Brooklyn Flea

Sad but true!

We've known since Day One that Fleasters would go Flealess on November 2, and now that fateful day is nearly upon us.

To be clear: Because of the NYC Marathon, the Flea will not be open this Sunday, November 2.

The Flea will return Sunday, November 9, and continue every Sunday from 10am to 5pm until at least December 21.

In lieu of the Flea, definitely check out the Bishop Loughlin HS Band (above), which has made an awesome tradition of playing the theme song from Rocky for runners coming up Lafayette Ave. during Mile 8. Never ceases to inspire.

Another awesome Sunday at ze Flea. Senor missed it himself, but Mr. B snapped some snazzy pics that make it feel like you're still there basking in the sunny schoolyard.

Clockwise from top left:

1. The last of the Flea T's (i.e., major collector's items)--before they all vanished by 10:20am!

2. Sara's awesome "Bid Brooklyn" booth, which gets better every Flea.

3. Liz's plant zone, always a Fleaster fave.

4. Susan's booth full o'frames and other great stuff.

Click on the photos above to expand.

Two very scary Halloween Hunt items this week. Owls are very scary when encountered in real life; and lord knows Sarah Palin puts the fear of, well, every higher power in Senor Flea. (OK fine, the Halloween part is a bit of a stretch.)

For newcomers, when you find the item, which can be hidden in any vendor booth, it's yours, absolutely free! Then we post your photo here on the blog on Monday. Only one winner per calendar month. Items posted every Friday at Noon.

Happy hunting!

From left:

1. Ceramic owl lamp (it lights up!). Vintage

2. "Palin Institute of Abstinence" T-shirt. New/Handmade

Daily newspaper amNY gave The Flea the nod in its annual round-up of Brooklyn-based winners of amNY's best-of issue this year. Wooohoooo!

Sometimes Senor wonders: Where does this bottomless wellspring of new vendors end? It's just amazing how many folks wanna Flea with us--we just had our 2500th pre-registration through the website! We are grateful for your interest, the Flea would be nothing without your enthusiasm. And now on to this week's motley crew--sorry: diverse, intriguing crop--of first-timers. Flea is we!

Starting us off in the leftfield category (Senor's personal fave), Toronto's Becky and Rev. Aitor are in the midst of a 6-month tour of America, selling her Sweetie Pie Press prints and buttons and his Unflattering Portraits (above), which he'll be composing live for any interested Fleasters on Sunday. Handlebar mustachioed Aitor's Misanthrope Specialty Co. was recently featured on the CBS Early Show, and we have a feeling these folks will be a hoot. W1

Back on Flea terra firma, Norristown, PA, antiques shop Ah's Garage Sale debuts at the Flea this week, as the owners' son, Bo, lives in Clinton Hill. Bo's bringing a recently discovered trove of vintage clothing as well as an assortment of furniture and collectibles from the shop. B3

Winter Water Factory is Margaret and Stefanie's hand-printed fabric shop (they're in the Can Factory), and they'll be unloading gorgeous textiles (right, above), kids and adult garments, and cool housewares. V11B24

Isabel Roxas is an illustrator, designer, and Fulbright Scholar, and after 4 years working in the Philipines, she's back living in Astoria--and the first thing she wants to do is get her work out there, via the Flea of course. She'll be selling prints, silkscreened notebooks and other paper goods (right, below), and her booth will definitely be worth checking out. E28

Jewelry designer Page Sargisson will be holding a one-time sample sale Sunday. She does everything from charm necklaces to refined gold and diamond rings--really classy stuff. B21

Bob Glickstein is our other favorite kind of Flea vendor: appears out of nowhere, appears to have amazing/random stuff, and appears at the Flea as scheduled a week later. Bob's a contractor who's accumulated an array of lighting fixtures as well as some antiques and a 1979 Wurlitzer jukebox. Get 'em before they dis-appear! E11

