Flea Market Adrenaline

Holy smokes. Finally (finally, finally) a flea market opened up near me, the first in 18 months. It’s a small one (40+ vendors) at a high school parking lot up the road. I was so excited I was ready an hour before it opened!

And it didn’t disappoint. I was there for almost 90 minutes and could have stayed longer…should have stayed longer and done a full second loop! There were a few vintage/antique sellers that had both fabulous stuff and reasonable prices and I’m kicking myself for not being more thorough at their tables.

Still I found quite a few wonderful smalls. Unique things. Some out of my wheelhouse! And it was so darn fun. I’m still jonesing on it!

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My first port of call was the “jewelry lady.” She brings a van full of jewelry. While everything is jumbled in small trays, she has them sorted by categories. There was a tray of vintage rhinestone costume jewelry. Another of ethic silver pieces. One just of copper bracelets. Etc. This time I bought a campy Hollycraft Christmas tree pin and a sterling silver filigree and pearl pin made in Israel. She doesn’t give anything away, but most things still have a bit of meat on the bone.

I was looking at a wood box on another seller’s table and he told me to “hang on” and pulled out a cardboard box full of antique cigar boxes that had belonged to his grandfather. Not in perfect condition, but darn cool. I picked two boxes and one tin. Are they worth anything? Likely not much.

Another seller who always has interesting older bits captured my attention with this 1938 Baking Powder tin. It’s a bit crusty in places but the graphics and colors are strong! For $1 I couldn’t go wrong!

This vintage (likely 1970s) German pottery urn was interesting, but it’s the one that I’m having second thoughts about. Not sure why. Perhaps it’s because I’m not fond of the glaze.

This charming small art glass vase is signed “Haberman ’76” but so far I haven’t been able to find a glass artist with that name. I love how it looks stonelike!

The opening has a few fleabites, but nothing egregious that couldn’t be filed down.

Mrs. Gamp?? Who the heck is this? Turns out she’s a nurse in a Dickens’ novel (one I obviously didn’t read) who was “dissolute, sloppy and generally drunk.” This little jug was made in Japan and has a handwritten notation on the bottom “Jan. 1941.”

I thought this copper stamped concho belt was fabulous. It is unsigned, but a generous 38″ long so it can sit beautifully on the lower waist/hips.

I thought this vintage Bohemian ruby cut-to-clear glass and metal jam jar was intriguing with its unique lid lifter mechanism (which is patented). Not a common item.

Here are three little metal bits that captured my heart.

Gosh, this vintage all-brass abacus paperweight was too cool for school. It weighs an even one pound. Most of these are typically affixed to a piece of marble, but this has a brass base, which I like better than the marble.

This little vintage metal girl (possibly a geisha in the vein of Vantines) is an incense burner. She has wear to her plating but the details on this cast piece are so fine–the sweet face, the features on her robe and her tiny hands and feet. That’s what stopped me in my tracks. Plus I adored her at first glance. She’s one I’m keeping. (I’ve already burnt a stick of incense in her.)

But these three old sterling silver items are the BEST of the bunch!!! The thimble is a Dorcas by Charles Horner and the tiny box is unmarked silver with a bit of turquoise.

But the large belt buckle is the real score–it’s an antique British hallmarked buckle dated for 1886, Birmingham and sterling silver and made by Cornelius Saunders & James Francis Hollings.

It even came in a bag saying who it had belonged to. Isn’t that neat?!

Not sure what I’ll list most of this for. Need to do a lot more research. But overall I am happy with my flea market finds. There were things I wanted to buy, but the prices were too high for a reseller. Like this Reed & Barton good-luck whistle. The seller wanted $35. I suspected that wouldn’t leave enough meat on the bone and walked away from it. I was right. Here are the recent SOLDs in Worthpoint.

But most folks had reasonable “flea-market” prices and I’m already excited about next month’s flea market! But I want to be more discerning. It’s too easy for me to buy with my heart.

Wishing you happy hunting,

Karen