demby's Profile
- Demby
- on and off since '96
- it started
- Brooklyn
- Boerum Hill
- Rental
- Writer/Marketeer
- Male
- 35
- http://brooklynflea.com
Author's Posts
May 9, 2008
Incoming!
The Flea approaches full throttle this Sunday, with a packed yard of our best mix of vendors yet. And expect to hear more from Senor Flea here on ze blog in coming weeks. We miss you too!
Truly too many new vendors onboard this week to list them all. Here are some highlights.
Adele Amore is back with her ogle-friendly mix of vintage jewelry, knick-knacks, and handbags. Adele is a Brooklyn Fleaster in the classic style, which is obvious after about 2 seconds of yapping with her. That's Amore! Clermont fence.
Pamela Haft makes her first Flea trip down from Sharon, CT, to bestow treasures like the antique sewing machine (right, top) upon Fleagoers. Pam also just opened a new shop called Artisan Gallery Antiques in Amenia, NY. Handball wall, Vanderbilt side.
Clyde Gatlin, also from CT, will be spread out in the middle of the yard with his mish-mash of '40s whisky boxes, watering cans, garden tools, and antique silver and porcelain. We have a good feeling about Clyde--as a vendor and a man.
Gary Ford, a Fort Greener and veteran of the 25th St. Garage, debuts his collection, which includes fossilized whale bones, Persian prayer rugs, and lots of picture frames. Clermont fence.
Bayo Ogunsanya debuts his rare books this week, looking forward to having him as a regular hopefully. Handball wall, Vanderbilt side.
Reyna from Jef Rey Cambodian Crafts is bringing her beautiful pieces from Southeast Asia, like this Cambodian buddha head (right, middle.) 8x8 section.
Susan from the La Crosta Pie Co. upstate brings her delicious pies to the Flea for the first time. Fresh, local, no preservatives, etc. School-side booths.
Leke and Rob have a great couple of racks of vintage clothes, and they're always dressed for excess. Rob is an especially fine devotee of the art of conversation, perpetual pipe in hand (right, bottom.) 8x8 section.
Longtime Motique Gallery-owners Monifa and Bashiri hop over from Prospect Heights for the first time with their tip-top trove of African-inspired art, everything from glass and paintings to textiles and photos. Vanderbilt fence.
Vanity, a Crown Heights antiques shop on Kingston Ave., makes its debut at the Flea on Sunday. We're eager to see what Yahia pulls from their older-era collection of furniture, teapots, and porcelain. Vanderbilt fence.
Bed-Stuy (Franklin Ave. at Clifton Pl.) clothing boutique Collecther launched its Flea outpost last Sunday, and Shana's back for more. Collecther does super-nice vintage, as well as Shana's subtly elegant house line. Vanderbilt fence.
And finally, a few other newcomers of note for this Mama's Day Flea:
Orchard Floral will have fresh bouquets of flowers.
Fine and Raw chocolates--literally raw chocolate--are ready just in time for yo mama.
And one of our faves, the gals who ran the Chop Delancey art intervention/shop/restaurant last fall will begin their weekly presence (residence?) at the Flea on Sunday, under the guise "Chop Summers." We're not quite sure what to expect, but hear rumblings about Hungarian roadside gypsy traditions, bartering food and art for seeds and soil, and this week at least, lots and lots of RED. Apparently, these gals also need ladders--if you got one to spare, let's make a deal! Look for the red art gypsies.
May 2, 2008
We Like to Eat!
Food. Glorious Food. Quite simply, the Flea's gonna have more of it, starting now. If we become a stop on your weekend food rounds--for a nosh or for your Sunday-dinner ingredients--well, that makes us happy.
For starters, our pal Ricardo has been toiling away to get ready for the debut of his new Pillar Cuban food stall this weekend (named for Hemingway's boat when he lived in Havana), which will feature both smoked ham and cod croquettes, pressed Cuban sandwiches, a Galician white bean soup, and these amazing chicken or smoked short rib empanadas made with yucca and corn dough. He'll also have a guava and cream cheese pie for dessert. Delicioso! Pillar will be Choice's new neighbor. (Ricardo is also a Soros Open Society Institute Justice Fellow, chat him up!)
