FleaSpeech

Talk about "reuse" and "recycle!"

Worldwide, flea markets serve community-enhancing and economic functions. But have you ever thought about how they are "green" endeavors?

Flea markets use little if any electricity. They feature a lot of items that are handmade, or perhaps were once mass produced, but aren't any longer. Many other items in flea markets end up being purchased and "repurposed." Flea Markets are more pedestrian/people-friendly than they are car-friendly. They tend to be welcome fixtures in their neighborhoods.

Flea markets are good things for everyone to promote!

Who-whoo knew?

For $10 you can get candle sticks, napkin holders, or bookends. Not bad for a couple of owls!

Flea market & art fair coming up!

Giant Outdoor Flea Market & Art Fair

Saturday & Sunday November 8th & 9th 9-5pm

420 E. 12th Street between 1st Ave & Ave A

at the basketball courts and garden of East Side Community High School

Funds go to support the high school's first student art trip to Europe!!

For more info: friendsofeastside@eschs.org.

Leroy's "Street Smarts" exhibition features Hell's Kitchen Flea Market vendors and merchandise

HELL'S KITCHEN FLEA MARKET is excited to announce the launch of "STREET SMARTS"
an online exhibition by photographer MICHEL LEROY featuring paired vendors and signature objects photographed on-location at the market!

Some of your favorite HKFM dealers in antiques, collectibles, mid-century modern, vintage clothing, estate jewelry, and more are the subjects in 29 compelling portraits viewable online. Photographer Michel Leroy paired each vendor portrait with a signature product for sale at the vendor's booth on the day of the photo shoot. We hope you enjoy these wonderful portraits images as much as we do! (Photo: Andrew, Chinese wooden box ends. Michel Leroy, 2008.)

"Street Smarts" preview - Oct 11 & 12

Enjoy a special preview of "Street Smarts," a photography exhibition by Michel Leroy featuring paired vendors and objects from Hell's Kitchen Flea Market.

Stop by HKFM this weekend to view several actual photos from Michel Leroy's digital photo exhibition, "Street Smarts."

And stay tuned for the debut of the complete "Street Smarts" online exhibition: more than two dozen portraits of some of your favorite HKFM vendors of antiques, vintage clothing, mid-century modern antiques, jewelry, collectibles, silver, and more! (Photo: Steve, vintage wall clock. Michel Leroy. 2008. Click to enlarge.)

Eddie Ross & Habitually Chic enjoy flea market success

As featured in The Newlywed Diaries, designer Eddie Ross, a contestant on Bravo TV's Top Design,

and Heather of Habitually Chic took the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market by storm, and each came home with some great finds (including that pair of marble lamps, which Heather scored for just $100).

Edme pattern Wedgewood from The Antiques Garage, NYC

This is the sort of flea find you just can't help but get jealous about: Edme pattern Wedgewood.

Eddie Ross of Bravo TV's Top Design show and a Greenwich, Connecticut-based designer, knows he has a nose for great flea finds. He scored quite a few things the same day at The Garage:

In addition to the tea set, I found two cups, seven saucers, one 13" platter, four dinner plates, five salad plates, five luncheon plates and five bread and butter plates.

Vintage light fixture

Eddie Ross of Bravo TV's Top Design show and a Greenwich, Connecticut-based designer, got a great vintage light fixture at Hell's Kitchen Flea Market.

He rightly notes:

even if you rent, don't settle for cookie-cutter fixtures! Lighting can make (or break) a room. Find a fixture you love—and if it's vintage, all the better

Hell's Kitchen Flea Market part of another TONY walk

National Geographic put Hell's Kitchen Flea Market on the map when the market was featured among 10 great shopping street in the world.

New York Magazine rightly deemed HKFM a neighborhood fixture with the opening words of its Hell's Kitchen South real estate article, "The flea market has settled in for good."

Now Time Out New York (August 21-27 issue) names us the second stop of "The homolicious walk," a "mini Pride march."

HKFM was also part of the NYC Flea Markets Walk that Time Out recommended.

Shining In The Sun

Hell's Kitchen Flea Market was profiled in The New York Sun recently. Some highlights from the article:

"I couldn't do what I do back home in South Jersey," a dealer specializing in mid-century Modern furniture, Len Griffen, said. "[At Hell's Kitchen Flea Market] I find every type of customer, and most of them have apartments they need to furnish."
.....
[Maggie] Rose said that most of the antiques she sells in Hell's Kitchen come from the estates of people she knew in New Hampshire. Hearing about an item's history makes New Yorkers feel they're inheriting something special. "I have a mirror that two friends chipped in to buy. It belonged to a lady named Millie who taught the deaf for 40 years in our town. She'd be happy it's going to a good home in New York City," she said.

Read the whole article here.

Witenss to successful shopping: Mirror from HKFM

There's an increasing number of testimonials of successful "finds" at Hell's Kitchen Flea Market. Observation of the market for about 35 minutes on Sunday, July 20, from HK Restaurant (packed with customers) on the corner (W 39 and 9th Ave) revealed a steady stream of customers through the market, despite the oppressive heat! A couple of guys left with a very interesting and large mirror--probably guessing 1970's--with a simple ring painted on it, centered, of askew square-like blocks of solid, cheery, oranges and yellows, each outlined in a thin black line. It brought to mind shag carpets and polyester. :) But, it was interesting, functional, and will make a nice addition to nearly any modern apartment.

$10 flea market find worth $100,000

As reported in The New York Post (and on CNN.com)

A $10 flea-market picture of some flowers proved far more valuable when original handwritten lyrics to the patriotic song "My Country 'Tis of Thee" turned up in the picture's backing, a downtown [Manhattan] document dealer said yesterday.

The picture was purchased at the West 25th Street Market. The lyrics document was valued at $100,000.

With flea markets, you're sometimes treasure hunting and don't even know it!

Audrey's purse

A hat-tip to Urban Audrey.

What more can we say except, "Audrey, we love the purse!"

Yesteryear Retail Therapy

We were excited to see Vivienne Tam of the New York Post's new Sunday magazine give Hell's Kitchen Flea Market a great write-up.

Vivienne noted that HKFM was "packed with clothes from the '20s, '50s and '60s."

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

Cool new L.A. flea

Congrats to the South Park Flea Market on getting approval to have certified farmers at their flea market, which also features music.