner Lois and the field manager John. Lois has an open door to ideas and new approaches as well as a loyal commitment to her venders. John and his crew are always there when you need them and are a proactive and considerate team."

Favorite Brimfield Food: "No question BT's Brisket! Enough Said!"

Best Tip for Shoppers: "Buy it when you see it. If you love something but want to shop for a better price then come back for it, it will likely be gone when you return. Spend the time negotiating a reasonable price with that vendor. Most venders will come down but don't try and insult them with a low-ball offer. It takes a lot for some of us to acquire this stuff."

Best Part of the July Show: "The September show is right around the corner!"