The Times "Gets" The Flea
Lately, playing store isn’t so much fun. Merchants are freaked out, zombie shoppers stampede over one another to get at marked-down plasma TVs, and our dollar is starting to look about as valuable as an acorn top. Brooklyn Flea, a well-curated, optimistic weekend market in Dumbo, may help restore your faith in capitalism’s simpler pleasures….
Lately, playing store isn’t so much fun. Merchants are freaked out, zombie shoppers stampede over one another to get at marked-down plasma TVs, and our dollar is starting to look about as valuable as an acorn top. Brooklyn Flea, a well-curated, optimistic weekend market in Dumbo, may help restore your faith in capitalism’s simpler pleasures. When I was there last weekend, I found myself stopping at tables, perusing the huge range of vintage, antique and handcrafted goods, and having warm, goofy exchanges with storekeepers just as I did when I was a major retail mogul in my backyard — a Dov Charney in Toughskins…The result makes this more of a weekend hangout than a retail zone. You can find a teak shelving unit or an expertly reupholstered pair of chairs, but there are also plenty of supercheap items around if you just want to stroll and gossip with a friend…Unlike the glossy stores that surround it, Brooklyn Flea helps you feel more at ease about our dicey economy. There is a sense of community here that doesn’t exist in the meatpacking district or Williamsburg or Bleecker Street or any store with snobby employees sitting drolly behind their desks and their bangs and hating you when you walk in. If the econo-bust gets worse, I hope this is what thrives: local artisans, cheaper prices, people talking, pickles.
— Mike Albo, The New York Times
MM, I’m certainly wondering, when this thing is over, how long it will take people to pay ‘full price’ again. A year ago I bought the wife a nice St. Johns dress for $1300 (I don’t do that too often). This Christmas I bought another one for $200, marked down from $900 at Saks. With VD coming, I’ll be looking to add to the collection, but I’ll be damned if I want to pay more than $200!
Maybe there are more big spenders in Dumbo than Fort Greene!
Great write-up! Couldn’t ask for more.
I helped a friend sell at the Flea many times last year, and I have to agree with the Times writer that the comraderie between the vendors and some customers were among the best things about the market. Chatting with people who would stop to have long conversations about your wares, and many other topics was great. We met a couple of Brownstoner regulars, too.
Unfortunately, the worst thing about the Flea was probably a result of the economy, or the thrift of the general flea market attendees – very few people were getting off the money, and when they did, they expected to pay next to nothing for everything. Including items that logically have to cost more. This was a constant complaint among vendors I spoke to who were selling every kind of merchandise. There were a lot of people there every nice weekend, but people were strolling, not buying, unless you were a food vendor. They did really well.
Of course, there is no way to change that, except to wait for the economy to get better. Many vendors also stopped bringing in higher priced items, because they just didn’t sell, 99% of the time. My friend wants to sell again, but it just might not be worth it. The Flea market is still a great idea, a great event, and I hope it continues for a long, long time.
omg YES this quote…
“snobby employees sitting drolly behind their desks and their bangs and hating you when you walk in.”
over the holidays i went into this little rindy dink clothing store cuz i saw something in the window that i thought my friend would love. i walked in and this chick gave me this look of like wtf are you doing in here? jeez.
i still have to get to the flea. im such a lazy.
*r*