post off: where are your favorite flea markets?
It’s spring, so my thoughts turn to, “Where can I buy cool, kitschy stuff that I don’t (necessarily) need?” Ah, the season of the outdoor antique show—I’m not talking flea markets selling big box store closeouts; I’m talking entire fairgrounds of vendors offering everything from Pee-wee Herman dolls “mint in box” to vintage Bertoia chairs. Two exceptional fleas near my hometown of Cincinnati are Kentucky’s Burlington Antique Show—where a friend scored the weird and wonderful fake food and doll heads from old store window displays—and the Tri-State Antique Market in Lawrenceburg, IN. Since moving to Seattle, I’ve become a regular at the Fremont Sunday Market (Open year-round!), but I’m itching to find the really big shows. So out with it—where’s the best outdoor antique show in your neck of the woods? And what’s your favorite thing you’ve found there? — Mary T.
May 24th, 2007 at 9:58 am
I really love the huge, amazing Rose Bowl flea market in Pasadena–I’ve found some amazing stuff there, especially vintage clothes and jars of pretty buttons. It’s the second Sunday of every month, rain or shine. Melrose Trading Post in LA is also good, it’s every Sunday, and much smaller.
Since I’ve moved back to Portland I’ve been thinking that the one thing that’s missing is a great flea market! If there’s one within a couple hours of the city I’d love to hear about it…
May 24th, 2007 at 10:35 am
I’ve never been to Stormville…but I hear it’s quite the mecca. Other than that…The Coxsackie Antique Center and The Ravena Barn are favorites…and located in my beloved upstate New York. The Red Hook/Rhinbeck area is my favorite for tag sal’ing.
I haven’t been to the Chelsea Flea Market since it moved out of Chelsea and up to Hell’s Kitchen. It just seems wrong to me. LOL
May 24th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Not having a car makes flea markets kinda hard to attend on a regular basis, BUT the best flea market I’ve ever been to was in Hawaii. I was on vacation, staying with military friends who were stationed on Oahu. All week, my friend Jen kept preventing me from lingering too long at the shops and boy, was I thankful. On the next-to-last day, we headed to the football stadium and it seemed like there were thousands of stands. Everything we’d seen all week long was available - at 1/2 the cost - plus things we hadn’t seen. It was fantastic - jewelry, fabrics, knick knacks… Every few yards was a coconut stand where they had whole coconuts floating in coolers of ice water. It was the perfect snack for walking around the miles of booths. There weren’t too many vintage booths, but plenty of kitsch. If you ever visit Oahu, you’ve GOT to go!
May 24th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
The best and biggest one in Texas is Roundtop. It takes days to see everything. Click here to see everything I bought when I went this spring http://blackeyedsuzies.blogspot.com/2007/04/my-round-top-treasures.html . The next show is in October and I’ll be back there again! I heart flea markets.
May 24th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
There are so many amazing flea markets in my neck of the woods… the southwest coast of British Columbia. If you ever come visit Vancouver or Victoria, here is a list of markets to see:
The Vancouver Flea Market is awesome-
http://www.vancouverfleamarket.com/Auction/Home.asp
As is the 21st Century Flea Market on Commercial Drive in Vancouver-
http://www.21cpromotions.com/flea_market/index.html
The outdoor Richmond Night Market is always full of eclectic items-
http://www.richmondnightmarket.com/
Portobello West is a wicked outdoor artisan market in Vancouver-
http://www.portobellowest.com/
Government Street Market in Victoria is my seasonal fav-
http://www.pin.ca/market/
Great bargains can be had at the Swap & Shop in Victoria-
http://www.pin.ca/speedway/default.htm
Of course, I love this time of year for garage sales!!
The annual “Garagellenium” in Oak Bay, Victoria BC has the bestest finds (a rather well-off community with wicked spring-cleaning deals). I always look forward to this event every June! Guaranteed treasures to be found!
Soooo…. that’s my list for my “community”.
I hope to visit some of your locations to experience your fav flea markets…
Happy treasure hunting!
