Berkshires Make A Perfect Destination for an Antiques Road Trip

THE BERKSHIRES, MA-Like an angler with a favorite fishing hole, most savvy antiques aficionados have a favorite, often secret destination. For many collectors and shop owners-be they New England day-trippers enjoying a treasure hunt, Canadian visitors shopping their way up or down Route 7 or Northeast dealers replenishing their inventory-the antiques mecca of choice is western Massachusetts' Berkshire County.

Whether you're searching for formal early American pieces or Fiesta Ware, the Berkshire's galleries, specialty dealers and group marketplaces offer an astonishing range of antiques and collectibles in a relatively small region. Collectors looking for antique American clocks, 18th and 19th century glass and china, Oriental furniture, estate jewelry or rare books will find places that specialize in these items and others.

Many antiques road trippers begin in southern Berkshire County, where some of the largest shops are located. Sheffield, home of the Berkshire County Antiques and Art Dealers Association (comprised of more than 60 area shops), offers a particularly large concentration of dealers. Most shops offer the association's free Antiques Map & Guide, an invaluable resource for plotting your trip.

Step into Sheffield's Painted Porch Antiques for English and French country furniture and accessories from the 18th and 19th centuries, including armoires, tables, cupboards and desks. Cupboards & Roses boasts a large selection of fine 18th and 19th century paint-decorated European and Scandinavian furniture. Twin Fires Barn-Robert Davis Antiques is stocked with American and European antiques and waxed pine and classic leather furniture, while Susan Silver Antiques is the place to find 18th and 19th century English and Continental formal furniture, gilded mirrors and chandeliers.

Next door, in Southfield, Buggy Whip Antiques Market has15,000 square feet filled with antiques, books, furniture and jewelry in an 18th century setting. Great Barrington, just north, features an assortment of antiques shops including the Emporium Antique Center, an upscale downtown dealer featuring jewelry, art glass, sterling and other fine decorative arts. The huge gallery at Asia Barong features Asian art antiques and sculpture. Berkshire Antiques displays a large eclectic collection of French country furniture, decorative accessories, garden and architectural elements and plumbing fixtures. Country Dining Room Antiques focuses on antique tableware, with porcelain, stemware, silver, dining furniture, and linens displayed in formal and country settings.

From Great Barrington, travel southwest on Route 23 to South Egremont. Kenver Ltd. offers antiques along with their line of fine apparel and winter sports equipment. Point the car north on Route 7 and drive to Lenox, where Charles L. Flint Antiques buys and sells oil paintings, Shaker items, 18th and 19th century and early American wares, folk art and blown glass. Also there is Past and Future Antiques, with19th and 20th century fine small antiques, perfume bottles, sewing accessories, china, glass and sterling.
Bellefontaine Antiques, in adjacent Pittsfield, displays European art pottery, dinnerware and glass and other antiques while Nora Martin Antiques has 19th and 20th century furniture, china, sterling, vintage jewelry, linens and clothes. Just over the state line to the west, in New Lebanon, NY, is Meissner's Auction Service & Antique Center, LLC, which holds weekly Saturday evening auctions. Meissner's specialties include antique furniture, stoneware, art, glass, quilts and linens.

The heaviest concentration of dealers is in southern Berkshire County, but myriad antiques shops dot Berkshire County's roads countywide. In northern Berkshire, check out Library Antiques in Williamstown for a wonderfully eclectic selection of furniture, antiques, prints, folk art, housewares, jewelry and rare books, making it another ideal starting point or destination for a day of antiquing throughout the Berkshires.
To obtain complete information on antiques hunting in Berkshire County, call the Berkshire Visitors Bureau (866-444-1815) or visit their web site at berkshires.org.

Selected Berkshire County Antique Dealers and Resources

Asia Barong-Large space for displays of antiques. Leading supplier of museums, galleries and decorators nationwide. (413) 528-5091; 199 Stockbridge Rd., Great Barrington, MA01230 www.Asisbarong.com

Bellefontaine Antiques-Tasteful collections of American and European furniture, art pottery, dinnerware and art work. (413) 499-1391) 814 East St., Pittsfield, MA 01220 www.info@bellefontaineantiques.com

Berkshire Antiques-Offering a large eclectic collection of French country furniture, decorative accessories, garden and architectural elements and plumbing fixtures. (413) 644-9262; 107 Stockbridge Rd, Great Barrington, MA 01230 berkshireantique@aol.com.

Berkshire County Massachusetts Antiques and Art Dealers Association-An association of more than 60 area shops offering a broad variety of art, antiques and collectibles. (413) 229-7773; 28 South Main St., Sheffield, MA 01257 www.berkshireantiquesandart.com.

