I love spending my weekends at the flea market. Flea markets tell beautiful stories of
an era gone by. Many flea markets are
filled with unique treasures that are key in building an admirable collection.
My interest in antiques, collectibles, memorabilia, and vintage items began
several years ago when my husband and I went to an auction with an old friend who
owned an antiques shop.
That day, he showed us around the auction house and gave us
an education in how to tell the difference in high quality items (mainly furniture)
from items that he called junk.
I never forget him saying “just because an item is old,
doesn’t mean that it’s high in quality.
Some things made years ago was junk then, and it’s just old junk today.”
Although I didn’t know it at the time, that day at the auction
would revolutionize the way that I would shop forever.
The decline of quality consumer goods in our country over the years,
also convinced me that it was time to start searching for solid pieces, that had been discarded by previous owners.
I shared my thoughts with a friend, who explained that flea markets were
the perfect place to begin my search, because they have just about everything
one could imagine.
He was right. However, I learned that searching for that
special piece required patience. Still in the end, the satisfaction of finding a special piece
is well worth the time.
Many people have the misconception that only people who
can’t afford new things, shop at flea markets. But, it’s often quite the contrary.
I recently read online about several celebrities (actors,
actresses, rock stars, supermodels, fashion designers, etc.), who were spotted
treasure hunting at the popular Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena California.
These are people who can afford just about anything they want. Still, they often choose to search for
that unique quality piece at a flea market.
In this blog, I’d like to discuss my unique flea market
finds with others who have experienced the type of excitement that I have,
when they’ve not only found that special piece they’ve been searching for, but
found it at a bargain price.
Let’s share our beautiful and exciting stories, about the unique
pieces we find on our flea market adventures. A selected few of my favorite flea market finds are below.
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| Antique Hall Rack/Stand found at Columbus Flea Market |
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| Wedgewood pieces found at Berlin Flea Market |
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| Wooden Figural Floor Stand (complete with bakelite ashtray and box of matches) found at Columbus Flea Market |
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| Victorian Clock found at a flea market in Woodbury NJ |
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| Vintage stained glass - One of a pair found at Mullica Hill Flea Market |
So what advice did your friend give you about how to tell a high quality item from junk?
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle:
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog.Thank you for visiting my blog:
To answer your question, my friend started by enlightening me on what to look for in quality furniture. He told me that the construction of furniture would tell me a lot about a piece. He advised me to stay clear of furniture that was held together by glue, nails, or staples and to look for joints in furniture that were dove tailed (interlocked). Another tip was to look for furniture with wooden pegs and screws and to check to see if the wood was fairly scratch resistant. He then advised me (at the time), to look for pieces that were American made, until I learned more about what to look for with regard to quality in furniture from other countries.
Denise