Brooklyn Flea

As I was strolling, I noticed a woman carrying a Blue Marble Ice Cream in one hand, and in the other, a very large painting of a tiger with some people dramatically and painfully draped over a rock in the middle of violent waters. I was a little bit scared and very much intrigued. I also wanted to know which vendor was bringing the goods. Meet Sheba.

Where did you get that painting? Might want to pick up one for myself.

It's mine. I brought it here.

Oh! Are you selling it here?

No. I'm taking it out for a walk. I was in my studio and I wanted to get out and talk with people - get a response or some feedback on the painting.

Wow. Ok, well you caught my attention. Is your studio close to the Flea?

It's where I live, in the Upper East Side.

So, you left your studio, with your painting, with the intention of taking it on a walk at the Flea?

Yes. And I met an amazing artist on the train on the way here. He showed me a painting he made and it is incredible. You never know who you are going to meet. I'm thinking about getting a t-shirt made that says "Meet The Artist" so when I walk around with my art, people know I'm the artist and they can ask me about it.

That's a good idea. What is this painting?

It's a painting of Gustav Dore's Deluge, which is his illustration of the bible.

So there you have it folks. A roving art gallery, from Flea shopper Sheba Ross Delaney.

When Eating A People's Pop, Avoid Sticking By Licking Lips First

Image taken from real-life events.

Behold the huarache. Maybe you knew what you were getting into when you ordered one for the first time, maybe you just followed the lines/masses and got what they got. The Martinez Family piled high meat, cheese, veggies, guac, crema, and hot sauce on a double-tortilla situation, you paid your (modest) 6 bucks, and you proceeded to drip huarache juice all over the Fort Greene Flea, eventually plopping down on the bleachers to devour diverse flavors new to your palette, and then settling into a euphoric midday food coma. We've all been there--it's become a rite of passage at the Flea.

Now it's time to show some love. Before the Flea opened in April 2008, the fate of the fabled Red Hook Food Vendors--with the Martinez huarache/taco stand among the most beloved--was unclear. The Flea provided a temporary home for them, as well as Rafael Soler and his pupusas and Everardo Vaquero and his elotes, jugos, and horchata. (That's grilled corn, fruit juices, and that yummy milk/cinnamon drink.) We were as proud then as we are now to host such homegrown "real" food made by such wonderful people.

Last year Rafael narrowly missed garnering the Vendy Street Vendor Award. (The site's been down all morning.) This year his pals Fernando and Jolanda Martinez are again the sole Brooklyn contenders for the Vendy, so spread the word and let's get BK on the map!

Some big props for The Flea! Cree McCree, who literally wrote the book on flea markets (Flea Market America) and is a veteran herself of ye olde Broadway + Canal flea, launched her new presence as the "Flea Queen" on the Discovery Channel website Planet Green with a round-up of the Top 5 markets in America.

Some classic long-running markets on the list: Rose Bowl, Woodstock Mower's Saturday, G-Town in D.C. But some year-and-a-half-old newbie came out on top, the Brooklyn Flea? Never heard of it.

We love our little markets, glad to know you do too. See you at the Flea!

Note: Feel free to fawn over the Flea on Trip Advisor, which has a new Flea thread.

Back on track at the Hunt, with some shiny, happy winners at this weekend's Hunt, all locals. Thanks for braving the heat to Flea!

Pictured: (Left) Neko Case on stage at All Points West and Flea Scavenger Hunt Winner Valerie (Right), both wearing a Squid Attack tee from Gnome Enterprises (http://www.gnomeenterprises.net)

Valerie took her scooter to Fort Greene from Cobble Hill bright and early Saturday morning and was the first (of many) to spot the Squid Attack tee in Ezra and Joshua's Gnome Enterprises booth. (That's her on the right, next to Neko Case wearing the same T.) Valerie just graduated from nursing school and is on the hunt for a job (anyone hiring?). It was her first Flea and she was giddy with excitement--she said she never wins anything, insisted on wearing it immediately.

Gnome is Brooklyn-based, does hand-silkscreened T's for men, women, and kiddies culling inspiration from old-school video games and eco/political stuff. They're off the rest of August but back Labor Day, promising a new T design every week from then on. W22 in Fort Greene.

Jeremy and Leah moved to Brooklyn Heights from Detroit a couple weeks ago, first Flea Sunday. They were psyched to find the Belgian fishery poster in Rebecca's (right) always awesome Bid Brooklyn booth. She's got obscure foreign posters galore, immaculately curated smalls, and really just the best eye for Brooklyn home stuff. Always worth a gander. Around F-40 at the Bridge most Sundays.

Check back at noon Friday for next weekend's items.

From photos and paintings to pops and papusas, the Flea was rammed with the goodness this week. Check it all here, y'all.

Really strong mix of new vendors this weekend, including some tried-and-true dealers, some new vintage businesses (Star Wars!), organic milk chocolate, and a slew of stoop salers. See you at the Flea.