Similarly, Lars Engstrom and his photo stylist/costume designer wife are shedding years of inventory, in the form of: clothing (mostly 60's), some furniture (40's-70's, some deco and mid-century modern), household appliances (30's-50s), seasonal decor (50's-60's) and collectibles such as globes (50's), license plates (50's-70's) and records. Senor wisely accepted their application. W32

Clotheshorsies be warned!: Lisa Wong is another one who had to clean out her stylist stuff. In her words: "'70s sheepskin jackets, old-school sunglasses, '50s cocktail dresses, plus a cool collection of one-off, runway, and sample items, and retro sneakers, T-shirts, and accessories. I also have a vast collection of vintage shoes and boots which *sniff sniff* have got to go, lots of '50s and '60s stilettos, mukluks, etc." No way to say no to that. B5

Fort Greene locals Michael Shane Bridal are moving a few racks of one-of-a-kind evening dresses and cocktail dresses that are certainly with a saunter/perusal. E26

First of all, we're over the moon that the Sunday forecast icon has suddenly shifted to a full sun! And now of course we've jinxed ourselves.

Just a friendly reminder to stop by the Flea for all your Halloween costume needs--our vendors will have costumes, accessories, and tasty treats for your spooky needs. Jewelry, knick-knacks, milk pails, wigs, skull necklaces (above--thanks Birdhouse Jewelry!), Monster Mash LPs, cape fabric, broomsticks--you get the picture. (Birdhouse is in C5 or C6 every Sunday btw.)

Note: Unfortunately, we couldn't pull off the pumpkin-painting stand in time for this Sunday. Don't trick us please!

It's getting hard to keep track of all the positive entrepreneurial vibes coming out of the Flea--should someone call Hank Paulson, Re: Flea Economic Upturn? Cc us!

To wit:

Revival Vintage Boutique is the brick-and-mortar manifestation of Diana's months of shilling eagle-eye vintage-furniture and housewares finds in B18 by the handball wall. Lady Di also gussies up ("revives") her finds with new upholstery and such in a way that's aligned with the current green trend, without being of the trend. Her funky-cute Hoboken shop (above) has the furniture and housewares, plus lamps, clothes, LPs, bikes, and loads of tchotchkes--and she built it 100% on the back of her Flea success. Brings a tear.

Revival Vintage Boutique

600 Park Ave. (at 6th St.)

Hoboken, NJ

201.217.9001

www.revivalvintageboutique.com (under construction)

Also on the store front, OG Fleaster Tiffany has turned her Old Hollywood Flea booth into a serious jewelry, vintage-clothing, and accessories shop (right) on the hot Williamsburg/Greenpoint border. Check out Tiffany's awesome design blog to get a sense of her incredible visual aesthetic. This Saturday night she launches the store with a cupcakes-and-wine fiesta--proper. (7-10p for the partay.) OH my! (Tiff's in W32 most Sundays--not this week though.)

Old Hollywood

110 Meserole Ave. (at Manhattan Ave.)

Williamsburg

718.389.0837

www.oldhollywoodmoxie.com

Lovely Val has done so well with her always eye-catching array of vintage jewelry in E12 every week that she's going pro. Her Blue Canary Vintage biz takes flight at the new shop Tria (right) on Grand Street, Williamsburg's exploding shopping strip. She joins milliner Ryan Wilde and jeweler Georgia Varidakis at Tria, which is just weeks old. (Tria has also done Artists + Fleas on Saturdays for awhile.) We're so proud, Val!

Tria

135 Grand St. (btw. Bedford + Berry)

Williamsburg

718.974.6248

www.triabrooklyn.com

In the discovery file, Megan and Eddie of the all-natural body products line Australian Scent are now the first and only skin-care company sold at RICO, the longtime Atlantic Ave. design shop (and early, awesome Flea vendor). Rico is a regular Fleaster, and he came across the couple's lovely soaps and balms at the Flea and a business friendship was born. How scentsible.

