Treasure Hunting at "The Stick"

This morning I was up before sunrise to attend the 2nd month of the newest flea market in San Francisco, the Candlestick Park Antiques and Collectibles Faire. The faire is held at Candlestick Park, the home of the S.F. 49-ers, and is slated to be the 3rd Sunday of every month until football season. Cold, damp and foggy, it's still a welcome for us "die-hards" looking for treasures.

Many of the vendors are people/friends I've known for over a decade. I thought I'd do a little "show & tell" and share some of my favorite folks with you. Now let's take a trip to "The Stick!"

Jana & Trinidad are both long-time friends. Jana has spectacular taste and has the cutest "must-see" shop, Cottage Girls in Carmichael, California. Trinidad, owner of Atelier de Campagne, is an importer of French home & garden antiques. These are people you want to follow! And they both sell at the Alameda Point & Candlestick flea markets as well.

lovely European finds from Atelier de Campagne (above)

Georganne has a wonderful eye for fun and beautiful things. From cottage decor and Shabby Chic style, to French vanity pieces and mirrored furniture, you're sure to find something to carry home in your bag!

Terry Lee is another veteran in the antiques business. Terry has been selling vintage wares for over a decade and has an eye for beauty. His "styling" ability is superb. His knack for display helps you visualize a piece in your home, making it almost a breeze to decorate. Gotta stop and visit Terry!

more fine treasures from Terry Lee (above)

Marilyn has one of the prettiest booths at the antique show (s). You can overhear people "oohing and aahing" as they walk by her booth. She is also a veteran in the "business" and works with a beautiful neutral palette of white, creams, beige's and hints of black and silver. There are always swarms of shoppers in Marilyn's booth at the Alameda flea market, scooping up some of her treasures.


Ah Crystal, the genius behind Gothic Rose Antiques. Crystal has an eye for haunting antiques and curiosities that will take you to another time and place. From a Victorian-era parlor look with bewitching lighting and fine jewelry, to spooky mourning pieces and laboratory accessories, Crystal's pieces are bewitching and fascinating!

some of Crystal's eclectic finds

I've been a huge fan of Kari Lobdell since I got into the antiques business. Her amazing eye for the eclectic and wonderful is truly inspiring. Kari not only sells antiques, she is the proprietor of The Mermaid's Palace, a line of seashell, coral and rock crystal encrusted home accessories... all made by hand by Kari.

some of Kari's finds

This is Joan from Timeless Treasures doing a little shopping for her charming shop in San Francisco. Joan has impeccable taste and has a loyal following from locals, as well as tourists. Her wide assortment of accessories includes old signage and marquees, cards, jewelry, travel souvenirs and old vintage letters that can be purchased individually.

What's a flea market without food? Well, thankfully we have Laurent from Brittany Crepes & Galettes for the BEST traditional French crepes. Laurent is from Brittany, France and he and his staff make amazing fresh crepes with the finest ingredients. From a cheese, mushroom and fresh tomato "savory crepe" to a butter, sugar and lemon "sweet crepe," it's worth the drive trip to the flea market alone! {I had a ham, cheese and egg crepe this morning...started to cut into it before the photo...}

Meet Andreas. He has been in the business for, gee, years. Andreas sells at all of the local flea markets (Alameda, Alemany, Candlestick), as well as high-end antique shows such as Hillsborough. He has a beautiful inventory of items and is always willing to wheel & deal!

I took so many photos this morning that I had to collage them...heads were everywhere from clown to mummy heads...

baubles and bangles, trinkets and thingees...how about these dental molds?

Okay folks, it's nap time for me. Hope you enjoyed meeting some of our outstanding antique dealers from Northern California. Next time you're in the Bay Area, be sure and stop by the new Candlestick Park Antiques Faire and do a little shopping!

pssss....this may be the longest post I've ever done...

The Paris Apartment Visits San Francisco

Yesterday was a whirlwind day with Miss Claudia from The Paris Apartment. With a 4:30 am early rise, I picked up Claudia at 5:30 to hit the Alameda Point Antiques Faire. Nine hours of fun, laughter, bitter cold and photos GALORE!

We even hit a couple of auction houses. Needless to say, my feet ache, but worth the treasures we found. Claudia will be posting some photos on her blog (she is an amazing photographer.) Can't wait to see Alameda through her eyes...