Longtime NYC pastry chef Mark Sopchak and his art director wife Jenna Park recently launched Whimsy & Spice, a line of cookies, brownies, and homemade marshmallows (yum!) that each feature a unique/unexpected flavor--honey lavender shortbread or cinnamon chocolate malt biscotti, for example. They'll have awesome Mother's Day gift boxes (right) this week. E12 near the middle aisle, this week and next.
As hinted last week, the organic ice cream dream team of Blue Marble and ze Flea becomes a reality May 11, when these fine gals (and neighbors of Senor) transport the frozen love from their Atlantic Ave. shop to the Flea's food emporium. Bless their hearts.
Later this month, Hot Bread Kitchen makes a bid to be your local remote bakery (how '08!), when they start purveying fresh baked breads of the world. Lavash, multi-grain loaves, hand-ground tortillas? Yeah, that's what we're talkin' about. (Hopefully they'll bust out their corn-grinding cycle soon too.) Oh, did we mention their focaccia of the week, featuring a city-garden-grown topping, or how they use recipes from immigrant women? Uh huh. Location TBD.
Quick note: Kumquat Cupcakery and Brown Bag Industries are both off this week.
And finally, thanks to Brooklyn Paper for pimping our nibbles this week.
April 30, 2008
Our Two Scents
The Flea is getting more vintagey every week--a good thing--but some of our artisans are totally holding it down.
Celle Adore, created by Jessica Cohen, sells both her own line of luxury scents inspired by 17th Century French parfumeurs, as well as stunning vintage perfume bottles from the likes of Chanel and Balenciaga. The fancy sequined tops she's also been bringing will soon be joined by some beautiful French antiques too. E2 every week.
The friendly folks from D.S. & Durga were a hit with their scents for ladies and gents at their Flea debut, and we're excited to have them back this Sunday. Cowboy Grass for guys is particularly nice, and perhaps helped snag their recent invite to a Bendel trunk show. They'll be joined by their pal Alison Kelly, an up-and-coming young clothing designer who was on Project Runway in season three. Lafayette fence, Clermont side.
Two quick notes: We'll be folding the Design*Sponge Collective into the market as a whole starting this Sunday (Alyssa Ettinger will be there in B14, and John Murphy and Foxy + Winston continue to be there every week, in B19 and B22.)
And busy as a Flea Lotta Jansdotter is taking a hiatus to promote her two new books and be a good mom. She'll be back this summer though.
April 28, 2008
Sounds of ze Flea
WCBS Radio (880 AM) ran a cute audio segment last week highlighting some of the sounds and flavors of the Flea. Check it out.
April 25, 2008
Vinylmania!
Let's get personal. Senor Flea first got the NYC bug in high school when he would scour the "Village" record shops for Smiths 45s and New Order 12"s, and later as a fledgling DJ searching for Detroit techno and Berlin minimal stuff. Vinylmania, a bastion of grooves on Carmine St., was a standard stop on any spinster's rounds.
The shop closed last year, but this Sunday ze Flea is abuzz with joy as Charlie from Vinylmania returns--with his 30,000-plus collection--to the public sphere with a big booth in the center of the yard.
Not that Hermano Flea y Small Change and ShoutShimmy haven't been holding it down (heads like Bill Adler and Justin Carter have been photographed digging through their crates), but we know that where there's rekkids there's Fleagoers, so Vinylmania is simply more of a good thing.
Dig in!
April 23, 2008
Incoming!
So much new stuff flowing into ze Flea this Sunday. Truthfully, if the weather's bad again we will be bummed.
We have a feeling that ama home are the next discovery at the Flea. After finding vintage pieces, they splash them with color and add a little love to prep them for the modern home. (Before and after pics, right.) In addition to the Flea, ama also just scored a fab window display at Saks this fall! Go gals.
A+J 20th Century Designs was one of the excellent modern stores on Lafayette St. in Soho's heyday, and we're proud to welcome their return to the fold. (Their submission to Senor Flea was accompanied by a signed endorsement by Godfather Murray of Moss.) Vanderbilt fence, next to pals Jaybird Antiques.