RICO

372 + 384 Atlantic Ave. (btw. Hoyt + Bond)

Boerum Hill

718.797.2077

www.shoprico.com

Nice gal Deb got a well-deserved shout-out from gossip guru Michael Musto for her awesome Sarah Palin T-shirt (right). Deb and her Miss Wit Designs will be back at the Flea this Sunday--check the layout for her spot.

Finally, our pals at Loyalty + Blood are going upscale, as their snazzy Flea Bags (right) will be the goody-filled gift bags for the 600 fancy attendees of Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Gala next month. Get your own Flea Bag for just $5 every Sunday at the market entrance.

Tria photo courtesy of Racked.com/Will Femia.

The Fall Furniture Festival curated by Greenjeans is back for its final Sunday this week, with 8 up-and-coming designers on the Astroturf under the white tents when you walk in. All these folks emphasize eco-conscious materials, hands-on craftsmanship, and a little bit of Brooklyn pride.

The Fest has been great for the designers, who get quality time with customers and some nice media attention as well. (Very awesomely, Apartment Therapy has been reporting on each week's cast of characters.) And Fleasters love the focus on the BK's creative, local talent, which is clearly world-class when you check out the work. Sofa so good!

Quick shout-out to Amy and Jae from Greenjeans for putting the whole thing together and making it feel so professional and easygoing at the same time. That's the Flea way!

Here's who's onboard this week:

Anthony Sisto has made a name for himself by using a variety of wood veneers and mixing wood with plexiglass and metal to create minimal one-of-a-kind pieces, including his signature "S" rocking chair (right, top). Anthony's done the Flea solo a couple times in the past.

Bergman Furniture's Scott has also done the Flea before, trekking down from northern Vermont with his modern take on classic country forms and pieces, like the nightstand at right (middle).

MINE Metal/Art is Kriztina Kozak's Williamsburg shop and store, which focuses on expressive, almost floral designs for utilitarian items like window grills (bottom) and bed frames.

New York Water Tower Furniture utilizes wood from ubiquitous NYC rooftop water towers in their furniture, which has an urban rustic feel. NYCWTF's David Gibbs was just recently featured on a Discovery Channel program on green products--very cool.

SMC Furnishings' style ranges from elegant to minimal, from rough to textured, and most of the pieces they make in their Fingers Lakes studio feature wood from reclaimed building timbers or locally sourced trees downed by storms, disease or nuisance issues. SMC is in its 10th year, which is old-school among the Furn Fest crowd--check 'em out.

Standard 41 is father-and-son duo John and Andrew Raible, whose sculptural take on Scandinavian and American Modern design can be straight-up stunning, like the table at right.

Todd McCollister holds an MFA in sculpture, and his one-man shop creates pieces that defy categorization but hew to a sense of story and history--like the rocking chair fashioned from a walnut tree on his grandmother's farm.

Wonk is a fast-growing DUMBO and Willamsburg maker whose modern, colorful pieces make sense in the home or office. They were a big hit last week, back for more.

What a day last Sunday was! Here are a few shots we took as we people-watched, ate and shopped. Click on the photos above to expand.

Another gorgeous day at the Flea (4300 folks came through), and another round of 2 lucky Hunters.

Check back Friday at noon for this week's items.

From left:

Stefanie Rauschenberger (middle) visited the Flea all the way from Nashville, TN, thanks to a tip from her pals in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Stefanie (with her mom) found the vintage-stamp necklace at 10:30am in cutey/silly Kim's booth, Keep It Moving Design. Kim is in E32 most Sundays.

Chris found the groovy vintage divided dish at 11:30am, and she was pretty psyched about it, naturally. Ruth of Ruthie's Antiques isn't a publicity hound like most of our vendors, and preferred to leave the spotlight to Chris and her newborn smush, Cooper. Ruthie's in W5 or thereabouts most Sundays.