With spring comes the opening of the great flea markets and antiques fairs, from Brimfield, MA, Dallas and Round Tree. TX, to Santa Fe, and New Hampshire, Wisconsin and beyond. The questions that have come to The Appraisal Group this week revolve around trust. Can you trust a show dealer to give you the straight story on your purchase?

Know your vendor. Know the show. Antiques fairs and flea markets have several tiers. At the top are the highly vetted shows. The Philadelphia Art & Antiques Show and New York’s Winter Antiques Show are among the strictest. Before these shows begin, a committee made up of curators, auction house experts and category specialists walks the floor of the expo and weeds out any products that do not meet the criteria of age and authenticity. These items are then removed from the floor. What’s left is verifiable. A word of caution, it is unlikely you will find bargains at these shows. They are high end, for collectors and quality decorators. Always get a receipt with description.

The next tier fair or show is often put on by an antiques or art expo producer. These commercial organizations go around the country hosting fairs that specialize in jewelry, antiques, and fine art. Generally, these fairs are not vetted to the same extent as the top tier shows. The dealers are trusted to present wares that have some age and historic value but they are not held to that. Plenty of reproductions and copies sneak in. (Beware, repos now look so good they could pass for authentic.) Always ask for a written description and a receipt.

Flea markets and Garages. All I can say is “buyer beware”. Except for the noted shows like Brimfield, these are likely to be produced by just about any company that can rent a garage or fairgrounds. Vendors flock to these venues who do not have shops, work from their tailgate or or who do business only by doing shows and flea markets. Most are reputable. Some, not so much. Although many items are sold “as is,” get a receipt with the seller’s name and contact info on it.

For a great take on the world of flea markets and antiques, I urge you to read the novel “Killer Stuff and Tons of Money” by Maureen Stanton. Larry McMurty’s “Cadillac Jack,” quite a few years old now, also gives you behind-the-scenes insight. Most recently, “A Paris Apartment” waxed poetic about antique furniture and fine art. For a look at the way dealers see the world of antiques fairs and flea markets, read Antiques and The Arts Weekly.

If you’re not sure you got what you paid for, call The Appraisal Group for an authentication and valuation of your antique.

Editor’s Note: Today’s lead image is a booth at Morristown Armory Antiques Show 2016. Courtesy Antiques and The Arts Weekly. This reputable show has been running for many years. Image, courtesy Antiques and The Arts Weekly.