Tara (:
May 24th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Pasadena City College, the first Sunday of each month. Easier to navigate than the Rose Bowl, and better prices too.
May 25th, 2007 at 6:06 am
In the Chicago area, the Kane Country flea market is one of my favorites. It’s not the cheapest in the world, but they have good stuff and great fair food. I remember also loving the flea market in Sandwich, IL about another 30 miles west of Kane County. I also haven’t been there in a long time, but will return in a couple weeks.
May 27th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Hello! The Fremont flea market here in Seattle is fun and often has great stuff, but the items can be overpriced, so folks should be prepared to negotiate. : ) Local garage sales are everywhere and are also excellent, plus several community organizations and many churches have excellent flea markets for just a weekend all spring/summer/early fall long. seattle.craiglist.org often has ads for them.
There are a some great thrift stores also: the usual Good Will (by the sports stadiums south of downtown), Value Village on Capitol Hill (Lake City’s so-so). My favorite is the Lifelong Thrift store — it is excellent.
There’s also a swap meet every other week in Monroe. I’ve never been so I have no idea what it is like. I bet there are more options in Tacoma and perhaps in Everett, and in Bellingham.
Manhattan has a famous flea market that I cannot recall the name or location of. But there are tons of little flea markets all over Brooklyn and Queens that take place in churches etc that are a mixture of new items and interesting vintage items.
May 28th, 2007 at 8:37 am
In the San Francisco bay area the biggest and the baddest is the Alameda Flea Market. It’s held just across the Bay Bridge on an old Alameda Naval Base and has at least 800 vendors. A really good chunk of my apartment furnishings and accessories come from there.
http://www.antiquesbybay.com/
It’s massive…wear your sneakers. It’s held the first Sunday of the month.
May 28th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
I agree with Lindsay the Roundtop Flea Market between Austin and Houston is amazing. I go for 3 days straight every April and October and do not get to see everything. This summer I am going up to Massachusetts for Brimfield which I hear is the largest flea market in the country.
May 29th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Are there any websites that round all this stuff up? There should be…
And does anyone know of any listings of international flea markets? I’m going to be in Croatia next month and I don’t ahve the foggiest idea how to find flea markets/second hand stores while I’m there…
June 10th, 2007 at 7:28 am
The State Fairgrounds Flea Market in Raleigh NC is a great find. Not as big as the others mentioned, but a treasure trove of great old southern finds- pie safes, old furniture with hand-hewn nails, great costume jewelry, old linens, mid-century dealers, etc. And the best thing about it is how cheap it all is. At least half the furniture in my house is from there. And its right next to the Dorton Arena, a hallmark of modern architecture and home of the Carolina Rollergirls!
June 12th, 2007 at 10:23 am
While we are not a flea market, we do have a crazy assortment from glow in the dark virgin Mary and Jesus to toys from the 50’s and 60’s. All our stuff is new and people spend hours just walking around sometimes. We have two stores, one on Haight in San Francisco and one on Park in Alameda.
http://www.shophappytrails.com
March 21st, 2008 at 5:45 am
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May 22nd, 2008 at 5:27 pm
I love, love the Orange County Outdoor Flea Market at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Middletown New York. A true bargain hunter’s paradise.
August 14th, 2008 at 8:45 am
I got spoiled by so many flea markets in LA (Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Long Beach, Santa Monica). I did Brimfield one year with my mom, but didn’t get much out of it. Here in Seattle, it’s not quite the same (Fremont doesn’t even compare), but I’d be interested to check out Monroe which is about 40 minutes from North Seattle. I’ll definitely have to check out Alameda sometime. My wallet has been happy than I’m not a flea junkie anymore!
August 18th, 2008 at 5:02 am
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August 18th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Have to say ditto on the Pasadena City College flea–great prices, plus there is a family there that sells fantastic baked goods out of the back of their car. Long Beach flea is wonderful too, but so huge that it takes a real commitment to get through it. I live in a city now with no flea market–boo hoo.