Treasure!

Flea market season begins here at The Beach on the first Sunday of April.

I was so excited---four long market-less months have passed without the enticement and excitement of the local Sunday market. Somehow, surfing through eBay just isn't quite the same, is it?

My flea market is a little tacky, a little urban (LIRR train station). It starts out slow and gathers momentum until the huge market in November, after Thanksgiving. It is always scheduled to run until Christmas but is always snowed or rained out, too bad.

And I don't even think about going in the height of the summer---the way to the flea market, from my beach, lies through the parking fields and feeder roads to one of the East Coast's largest beaches. Not to mention all those bridges I have to cross, each and every one raised for the boaters and fishermen. The 5 mile drive can conceivably take four hours and use an entire tank of gas.

But on a sunny spring day, the treasures are there for the taking. And this year we have a hotdog seller, yum!

I have a new list...besides my usuals---linens, quilts, transferware, primitives, buttons/laces and trims; vintage infant clothes; old baby shoes; vintage beads.... Here it is:

• colorful graniteware: muffin tin to sort buttons/ funnel for lavender/ bowls& plates (props/ projrct holders/ cups for decorative "gatherings"...)


• Tin molds, cake pans-stars, hearts (candles/ sea glass)


• lace, ribbon


• linens/ fabric (blue)


• big silver spoon for stirring and scooping lavender/ potpourri


• wooden crates


• random "lost" rhinestone items (angels/Xmas/ hearts)


• letters/ ledgers/ sheet music


• mason jars with bails or zinc lids; large, old glass jars -for beach treasures  potpourri storage.

I'm sure I'll add more to the list, plus serendipitous finds.
Prices seemed a bit high ...old chandelier prisms for $5.oo each?!? But I need them to fill an order; the buyer has been waiting since Christmas. And actually I love them so much, I wish I'd bought more.

Other finds: a good white ironstone platter, old, English; a blue transferware platter, damaged but colorful. I use these as props for my photos and also to hold sewing projects & supplies. And a very pretty c.1890s Aesthetic Movement sepia, rose and gold transferware gravy pitcher. So pretty...I'll save it for Autumn? Maybe...

But the real treasures were lying free for the finding on my beach. My kids found these old bottles! Mint except for seaglass patina, which we of course love! The black glass whiskey bottle, one quart, dates from about 1850-1860;

 ...the wonderful round bottomed soda bottle is c.1880-1900.

It says: Cantrelli & Cochrane Dublin Belfast and perhaps once held Irish ale or ginger beer.

Still has an ancient, blackened cork inside! Hhhmmmm.....
What exceptional finds. Rare treasure---quite valuable too!

I was not so lucky (which seemed very karmically unfair! Yep, I was jealous...)

--- though I did score some shards of old cobalt glass...

pretty white pebbles...

Displayed here on the new white platter....isn't it pretty, so graceful!

...and one tiny, perfect sand dollar!

What treasures do you search for? And where? I'd love to know...

love

lizzy