10.21.2012

A Stroll Through the Rose Bowl Flea Market

A week ago today I was happily strolling through the massive Rose Bowl Flea Market.

(A dream come true for a thrift store loving gal like myself.)

On Thursday I revealed my first purchase and the resulting project.

Today I'd like to take you on a tour of some other things that caught my eye.

(I love a post where the pictures do most of the talking.)



I'm always attracted to vintage dishes and this gorgeous collection of Fiestaware certainly drew me in:

The same vendor also had a huge collection of vintage Fire King mugs.  I always keep my  eyes out for those in the thrift store since some sell for a pretty penny.

How great is this CatherineHolm lotus bowl?  I love that it was displayed on a funky mid century modern table.


This display of vintage glassware was to die for.  I think I might have spotted some Georges Briard pieces which is always fun for me since my sister spent several years designing for him.


File this next shot under regrets.  I was in *love* with these vintage carboys.  (As was my sister-in-law.)  I reallly wanted one and even had the money in my hand but I just couldn't justify $125 for a bottle.  (Well, I probably could have, but the thought of my husband's face if I brought home a $125 bottle--an empty $125 bottle!--was more than I could bear.)


The same vendor had these lovelies... also $125 a pop.  (And how great is the cabinet behind them?)


These guys were more my speed, ranging from about $2-$5 apiece...


These were also fun...


And these old windows caught my eye.  They seemed like the kind of thing that Karianne at Thistlewood Farms would buy and use in her gorgeous old farmhouse.  (In my California tract house?  Not so much...)

People love vintage suitcases and I saw them at numerous booths.  I'm pretty sure my Nonni (grandmother) had the round one on the bottom.  She called it a "valise."


I almost bought the black box with the "36" on it...

Vintage wooden crates were everywhere.  Don't you just love the colors on those top two?

...I meant to go back for this swiss cheese box but forgot.

I can't remember what this basket was originally used for.  It was huge and would look great on a table filled with fruit.  

Can't remember what these were but they sure were cool...

I loved this basket full of glass doorknobs.  I could see displaying a similar collection on a shelf or table.

I thought this collection was...unusual...

...until I spotted this.  (I guess baskets full of hands are all the rage at the flea market.)

How excited was I to spot Beyonce the Giant Metal Chicken hanging out with all of her giant metal friends?

Speaking of animals, I thought this was beautiful in a Georgia O'Keefe kind of way (though I don't exactly want it in my house).

I absolutely LOVED this vintage hardware display.  I could see using it as a huge jewelry box.  (It was sold.)

Same thing with this rotating metal display.  I was picturing it for shoes.  My sister-in-law breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that it had been sold.  I don't think she wanted me putting it in her SUV ;)

Wouldn't this flat file be a great place to store your kids' old artwork?

And I could see using this as a potting bench.  (If I were actually a person who "pots" and not a person who kills...)

And if I weren't a plant killer, I would totally embrace the idea of a card-catalog-as-planter.  (Especially since I just picked up my own card catalog...) 

Vintage signs and letters were everywhere.  This one was huuuuge.  (I'm wondering if it was from this place.)

I kept looking for signs that would be relevant to me but none jumped out.

I had to include this picture.  Who in their right mind would want one of these?!?!

And since I couldn't end on that note, I thought I'd end the tour here.  I was especially curious about the conversation with B.F. Skinner.  Hopefully someone with an old film projector bought it and will enlighten us all.    

Speaking of film reels, I saw a number of these (it was (practically) LA, after all).  It would be fun to hang a few on the wall of a media room.  (If I had a media room.)

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22 comments

  1. Wow, what a fabulous market! Oh and that flat filing cabinet? We have 20 of them at work, they must all be from the early 20th century and still very much in use!

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  2. What a fun tour! Such interesting items with all kinds of history behind them. So after wandering around all day you must have gotten "swiss cheese" memory since you forgot to go back for that box ;) I have a small collection (three large sets) of Georges Briard glassware, wonder if your sister was involved with any of my designs ... how cool that she worked there. And I totally can imagine what a hubby's face would look like faced with a $125 bottle, but on the other hand they were very cool and trendy, but as mine would say, so is paying bills and buying food!

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  3. Oh my goodness, you lucky duck, you got to go to that! I love all the photos you posted, thanks so much for sharing. And thanks for joining us at Cap Creations.

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  4. WOW. I loved seeing the flea market through your eyes. And, I wish I could have gone along with you. I was coveting those large bottles, thinking you should have bought one until I saw how much they were. How disappointing. It looks like you had a great day looking around, seeing potential in so many great things and enjoying some time with your sister in law. What a great weekend.

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  5. I need to hop on the next flight and hit that market with you!!

    Those carboys are amazing - I have a great collection but got mine for a song (they were even more at Brimfield)!

    The metal containers with the holes are old zinc olive buckets!

    Great pics - felt like I was there (except I couldn't buy anything)!!
    Kelly

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  6. Visiting the Rose Bowl fleamarket is one of the things on my bucket list, and it looks as fabulous as I'd imagined! I love so many things...the Fiesta, the carboys, the glass doorknobs....all amazing!

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  7. What a great blog post and images! Glad I found you.

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  8. I'm a sucker for dishes and kitchenware, too. Gorgeous shots of the market! Thanks for sharing them with us.

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  9. what a great flea market! i swear one day i'm going to make a trip to California just to visit flea markets and estate sales. great finds!

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  10. So great photos, thanks for sharing!

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  11. Did you see emily Henderson there? I follow her blog and she's always talking about it she's on Secrets from a Stylist on hgtv). I imagined if you were there you'd see her, but it must be huge:)

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  12. My heart starts beating fast and excitement wells up when I see flea market photos. You saw wonderful things, how ever did you pass them up???

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  13. I love to see the Fiestaware dealers at markets, because the abundance of them makes me giddy! All of those colors! Bright and cheerful and practical!! How are we to deny ourselves a rainbow every day?

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  14. I've always wanted to go to the Rose Bowl Flea! It looks amazing. I love it all, but those odd hand collections are awesome and the vintage hardware display is also fantastic.
    Thanks for linking up with us!

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  15. Now that would make for a beyond fabulous day! All that eye candy. I am jealous!;) Thanx for sharing your fun with us at THT!

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  16. I would LOVE to stroll through that flea market!

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  17. That looks amazing! I remember seeing some of those metal baskets with the leather handles at the Lucketts Market in VA. They called them olive baskets I believe. I would love to go there...it looks absolutely amazing. :) Megan

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  18. WOW! This looks like such a wonderful flea market to go to!! I love going, wish we had more around my area...we only have a few and they only happen a couple times a year. I've actually been wanting one of those white hands for a jewelry display! :) I'm your newest follower, have a great weekend xo Holly

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  19. LOVED these pictures. I'm a thrift-store-loving gal myself, and HAVE NEVER BEEN to the flea market. What's wrong with me? That vintage glasswear and glass doorknobs were especially fabulous.

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  20. Just stopping back by to let you know I've featured you on the blog today! Thanks!

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  21. Wow, those are some amazing finds, I would have had a hard time to pick my favorites!

    Thanks for linking up to my Thrifting Link Party!

    http://dagmarbleasdale.com/2013/05/new-on-dagmars-home-thrifty-vintage-finds-link-party/

    Dagmar ~ Dagmar's Home

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