Brooklyn Flea

While the Flea generally had a constant flow of shoppers this past weekend, there seemed to be a particular crowd around record sellers. Is it because music is as alive as ever? Or because the numerous music festivals and concerts around the city are inspiring people to turn off the boob tube and play more at home? Maybe it's because vinyl is still just way cooler than MP3s. Either way, I wanted to talk with one of these diggers over at Unbreakable Records. Meet Christoph.

Whatcha got there?

I have two records, The Steel Band and Willie Alexander & The Boom Boom Band.

Wow. I never heard of that before.

Are you a DJ?

No. This is for home.

Where is home?

I live in Prospect Heights.

Do you come to the Flea, like, every Saturday?

This is my first this season.

Wha?!

I work on Saturdays. And my summer season has just started.

What do you do?

I work at a gallery. Anton Kern Gallery.

Huh. Do you know James?!

No.

K.

Alright. One more. Finish this sentence. Brooklyn is...

Brooklyn is better than ever.

Aight. Thanks Christoph!

Actually just Fort Greene/Saturday in this week's slideshow. Chock full o'crowd scenes and vibe this week. Thanks for more great Fleas!

A little late to the party this week, our apologies. Fleas are hard!

Glassy and classy this week. You can still find the first one today!

When you find one of the items above, which can be hidden in any vendor booth, it's yours, absolutely free! Then we post your photo with the generous vendor here on the blog on Monday. Only one winner per calendar month. Items posted every Friday around Noon.

Happy hunting!

From left:

1. Green glass decanter. Vintage (Fort Greene/Saturday)

2. Leaning Tower of Pisa glass figurine. Vintage (Brooklyn Bridge/Sunday)

It's like we looked up after a year and a half with our heads down in the Flea trenches, and suddenly we're, like, established. The last couple weeks have seen a cascade of legitimacy 'round these parts: Vogue/Style.com, foodies in the Times and New York, and now a sort of trifecta of big news:

On Monday evening, Mr. B and Senor waded into Manhattan (which is near Brooklyn) to receive one of the Municipal Art Society's annual awards, for a private venture in the public service that has activated/galvanized a community space. MAS has been around for 116 years, and is the granddaddy of NYC civic/urban planning groups, very much in the Jane Jacobs (a longtime member), neighborhood-centric mold. So for the Flea to be recognized by such a prestigious organization as such a young business--well, we're humbled.

Time Out's roundup of the city's best fleas nicely names the (big F) Flea, also flattering. They say lobster rolls are the big draw at the Bridge, but we think it's the unstoppable force of the 100 best vintage/antiques/jewelry/handmade/art vendors in the region. Objectively of course.

And in a tale of the tape in the NY Post this week (above), we essentially knocked out the much-touted Flea by the Sea in Coney Island. In 2009 the Flea has been often imitated but never duplicated--and we thank you for keeping it great.

Great days for Hunting, which is why the game was up within an hour at both markets. Fun while it lasted...

From left:

Mike found the cute Chibi Warrior stamp set in sharp designer Isabel Roxas' booth at 10:50am in Fort Greene. The stamps show the Warrior in 5 different poses, all of which display Isabel's sort of anime/artiste take on illustration and design. Mike works for a record label (remember those?), is a frequent Fleaster, and thought the stamps would make a good present for a pal. "Snooze you lose" was his advice for future Hunters, and he's right.

Dory from Brooklyn Heights (a native no less) made her first Flea trek the Sunday before, realized we do the Hunt, and spotted the Paste T-Shirts "NYCKnife T" across the yard while perusing some vintage dresses. She liked it on the website, loved it in person, and at 11:51am it was all hers. Here she is with Paste honcho Jason, who does the Sat/Sun Fort Greene/Bridge thing every weekend, to much hoopla.

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

It's getting hard to keep up with the various media appearances of our vendors, especially the foodies. Here's a quick wrap-up.

Stephen and Erica's (above) spanking brand new Brooklyn Brew Shop makes a big beer splash on p. 35 of Time Out's new Cheap Eats issue. If only every startup came out the box with such gusto--cheers! (W35 in FG, I-9 at the Bridge, every week.)

Dave's molto bene Pizza Moto mobile brick-oven pizzeria is (deservedly) lauded by New York mag gurus Rob and Robin in their Neapolitan Pizza Revolution roundup and countdown. Mille grazie R+R, and well-deserved Signore David! (F1 every Sat. in FG.)

Early Bird Granola gets the worm, snagging an awesome mini-profile and recipe in last week's Times Dining section. Read about Neki's irrepressible penchant for olive oil (even in her granola), which is heart-healthy and happy-happy. Salty sweet yum! (E6 in FG, I-34 at the Bridge, weekly.)

Our pals at Whimsy + Spice have their deelish homemade marshmallows featured in Martha Stewart Weddings this month, which is a big ole coup. If you haven't tried their new passionfruit mint limeade at the Flea, you cannot honestly call yourself refreshed. (E10 in FG, I-30s at the Bridge, most weekends.)

Oh, did we mention the fabulous Red Hook lobster rolls from Maine make their Saturday debut in Fort Greene this Saturday? An embarrassment of riches and fishes. (Their long lines are fixed btw.)

Photo: Time Out NY/Roxana Marroquin

This past Saturday was crammed with vendors and shoppers alike, so finding a BFF was like shooting fish in a barrel. But in a way, when you have so many options, that makes it harder, right? Or so I thought. I was standing by Blue Marble, woofing my second ice cream of the day, when I spotted this gent carrying almost the same dark wood compartmented drawer thing I had bought for my own apartment! After that, I knew it was kismet.

What's your name?

James Walton.

Do you come here often?

I live in the neighborhood but this is my first time this season!

Why?

Because I work on Saturdays.

You know, you can check out The Flea on Sundays in DUMBO. What do you do that keeps you working on Saturdays?

I'm an art handler at a gallery.

Which gallery is that?

Matthew Marks. I'm an artist too.

Ooh. What kind of art do you make?

I make collages.

And what are they about?

They are autobiographical with religious undertones.

Do you have a website I can check out?

I do. Blankland.com.

And what did you buy there? Are you going to use it in your art?

Nah. But I got both these things from the booth in the back (we figured out it was from Anodyne--ed.). This framed picture is my favorite.

Sweet. And finally, finish this sentence. Brooklyn is...

Brooklyn is better than I thought it would be. I moved here from Manhattan 8 months ago because of the economy.

Thanks James!

So like half of all of you, we're flipping through the CB2 catalog while quieting the baby and look what shows up on p. 69 on the "3 in 1 Board" ($19.95)? A dainty little Flea postcard.

What exactly this signifies about CB2 or the Flea isn't clear--or terribly important either--it basically just is. So we'll just take this opportunity to shout out our designers extraordinaire, Camden and Noel, for designing and drawing such a kick-ass piece o'promo. Thanks gals!

Thousands of Fleasters--more than 10,000 total--came to the weekend of Fleas, for which Senor and the Flea Staff are truly grateful. Mouths were stuffed, vendor pockets were lined, and Fleasters were saddled with goods on their way home to points unknown. A good time had by all!

Doubling down on the Hunt fun this weekend at both markets. Summer Scavenge go!

When you find one of the items above, which can be hidden in any vendor booth, it's yours, absolutely free! Then we post your photo with the generous vendor here on the blog on Monday. Only one winner per calendar month. Items posted every Friday around Noon.

Happy hunting!

Clockwise from top left:

1. Green glass decanter. Vintage (Fort Greene/Saturday)

2. "Chibi Warrior" 5 piece rubber-stamp set. New/handmade (Fort Greene/Saturday)