Flea Market Finds

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Excellent finds from Sunday’s Alameda Flea Market:

-A little yellow dish for keeping hair bands and such on my dresser
-A black and white ruffly hair cover, which I’m going to pin up and wear as a collar
-An incredible Bill Blass ball gown ($14!). I think I may cut it off at the waist and wear it as a shirt, because I’ll get so much more use out of it that way.
-A little yellow silk shift with a bow at the waist
-A small blue cashmere sweater, which has hooks on the waist, so you can wear it as a solid waist band, or have little meal-accommodating slits on the side.
-A pink silk cami, which looks like a reproduction of a ’30s style.
-A pretty handpainted silk scarf to wear over wet hair, Grace Kelly style.
-A Pendleton Blanket to add to my collection for the cabin.
-A Villeroy and Boch glass hedgehog.
-A collection of little trucks for the little guy, all of which passed the lead paint test.

Satisfying! Time to throw some things in the donation bin to make room.

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39 thoughts on “Flea Market Finds”

  6. Oh my, great finds. But, I think maybe you shouldn’t turn the Bill Blass into a shirt? It would look great as a knee-length dress…

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  9. The ‘hog is so cute, and I love how two of your items are mustard yellow! That color’s making such a comeback right now, in everything. (I’m sure my 70s oven is happy about that.)

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  10. Another vote for keeping the gown intact; wear it once as-is, THEN have it tailored to a blouse.

    I found so much cute stuff on Sunday, but none of the vintage fits my boobs. I did score a wicked painting last month that I just finished repainting the frame of, which I’m soooo happy with.

    But I passed up another one that I’m kicking myself for – did you see the cool 1960’s “Scandinavian-design” stylized painting of four Painted Ladies? AMAZING. And I am having serious non-buyers remorse. Sigh.

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  12. The flea market finds are fab, so fun and stylish. You definitely have a good eye. BTW, YOU look great, so fit and thin.

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  16. awesome stuff! i never knew you could find such varied things at a flea market. i’ve heard that the Alameda Flea Market is the best. what is the deal with the little hooks inside the cardigan?

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  17. Ah, I love old toys.
    My BIL gave my 5 year old son his case of micro machines and transformers from the 80s this afternoon. I think he has never been happier that his cousins are girls.

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  19. I can’t get over how BIG Hank has gotten! Wasn’t he just born, like, three days ago?

    P.S. Another vote for leaving the gown as is… for now, at least.

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  20. You should have a contest where someone could win a trip to a flea market with you and you teach them how to look for stuff. I would leave the gown as is and I really like silk shell too. And the cashmere sweater and well all of it. I too can’t believe how big Hank has gotten.

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  21. The ballgown looks A-M-A-Z-I-N-G on you. Not everyone can pull off the super low-cut but you’re rockin’ it. Leave it as it is for now. Or maybe make a cocktail length dress? I can’t quite tell from the photo if the cut would be right for that type of dress.

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  23. Boy, did you ever SCORE! Nice work. All those clothes are kick-ass, and I vote to convert the BB gown to a blouse.

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  27. Um. No. Sorry. You cannot cut that gown. It is amazing, and the gods will bite you in the leg if you do.
    I always get overwhelmed at the flea market. It’s so much for me, I have a hard time picking. But as a style/shopping editor, it makes sense that you can sort the wheat from the chaff.

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  28. Coveting that hedgehog something fierce. And that yellow bowl. I could put the hedgehog into the yellow bowl, but that might be too much greatness in one spot.

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  29. loving your finds particularly the pink cami and blue sweater becasue they’re both very wearable.

    and the lead test? is there a way to test toys for lead?

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  30. Ooh, that sweater! And it looks so good with those pants. I’m headed to my friend’s favorite shop in Portland tomorrow (Red, White and Blue if you’re ever back shopping here) and I’m hoping her good luck finding deals will rub off on me. I need to work on my ‘eye’.

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  32. Whoa! What’s up with that weird spammy long comment? Anyway-so jealous. All I ever find at flea markets here in Asheville (or anywhere in my native South for that matter) is bins of tube socks, lewd paperbacks with missing covers, and free kittens and puppies. Again, jealous.

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  34. How can you test the lead paint thing? I’m always too scared to buy this kind of thing

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  38. Hardware stores have lead paint test kits. You break open this little pen thingie (sort of the way you break a glow stick) and rub it against painted things to see if the test kit changes color. It’s cheap, and very easy.

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  39. Maggie Mason, how is it that you find much cuter things than I do–at the same market? I believe you are the flea market whisperer (whisperer? conjurer?).

    Either that or you get there at 5am and snag them all first:-)

    Great loot, thanks for sharing!

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