Adele Amore, a multi-decade veteran dealer, makes her debut in the "E" aisles on the midway. She's gonna have some finds.
Deco-Haus, a couple of next-gen collectors who are already quite established, will be spreading out by the backstop for the first time Sunday. Definitely swing by and set aside some time for them.
Ed and Helen of Tobin Antiques zoom in from Amherst, Mass., with their fine-design vintage jewelry and myriad collectibles. The fine-tuned eye rewarded there, off the handball wall on the Clermont side.
We love the name of "FDR to JFK," and Paula and Gary do everything '40s to '70s, including Bakelite, lamps, suitcases, dollhouses, and electric fans. A picker's delight. Handball wall near Clermont/Lafayette.
From the 'hood, KP Antiques is a couple who collect strictly antique books and mid-century modern furniture (right), and by the looks of it they're all about quality. Handball wall by Clermont, on the corner.
Local stylist Joan Van Hees unloads more of her personal clothing collection this Sunday--her booth was jammed all day last week. (Lots of shoes!) Handball wall right of the Lafayette entrance.
Mitch Rubin, another 26th St. vet and a Fort Greene resident, makes his entree into ze Flea. He's a longtime picker, all kinds of cool things. Handball wall near Clermont.
And Lola's Boutique, surely the coolest shop on 86th St. in Bay Ridge, is back for more this week. We love her mix of affordable stuff, happy to represent South BK too. Handball wall, next to Greenjeans.
Sun sun sun, here it comes!
Hudson-on-Brooklyn
Stroll down Warren Street in Hudson, NY, and the density of vintage shops conjures the ole days on Lafayette St. below Houston or Atlantic Ave. from Hoyt to Nevins. Before the Flea took flight, Senor Flea made a trip up there to convince some shop-owners to trek down to Brooklyn--to no avail.
So this Sunday feels like a coup of sorts, what with four Hudsonians at the Flea, and more to come soon if all goes well. Mike from Mohawk Studios is back near the backstop with his metal stuff (those little railroad-spike bugs rule). Karen from Madalin Antiques does everything from D&G skirts to Stan Getz records. David Dew Bruner has primitive to modern sculptural antiques, like a Pennsylvania coal-crusher mold (right). (David and Karen will be neighbors near the Clermont/Lafayette corner.) And Robin from Colonia has been a weekly vendor near the Lafayette gate since launch, with a sharp eye for offbeat furniture and affordable funky stuff.
The Flea is becoming a real pilgrimage for out-of-town dealers; feel free to welcome them warmly.
April 21, 2008
Whaddyawant from Us?
Literally.
Loads of affordable, fancy, and re-purposed/locally made furniture and antiques; junk/stuff; stoop sales; crucifixes up the wazoo; and coming soon, organic ice cream. Not a bad start.
Now that we've got a solid foundation, like any smart flea we're looking to establish a symbiotic relationship--with you, our lifeblood. Some of the things Senor Flea has gotten requests for include: electronics, sports memorabilia, linens, silver, African art, movie posters, and perhaps most commonly, tacos. (It might end up being empanadas, but we'll try.)
So as we enter fine-tuning mode, we want to know: What specialty items/vendors would you like to see at the Flea? Or, what would you like to see more or less of from the lovely vendors we have onboard so far?
This helps Senor Flea save MetroCard fares and biking energy as he traverses the region in search of the finest Fleas, and it also gives our vendors a target to aim for each Sunday. Class is in session.
Also, be on the lookout for our new feature, "Mrs. B. Does the Flea," debuting later this week. Senora Flea will also be making her own contribution soon, highlighting her snazziest purchase of the past Sunday. (She's been singlehandedly lightening some vendors' loads every week, especially Matta.)
April 18, 2008
Mixology
Can someone get us some friggin sun on a Sunday?! Oy vey caramba. Clouds are not a good look for us! Ommmm.
Since it's been awhile since we horn-tooted, here are some more folks to hone the radar for.
FunkyFanny's Vintage is a local gal with a big following, and after some arm-twisting we finally roped her into Fleadom. Near the Clermont/Lafayette corner.
