Brooklyn Flea

Charlie (above), who keeps the spirit of his old Vinylmania shop alive at the Fort Greene Flea every week, gets some well-deserved play in the Times story today about the afterlives of former record stores. Great read, including some other Fleasters like Rich of Etherea, who was at the Superstar DJ Record Fair.

Meet Charlie in the flesh in his regular W3 spot on Saturday, and every Saturday after that.

(Photo by J.B. Reed for the New York Times.)

Apparently Long Island Eddie got hated on by his women when he bought these two chairs to sell at the Flea. But he got his retribution when they both sold within the first couple hours. I tracked down one of the buyers to see how she felt about the debated chair. Turns out, the buyer was such BFF material, I asked Rei to be our BFF this week!

Do you come to the Flea often?

This is my first time. To Brooklyn.

Wow. Where do you live?

Manhattan. West Harlem.

And what do you do?

I work in advertising. I'm an art director. [Ed. note: two points for Eddie and the chair.]

So if you've never been to the Flea, what brought you out? You think the chair was calling?

I saw it in an ad in my local Japanese paper. I had always been curious.

Why did you buy this chair? What are you going to do with it?

I fell in love with this chair as soon as I saw it. [Another point for Eddie.] I'm going to put it in my bedroom and read in it.

Did you get anything else?

And I bought a little dress from Aissatou. [She runs Tessan Boutique.]

Where are you going to wear your dress?

I haven't thought about that yet. Only about my chair.

Damn, you love that chair. Alright, I'm going to take your picture.

Alright, let me look like the queen I am.

Yes, ma'am. Nothing like a woman in her chair who knows she's queen. Thanks Rei!

This Sunday the Food Network show The Best Thing I Ever Ate will be filming part of its upcoming McClure's Pickles feature at the Bridge Flea. We couldn't agree more on that description of McClure's' garlic dills, hot and spicys, and mustard--simply mahvelous.

They'll be shooting before we open Sunday morning, but you can trickle in early for a sneak peek if you like. It's possible Senor Flea will be standing in for Mr. Allen as guest host.

Are we jumping the shark?

Mr. B. made another nice video last weekend, this time of the Brooklyn Bridge Flea on perhaps its best day yet. Enjoy!

All hail Fernando and Jolanda Martinez, makers of the venerable huaraches, tacos, quesadillas, and horchata at the Flea and Red Hook Ball Fields--and now 2009 Vendy Cup winners! Rafael and his perfect pupusas took home the Cup last year, so the Red Hookers are on a serious roll--to almost no one's surprise frankly.

We're happy as jalapenos to be snuggled inside the tortilla of love and deliciousness that is the pupusa/huarache/elote trinity, and hereby vow never to rest until every Brooklynite--nay, New Yorker--has basked in their handmade, saucy sopa de sabor glory. Que fuerte!

It rained on Sunday's Hunt (tired of that refrain), but Saturday was just perfect. Thanks for comin' out!

Cutie Amy (right), a Flea regular and Fort Greener (one and the same?), snatched the handmade pillow from the City Owl booth a little after noon, a fine fall find. Ashley (left) and her hubby's vintage biz, one of our '09 faves, focuses on industrial items for the cool Brooklyn shoebox apartment: foundry molds, metal assembly-line baskets, and a new focus on end/coffee tables, chests of drawers, and chairs made from reclaimed wood and metal items they find. The stuff is super-cool and affordable, check it out. Don't miss their awesome wire lamps and b+w paintings by the hubby. E37 every Saturday (by the pupusas), Bridge Flea some Sundays.

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

There's nothing like a crisp fall day to delight the shopping senses. From vintage toys to new locally designed jewelry, the Flea had it all this past weekend. In case you missed it, these are a few of our favorite things.

Soft Maps are Emily Fischer's invention: laser-stitched quilts of organic cotton between layers of silk patterned on street maps. Genius, as evidenced by her double victory on Apartment Therapy's Design Showcase this week, where she garnered the most votes from both editors and readers. Emily's map quilts include Fleaster neighborhoods like Fort Greene (above), Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill, Dumbo--you get the picture. Haptic Lab, the biz name, is just launching, with the Bridge Flea as her exclusive retail outpost starting this Sunday. Map it! I-3, Sun/Bridge

Natasha Diggs is another 17th St. flea refugee, with a specialty in rare records, vintage jewelry and watches, and antique bric-a-brac. She's a longtime dealer making her Brooklyn debut, she's friendly, show her some love. V14, FG/Sat

It's refugee weekend apparently. Chris has done the Garage for a decade, couldn't do the Flea last year, finally coming onboard tomorrow. His biz is Blue Jet Toys, here's a sampling: Victorian board games, '50s Dick Tracy rubber-stamp set, '60s Dream Date game, Darth Vader lamp, plus a nice $1/$2 table. Let the games begin. V10, FG/Sat

Sal feels like a character who's been prepping his whole life to become a Flea vendor. Born in southern Brooklyn, high school in the '70s Slope, managed major downtown clubs AREA and MK in the '80s (hired Michael Alig as a busboy!), moved upstate to Sullivan County and started selling antiques out of a trailer. Thus was born Tin Can Trading Post (right), which Sal says right now features "a Florence Knoll storage cabinet, a Civil War-era body basket, industrial pallets, and an Edison/Mazda light bulb that works." Lots of wood, industrial metal, boxes, you get it. L13, FG/Sat

Nick Kass-Johnson, also born to Flea. Just 27, he's in a band (Acorn Chainsaw), delivered coffee for Porto Rico, amassed his book collection working at the Strand, writes poems, makes art, collects stuff on cross-country road trips. He's got: "Silver Age" '60s Marvel Comics and other rare indie imprints, rare books, paper ephemera, obscure vinyl and CDs, vintage toys. Classic, get over there. E29, FG/Sat

Chris Schenk, self-described "writer/inventor/furniture-maker/restorer," created the "Wrap-a-Nap" (below), which he says is essentially a "blindfold pillow." He handmakes each one. He also restores Eames lounge chairs, hopefully he'll bring an example or two for you to ogle or buy or lounge on while Wrap-a-Napping. Ah the nonstop cavalcade of characters. E26, FG/Sat

More lovely shopping weather on tap for this weekend, as well as some tip-top Hunt items. When autumn leaves begin to fall, we Scavenge.

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. Crocheted pillow. New/handmade (Fort Greene/Saturday)

2. Organic cotton "Bearded Man" baby T. New/handmade (Brooklyn Bridge/Sunday)

You know when you just know? Like, the moment you lay eyes on you future husband or wife, or the first time you see that 1984 something or other for which you've been saving all your paper route money? Yeah. This was how it was for me when I saw these two gals getting two bikes from Hudson City Antiques debut booth at the Flea. Twas love at first sight. Meet Andrea and Tracy.

Where are you from?

A: We are from Minnesota. But originally Arizona. Woo-hoo! AZ!

Alright. And what do you do?

A: I'm a marketing consultant.

T: I work in buying and planning for Macy's.

A: And I also work for Uptown magazine doing marketing.

And where are you going to go on your new bikes?

A: Right now, we are going to stop by a block party and later we are going to a boxing party/BBQ.

T: We'll also use the bikes for errands around our neighborhood.

A: Oh! But first, first, we are going straight home to take pictures of our new bikes to send to our parents and other sister to make her jealous!!

Good one.

Enthusiastic, bike-riding, Flea-going, jealousy-producing, hot sisters. You see why I come here? Thanks Andrea and Tracy!