Fleamarket Finds.....Treasures From Yesteryear

The fleamarket was on last weekend !

I was there at 6:30am to catch all of the bargains.

With my trusty green basket hanging from my arm I scooted through like a seasoned professional.

I have been flea marketing for 25 years now and the thrill of the chase is still alive and kicking within. The only thing that has changed over all of those years are the prices. 25 years ago nobody was all that interested in vintage finds.  There were antique stores around but they mostly sold the really OLD antiques that I couldn't afford as a struggling student.

The vintage items that I used to pay a couple of dollars for are now a whole lot more expensive.  The first flea market find that I ever bought I still own. It was a 1930's print of a beautiful thatched roof cottage deep in the heart of England. I paid $2 for it and carried it home on the bus grinning from ear to ear that I had just purchased the first item in my 'cottage style' decorating dream.

I had bought it from a grungy flea market in the inner city of Sydney.

It was a market full of hippies and people selling their homemade wares.

The smell of Satay heavily sat in the air making your taste buds scream in delight.

That same print today would sell for around $45. It goes to show you how much vintage style has grown around the world.

Gone are the $2 days unless you are extremely lucky.

The trick to flea marketing is to always smile and say hello and form relationships.

I have met some wonderful dealers over the year who have become friends.

They now do the scouting for me and I buy directly from them. I have developed a deep trust in them and they all know exactly what I love.

When I arrive at the flea market my contacts have my stash safely put aside away from other peoples eyes. I get first dibs on the goodies and I pay them very well for their service.

Over the weekend just gone, I found so many treasures. The market was HUGE and there were lots of new faces.

I am only showing you a few things that I found today because the other things need a good old clean before I bare them to the world.

Scroll down for a look see !

Firstly I found a small print backed with cardboard and an inscription to a birthday girl on the back.

The print depicts a thatched roof cottage surrounded by a cottage garden.

The cost

$1

Then I spotted this gorgeous brush and manicure set which I think is from the 1930's.

It is embroidered and covered in black silk and it unzips around the edge to reveal the manicure compartment within.  The tools are all gone but the charm is still there.

Cost $5

Then at the same stall I bought this green depression glass flower rose.

It is in perfect condition and fits in beautifully with my collection.

Cost $3

These flower frogs are becoming quite collectible and the prices for them are rising so I got a great buy.

The tea strainer was a very cheap purchase at $2 and just needs a soak in the tub.

Imagine making this your home !

BLISS

and this treasure below was a gift from a lovely gentleman seller.

 He asked me what these tickets were and I said "food stamps from the war"

Then he smiled and said that he wanted m to have them because I guessed correctly.

What a sweetheart he was.  We chatted for quite some time and I found him full of so much knowledge and history.

The food stamps are dated 1943 and were from around the time of  World War 2.

These little stamps allowed rations of meat to be sold to the customer.  I have never seen food stamps before and they don't really hold much value I wouldn't expect but I find them fascinating.

Cost $FREE

This pretty Victorian cake stand is in great condition and I adore the dainty pale pink flowers on it.

Cost $5

Not a bad price for a piece over 100 years old

I found lots lots more and I will share them with you over the coming weeks.

                  What are you doing over the weekend ?\

Whatever you are doing I hope that you will have fun doing it :-)

I have just hired the 3rd season of Downton Abbey from the video store so I guess you know what I will be doing ! lol

I will also be deep in preparation for Mothers Day next week. I still have so much to do to set up my business space.   I have but a few days to get organized and ready to begin selling my blooms.

I can't wait to show you all what it looks like when it's complete.