Kimono Lily is the largest supplier in the country of vintage Japanese kimonos (right, top). They're based in the Navy Yard, and we're super-excited they've come onboard. Lafayette fence, Clermont side.
DecoDecor is a neighborhood guy with what impeccable taste in antiques. He's thinking about opening a shop on Myrtle Ave., so he's testing the waters at the Flea. We're thinking a definite swim not sink for DD.
War Rug is about as niche as you can get: Handmade, incredibly detailed Afghan rugs (right, below), many of which incorporate mesmerizing designs inspired by the region's war-torn recent past. A dazzling geometric pattern reveals itself to be inspired by a missile, tank, or fighter jet. There's a Henry Darger element to these rugs too, and they're at least worth an enlightening chat with Kevin the War Rug guy. Vanderbilt fence.
Interventionista has been selling fabulous vintage Deco clothing finds for years now, but her Fleadom marks a transition of sorts to full-time astrologer. So in addition to cleaning out her closet, former model Interventionista is doing astrology readings every Sunday at the Flea, in a booth by the school bleachers. She's sharp, witty, and a trip to chat with. The full moon this Sunday seems like the perfect time for a visit. (Plus, 4/20 dude!)
Gary from Cine-Noir was named best street vendor by the Village Voice a few years back, when his obscure video/music/media stand was a fixture on E. 9 St. in the East Village. He's a real Renaissance man, now doing the awesome videos at Rubulad dance parties and also working production for the Pope's visit this week! Check out Gare's groovy spot on the Lafayette fence, Clermont side.
Lew Jaffe, recently retired, is driving up from Philly every weekend to share his collection of doorknobs, ringers, restoration hardware, and now vintage bookplates. (He blogged about Brooklyn bookplates this week.) The man's also got stories to spare. Lafayette fence, Clermont side.
Enjoy.
April 17, 2008
New + Noteworthy
Like a flea on the haunch of its cow, we're paying close attention to everything going on around us. We love how opinionated folks are about the Flea, because it gives us a chance to evolve quickly and on the fly. Senor likes to call ze Flea an organism--usually an amoeba--that grows and contracts new parts each week to suit its environment.
More concretely, be on the lookout for loads of great new vendors this Sunday and next, mostly from the vintage/antique realm, especially furniture.
We'll be adding a lot of vendors with larger spaces, like Karen and Al from Antiquinaires, who bring in a broad range of items from Long Island; Mike from Mohawk Studios up in Hudson, who makes metal furniture and has other industrial-feel stuff; and Blue Dot Auctions, making the trek from Western Mass for the first time this Sunday with lord knows what from their massive trove. Next week in the same "pod," look out for Charlie from Vinylmania, which had a 30-year run on Carmine St. in the Village, to debut his zillions of records at the Flea.
A few folks are off this week for Passover, so by the handball walls you'll see some new faces like Good Vintage Collectibles from Swampscott, Mass., Sonia's Fine Pottery, and Bloom Antiques, from around the corner in Fort Greene. (Silver spoons, above, for a newborn perhaps?)
Along the Lafayette fence to the right, Ornaments + Objects finally appears at the Flea, right next to newly minted media icon and mid-century West German pottery purveyor Ginfor's Odditiques, who treks all the way from Indiana to do the Flea. (Senor knows Ginfor's pottery is gorgeous!)
What else? Hairy Mary's Vintage, an LES shop that opened after the Chelsea fleas started fading, joins the Flea this Sunday. Nollywood Depot, the Fulton St. Clinton Hill shop selling Nigerian underground films, returns. (Nollywood's Ogugua worked with Fela Kuti, go chat him up about it.) Bien Hecho debuts, a Navy Yard furniture maker who re-purposes salvage from local brownstones.
And make sure to peruse the aisles of smaller booths, as we've been trying to add a deeper variety of what nice people call "stuff"--along with the ricotta cannolis, cupcakes, perfumes, herbal salves, costume jewelry, humidifiers, squirrel dolls, bicycles, sports memorabilia, baby furniture, and edible plants.
See ya there.