Adam Rogers (above) just showed up at the Flea one day and started selling all these cool old-fashioned clothes, desks, shoes, suitcases, and stuff. He also looked plucked from 1920s London (he's a recent Brit transplant). We generally discourage folks who "just show up," but turns out Adam's got a finely curated blog called the Antiquated Mindset (where he accurately dubs himself "The Modest Adonis"), and is basically legit. He's a stylish insider too, so chat him up and see what's what mate. B5/FG, Sat

[Yoda voice] A fine new vendor, Gary is. One-bedroom apartment, wife, full-time jobs, and a big ole collection of Star Wars toys--it's not a trash compactor closing in on you, but it does call for drastic action. So Gary's new biz is Far Far Away Toys, and he's got your Princess Leia action figures (right), your Japanese Storm Troopers, and a bunch of other collectible toys. The Force is strong in this one. E29/FG, Sat

Koichi is the latest Japanese fella from the East Village scene to Flea. He's a veteran of the Hell's Kitchen market, and also works at Argosy on E. 9 St. He's a classic vendor: lamps, bikes, clothes, belts, housewares--whatever he's got that week. W19/FG, Sat

Julio Flores has a furniture-rental business in Red Hook and also smartly rejuvenates old doors and other furniture with a nice eye (right). Say hi to Julio down by the schoolyard. F-32/Bridge, Sun

Jen + Todd live in Brooklyn Heights and collect all kinds of stuff that they were thinking of opening a vintage shop in Ditmas Park with but decided not to. They saunter down to the Bridge Flea a lot, and this week they'll be on the vendor side with everything from couture Hello Kitty to Chanel slingbacks and groovy tchotchkes. Take a gander! I-4/Bridge, Sun

Sammy Davis Vintage is a pal of Tessi and June's from White Dove NYC. She works by day at Esquire.com and The Daily Green, and like T+J she's got affordable, highly-selective clothes and accessories, like glittery dresses and high-waisted pencil skirts. Like H+M, but real and cool. W42/FG, Sat

V. Germy is Vanessa's colorful and zany plush change pouches, and we think they're really cute and simple and nice. E17/FG, Sat

Apparently our "Clutter for Cash" NY1 segment last week (the Flea's version of Cash for Clunkers) has inspired some locals to turn their closets into duckets this weekend.

Chiara Di Palma is leaving Fort Greene for points unknown next month, and as a frequent Flea visitor she's going out in style, by unloading her stuff at the market. She collects antiques, furniture, clothing, and books, and will also be selling her house plants. Bargain hunter alert! W43/FG, Sat

Brenda is moving from a 3BR/2BA to a 2BR/1BA, has to downsize yo! Her items will include but not be limited to: Books, storage baskets, mirrors, handbags, glass shelves, vacuum cleaner, tables, lamps, and "favors." Start snoopin'. E20/FG, Sat

Mona Shay is similarly slimming down after a move to Brooklyn (yo!). I'm an actress/writer and recently moved to Brooklyn and since I downsized I have a lot of stuff that I need to sell. She gots: stereo system, clothes, hats, designer handbags, espresso machine, shoes. Aw yeah. E21/FG, Sat

Great slate of items to be Scavenged this weekend, nice cross-section of the Flea. And a rarity (as of now): 0% chance of rain on Saturday and Sunday!

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. 11x14 vintage Belgian poster ad for the fishing industry, from the 1950s. Vintage (Brooklyn Bridge/Sunday)

2. Frosted-glass figurine of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, approx. 7" tall. Vintage (Brooklyn Bridge/Sunday)

3. "Squid Attack" T-shirt, as worn by Neko Case at the recent All Points West music festival! New/handmade (Fort Greene/Saturday)

A quickie note that newbie vendor Alex Brown (Brooklyn via Britain) has been setting up an impromptu photo booth at the Flea on Saturdays, in addition to selling his stylish framed prints. It's over in W5, near the Sand Pit.

It's $5 per portrait, $8 with props, for an instant 3.5" x 2.25" print (similar to a Polaroid) that takes 30 seconds to develop. Some of last week's portraits are above, including tie-dyed vendor Bill Larsen, and is that Charlie in the wig and unicorn SF T-shirt?

The gal in the yellow shirt with the bird's beak coming out of her ear is Jordana Zeldin, a nice gal and fine photog whose fascinating Flea photo project of her own is nearing completion. You can read and see all about that on Jordana's website and Here Is My Today photo blog, which gets all groovy and metaphysical about the Flea. Good stuff.

As a wee teen in Japan, Hideya Sagawa would watch the telly, (specifically, Footloose) lovin' the style and culture of old American movies and TV. He would eventually make his way to the U.S., to work in vintage stores in Chi-town, where he would learn English, and then NYC where he worked as a buyer for 10 years at legendary vintage shop What Goes Around Comes Around.

It wasn't until a couple years ago that Hide (HEE-day) decided he had enough cool stuff of his own to start selling his collection of clothing and accessories. And cool, indeed. You can find snakeskin cowboy boots, silver and turquoise cuffs and necklaces, select mens clothing, a Native American-made bag constructed from a turtle's shell, prints and paintings, and knick-knacks, all in Americana style ranging from the 30's through the 70's.

Hide will soon be partnering with Kenji of Amoskeag XX, the LES denim boutique and big-time supplier. Kenji will sell some wares in Hide's booth and Hide will sell some of his items at the shop. It's this type of partnership that Hide appreciates about the Flea.

While in his booth, Hide is always taking account of what people are wearing and selling, as a sort of informal anthropological study--probably preparing to take over the world. But he doesn't remove himself. His OTHER favorite part of the Flea is the selection of people socializing and the partnerships he builds. As he says, "You never know who you are going to meet."

Meet Hide in V12/Fort Greene and F-32/Bridge every weekend.