Thursday, September 19, 2013

long beach antique market: get your retro on

Just when I thought things couldn't get any better after my discovery of the Rose Bowl Flea Market a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon the Long Beach Antique Market.

Long Beach Antique Market

Would you like a bison horn with your knitting needles and vintage chartreuse vase? I know. Who wouldn't?
My visit to the Rose Bowl Flea Market elicited a few comments about the Long Beach Antique Market (thank you Brooke). WHAT??? Have I been hiding under a rock and, how am I so lucky? Two fantastic outdoor markets 30 miles apart!

Cool statues. I love the mermaid. She was priced at a hundred and change. And seemed pretty old. I kind of wanted her for the yard. I restrained myself.

Long Beach Antique Market


After cruising up and down the aisles of the Long Beach Antique Market, it is absolutely, positively confirmed. I have been paying way too much for vintage stuff on eBay and the like. 

Pretty Polish vases. 

Long Beach Antique Market


The variety of merchandise blows me away. Both flea markets (Pasadena and Long Beach) have anything you could possibly want in the retro and vintage category. For sure.

Here are the crazy Dooney and Bourke purses again. Why oh why are girls buying these? Honestly I wouldn't be caught dead.

Long Beach Antique Market

I saw many of the same vendors at Long Beach that I had seen in Pasadena one week before. And Long Beach has a focus on antiques, so you don't wander into a random t-shirt vendor, for example.

I may have to go out and buy some sign letters before they are all gone. I think it is kind of cool that scrappy flea market vendors spot trends quickly and get what is hot right into the hands of the hipsters. 

Long Beach Antique Market

Long Beach Antique Market


As far as collectible pottery and glass, I kind of got the impression Long Beach was the better show. BUT truth be told I only stayed 2 or 3 hours at both shows, and did not cover 100% of either. So who knows.

One vendor against the back fence (she says she is always there), stunned me with her taste level in mid-century modern pottery and glass. Yum-o. Very high end with fair prices. She wasn't giving it away but she didn't need to. Her opening bid on the glass bowl below was $80. She would have gone lower if pressed. This grey aqua beauty is substantial and very Holmesgaard-like. Tempting.

Long Beach Antique Market

Long Beach Antique Market

Long Beach Antique Market

Long Beach Antique Market

And. Bauer for days. I have kind of a thing or Bauer. New or old.

Long Beach Antique Market


Some Bauer caught my eye in one space. However, I became really intrigued with the metal stands underneath the Bauer.

Wire stands hold plates or plants.

Long Beach Antique Market


Magazines.

Long Beach Antique Market


Records.
Long Beach Antique Market

The vendor, Marty Hamrock, told me that he and some family members are experimenting with fabricating these wire products from vintage and retro designs and powder coating them in vintage colors. I like! They aren't online yet but will get there. For now you can find them in space #J033. Or email me. I'll hook you up.

Plenty of vintage lighting.

Long Beach Antique Market

Long Beach Antique Market

I think these are hospital operating room lights... Industrial yet a little creepy?

Long Beach Antique Market


Great furniture pieces again, at reasonable prices. This Plexiglas end table caught my eye.

Long Beach Antique Market


This vinyl and teak chair has beautiful lines. $250 for set of 4. Holy cow!

Long Beach Antique Market


Cute little student's desk. Check out the sexy legs!

Long Beach Antique Market

And much more of the industrial-looking stuff that is oh-so popular now.

Long Beach Antique Market

Long Beach Antique Market

Long Beach Antique Market


Another key learning is that these vendors are traveling from show to show and lugging stuff around. What doesn't sell after a few shows, gets deep discounted. I lucked into something which I will show in another post. (What a tease?)

Long Beach Antique Market

All kinds of random collections can be supplemented at flea markets.

Disney (or clocks) ...

Long Beach Antique Market

Books ...

Long Beach Antique Market

Marbles (in case you have lost yours) ...

Long Beach Antique Market

Vintage cameras ...

Long Beach Antique Market

And, Halloween decorations. Are you catching what this is?

Long Beach Antique Market

Life-size guillotine in your front yard? Anyone?

Overall, the Long Beach Antique Market is a great venue for vintage and retro. Long Beach had much of the same item's as Pasadena's Flea Market, but slightly more compact (less acreage). Which can be a good thing for the oldsters (like me). I would say the furniture may be a little better at Pasadena, just because there are more vendors. However, the smalls are really good at Long Beach. I may stick with Long Beach because for me, the drive was substantially reduced. Both are EXCELLENT!

And lesson learned. Pricing at both markets was the lowest I have seen in my travels.

Long Beach Antique Market near Veteran's Memorial Stadium
4901 E Conant Street
Long Beach, CA 90808

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11 comments:

  1. Dear Rebecca,

    the last posts about the flea markets are wonderful. I would like to have some of this big letters, please...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I need to figure out something to do with the big letters. For a change, it would be nice to be "on trend."

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  2. LOVE IT!!! Dang it, I have to go again. I'm having withdrawals!!!
    Love the wire plant stands. That's it. I'm going to get one. :)
    Thanks for the lovely post and shout-out! Great pics.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I kind of want the magazine rack. I always have stacks and stacks so it would be nice to get them off the floor next to the bed. I am glad you mentioned it. I have been ignoring these flea outdoor markets. I honestly had no idea. Now I know where Dana's SIL gets all his good stuff for the store.

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  3. So what did you end up buying?? :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Soon very soon. Nothing super over the top. :)

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  4. I love, love, love that brown and green pottery piece. I bet you truly could shop till you dropped at a flea market like this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was more or less on an expedition just to see what kind of stuff they have. I was not at all prepared for major buying. Now that I know, when I get the itch to burn a few bucks, I'll go to Long Beach.

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  5. The marble display caught my eye. You're right--I must have lost mine. Looks like an amazing selection of Bauer, or was it Bauer simulated?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For the most part they had a ton of real Bauer. The prices were better than eBay but, for the most part, not cheap. Except one thing. :)

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  6. Its such a wonderful open market and less expensive from other markets. I love those gorgeous vintage lightening and colored vases. Such a awesome collection of variety of items. Thanks

    ReplyDelete

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