Buggy Whip Antiques Market-15,000 SF antiques, books, furniture and jewelry in an 18th century setting. Reproduction French Canadian Farm House Furniture. (413) 229-0002, 208 Norfolk Rd., Rte 272, Southfield, MA 01259 www.buggywhipantiques.com

Corner House Antiques-American antique wicker of the 19th and early 20th century. Extensive collection of tables, chairs and sets in traditional wicker styles. (413) 229-6627, Corner Old Mill Pond Rd. and Rte. 7, Sheffield, MA 01257 www.americanwicker.com

Country Dining Room Antiques-This leading antique tableware specialist presents porcelain, stemware, silver, dining furniture and linens beautifully displayed in formal and country settings (413) 528-5050; 178 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230 info@countrydiningroomantiq.com.

Cupboards & Roses-One of the largest selections of fine 18th and 19th century paint-decorated furniture from Europe and Scandinavia, including armoires, chests and tables. (413) 229-3070; 296 S. Main St., PO Box 426, Sheffield, MA 01257; goantiques.com

Elise Abrams Antiques-Fine antiques for dining- largest inventory of antique porcelain, stemware, art glass, furniture and tabletop accessories. (413) 528-3201, 11 Stockbridge Rd., Rte. 7, Great Barrington, MA 01230 www.eliseabrams.com

The Emporium Antique Center-An upscale antique center featuring an extensive collection of jewelry, art glass, sterling and other fine decorative arts. (413) 528-1660, 319 Main St., Rte. 7, Great Barrington, MA 01230

Charles L. Flint Antiques-Museum quality 19th century paintings and American antiques, Shaker, Norman Rockwell, Folk Art, blown glass and stoneware. (413) 637-1634; 52 Housatonic St., PO Box 971, Lenox, MA 01240; chazma@vgernet.net

Green River Gallery-Located in a 1775 Historic Colonial. 19th and 20th century. American Art. Appraisals and restoration available. Selected furniture and accessories circa 1680-1860. (518) 789-3311; 578 Boston Corners Rd., County Rte. 63, Boston Corners, NY 12546

Kenver Ltd.-Retailers of fine apparel, antiques and winter sports equipment since 1959 in an 18th Century former Inn. Old world charm. Open Sept. to April. (413) 528-2330/(800) 342-7547 39; Main St., PO Box 38, South Egremont, MA 01258 info@kenverltd.com http://kenverltd.com

Library Antiques-Nothing in our shop is ordinary-furniture, antiques, prints, folk art, housewares, jewelry and rare books. (413) 458-3436/(800) 294-4798 70; Spring St., Williamstown, MA 01267

Meissner's Auction Service & Antique Center, LLC-Antique auction house. Weekly on Saturday evenings. Preview during the day. Antique furniture, art, glass, stoneware, firearms, quilts and linens. (518) 766-5002 438 US Rte. 20, New Lebanon, NY 12125 www.meissnersauction.com

Nora Martin Antiques-Operating since 1979, offering 19th and 20th century furniture, china, sterling and collectables. Also, vintage jewelry, linens and clothes. (413)499-0927, 446 Tyler St., Pittsfield, MA 01201 www.noraantiques.com

Painted Porch Antiques-English and French country furniture and accessories from 18th and 19th centuries. Specializing in pine and painted armoires, tables, cupboards and desks. (413) 229-2700; 102 South Main St., Rte. 7, Sheffield, MA 01257, (Mailing Address: Box 428, Sheffield, MA 01257) paintedporch.com

Past and Future Antiques-19th and 20th century fine small antiques, perfume bottles, sewing accessories, china, glass and sterling. (413) 637-2225, 63 Church St., Lenox, MA 01240

Susan Silver Antiques-Offering English and Continental 18th and 19th century formal furniture. Featuring fine furniture for the library, period mirrors, chandeliers and decorative accessories. (413) 229-8169; Rte. 7, 755 N. Main St., PO Box 621, Sheffield, MA 01257 ssilver@bcn.net

Twin Fires Barn - Robert Davis Antiques-Out of the way, out of the ordinary. Amply stocked with American and European antiques, poster art and waxed pine and classic leather furniture. (413) 229-8899; 1350 Berkshire School Rd., PO Box 17, Sheffield, MA 01257

Phil Watson's Antique & Vintage Lighting-Leading source of antique lighting in New England with a wide selection of residential and industrial lighting from 1820s to 1840s. (413) 664-9150, 2 State Rd., Great Barrington, MA 01230 www.pwvintagelighting.com

R. W. Wise, Goldsmiths, Inc.-Handmade contemporary, antique and estate jewelry. Special sourcing for rare colored gemstones and pearls. On site workshop. (413) 637-1589, 81 Church St., Lenox, MA 01240.