I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Flea Market Blue and White


Hi! Did you all get to the flea market this weekend? Any treasures?




On Sunday the weather was glorious, that soft, puffy seaside air, not hot at all.
Sadly the flea market---this time the "big", or original market, was also crammed into the tiny new location that has all the charm of a, well, run-down asphalt train station parking lot. I guess these changes are permanent, as the nearby storefront church has been complaining about the market taking its parking spaces for years.
But really? It's a huge public train station and I for one do not see why this small church's wants/needs are more important than the rest of the tax paying world's. Besides the new fume-y shade-less cramped conditions, there is now nowhere legal to park since the market is on the parking lot! Again, not much fun to shop when you're thinking about a ticket, or worse, a towed car.
(Do towns tow on Sundays? Who knows?)
Can you imagine hiking to your car, toting your treaures, hot, thirsty, tired..and oops, No Car!!? Not good.

Probably after this coming week I won't be going back to these markets, it's just not fun.

I did get a few small goodies. More because I felt it was my last trip than because of the wonderfulness. The dealer count is way down, and the ones left are the sock and tool merchants, not the real antiques dealers.




An annoyed lady sold me these adorable tiny toy pitchers. The one on the right, below, is one I've had for years, it says Japan. So now I have three, I guess that makes it a Collection?




Late Victorian to mid-20th century? One is marked Japan, on the left.



I don't know much about toy dishes, I just like them because they are such cute minis of the large Staffordshire china I collect.



This one, from Japan---notice the fairly complex multi-shaded design. (The small plate behind it is very old Wedgwood.)





And this one is such a perfect tiny version of the bigger ones. I think it is perhaps
older?






 The same woman sold me these chandelier crystals.





If my etsy clients don't like red Christmas icicles (eeew?)...I 'll resell these. The dealer held her prices very firmly and assured me these are very valuable! Huh. She also snapped at me "Do you work?!" as if my offer, only 5.oo less had insulted her career as a flea market seller?




Then, because the road home was due to stay closed til 3PM I had to kill some time or go home via the very long route.  I went to the thrift shop...it was busy but airconditioned and calmer than the flea market's overcrowded chaos. A few finds:
Nantucket basket....






From the 1990s but so pretty, nice color, and well made ( and American, not from China). For knitting or sewing carrying.






And this pretty Haviland-style large platter. It says Austria nor France.




I mostly bought it for a photo prop for my lavender hearts..and it can go back tot he thrift shop when I tire of it. There the price was right !


Sorry the pix aren't too good, my camera hates dull dark days and nighttime shots.

love

              lizzy


gone to the beach>>>