Back to work...but wait, isn't hauling pieces from the flea market considered work?

Wishing you all a great week ahead!

The Paris Apartment's "Keys to the Fleas!"

Looking for the inside scoop on the Paris Flea Markets? Who to use for shipping your treasures back home?

Today my dear friend Claudia at The Paris Apartment launched her fabulous "Keys to the Fleas" application which works with an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.


With this fun application Claudia shares her passion, extensive research and trade secrets with us from her years of shopping in Paris. So excited because I recently purchased an iPad and quickly downloaded this today.

Even if you're not planning a trip to Paris, this is so fun to browse! It’s got in-depth information on Paris markets and brocantes by location & date, along with métro stops, maps, and beautiful photos. It's even got the info on the best places to ship from.

To download "Keys to the Fleas" for a mere US $1.99, click here. OR, you can visit The Paris Apartment blog here, as Claudia will be giving away 10 apps to 10 lucky people!

CONGRATS CLAUDIA

& Bonjour!

This Happens to Me All the Time...You Too?

My favorite purchase from yesterday's Alameda Point flea market.

Famous last words... Ain't it the truth?

Here it is on my bulletin board...

The Show Will Go On! Update on the Alameda Flea

Yesterday I posted about the Alameda Collectible & Antiques Faire aka Alameda Flea Market being canceled. Their website offered no details. They simply posted a banner with the following statement: Proceedings have been commenced for the voluntary dissolution of Antiques By The Bay, Inc. As a result the show scheduled for Nov 1, 2009 will not take place.

Since yesterday, it's been a whirlwind of emails, Tweets and phone calls between myself and vendors, dealers & bloggers. What a great network we have. If we want to get the word out, it spreads like wildfire. It appears as if Sunday's show will go on and hopefully continue into the future. Oh, thank heavens.

This very informative article in The Island confirms that this Sunday's flea market will be happening. Evidently there is a legal dispute among the partners who run the Antiques By the Bay corporation, but the President of the company, Allen Michaan, confirms to The Island that the vendors will indeed be setting up at Alameda Point on Sunday morning.

So, for all of you attending, set your clocks back an hour, sleep in a little longer, bring your warm coat, coffee and flashlight, and I'll see you out at the Point!

Important Announcement re: Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire

For all of you that attend or sell at the Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire in Alameda, California, this news was just released today. "Proceedings have been commenced for the voluntary dissolution of Antiques By The Bay, Inc. As a result the show scheduled for Nov 1, 2009 will not take place."

I am not sure exactly what this means, but I just spoke with a monthly vendor and apparently the partners are in some sort of litigation. Will there be another Alameda Antiques Faire? None of us know. I feel so badly, as hundreds of people make a living from this show; the sellers, food stands, even the City of Alameda. And as a buyer, it is one of my best sources for antiques.

The Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire is Northern California's largest antiques and collectibles faire with over 800 booths and a growing attendance that recently topped out at over 10,000 customers. Let's hope this situation can be rectified soon.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHO ATTENDS THE FAIRE TO SAVE THEM THE TROUBLE OF SHOWING UP.

UPDATE: Word has it that the show may be back on. Will keep you posted with any updates...sorry for the confusion...

photo from here

Do You Think I Have a Shopping Problem?

Yesterday I woke up at 4:30 am to attend our monthly outdoor antiques faire. Thank heavens my friend Renee drove (thanks Renee), as we had to take a loooong route because the Bay Bridge was closed. A boat would have been much easier.

After 6 hours of sprinting walking and hunting for treasures with not too many finds, extreme sweating from hauling furniture, we decided to stop by a local auction house to use their clean bathroom. The antique faire has outhouses, which are okay in the early am, but as the day progresses, well... The next thing I knew, I had a paddle in my hand and was bidding on this Victorian agate seal ring. Gosh did I want this ring. Needless to say, I was half comatosed and ended up losing to an online bidder. I'm still mad about not bidding higher.

Wasn't 6 hours of antiquing enough for me? I sadly turned in my paddle, and off we went. I know my job is to buy things to resell, but when is enough enough? Such is the life of an antiques dealer...enjoy the rest of your weekend!