Flea Feautre | LB Flea Market
a.k.a Flea Market Heaven
I am beyond thrilled to feature the Long Beach Antique + Flea Market on the blog today! One of the reasons I was most excited to move back to L.A was to go to this flea. I've always heard great things about it + was not disappointed in the least. If you're looking for refined mid-century furniture, upcycled industrial pieces, or just straight up flea market knick knacks this is your place.
The Goods
There was no way I was getting there at 530am, so I showed up at 8am + was pleasantly surprised by all the amazing finds still available. I fell in love with the range of vendors + even more with the atmosphere. Within 5 minutes of entering the flea I ran into recycled vessels with freshly planted succulents, knock-off Chanel bags, vintage leather coats, high end furniture + a curated collection of the most badass Barbies I've ever seen. I think what makes this such a great flea is the range in vendors. Some were small independent collectors, upcycling DIY-ers, others world traveling furniture + antique experts. There's also a great balance of products, the ratio of home + furniture vendors seemed pretty equal to the vintage fashion + jewelry vendors.
Even if I hadn't bought anything (which of course, I did) just walking around would provide so much inspiration. Walking through the seemingly never-ending rows of stuff, I couldn't help but check out everyone else's finds. Branches of cotton, sculptural wall art + industrial wire baskets seemed to flood the aisles. Some of my most favorite pieces I saw were these industrial vintage file cabinets. The grey and turquoise cabinets below are so stunning + could be used in many different ways | wedding architectural pieces with cascading flowers, or functional office decor.
Someones ugly is another persons beauty...
My mom loved these lamps- luckily I talked her out of buying them...
Shutters were all the rage at this flea- from small to large folding shutters these pieces would be great for any architectural statement, but cost a pretty penny.
The Atmosphere
Besides all the amazing pieces + vendors, I really loved the vibe of this flea. I've been to flea markets before where no matter how much I already knew about an item, I felt like an idiot for asking questions + bargaining. The vendors I encountered were wonderful, conversational + truly passionate about their items. The beer + coffee seemed to help the atmosphere too...
When you go to a flea + end up making friends, that's a good time.
My Flea Finds
Alright, I walked away with cotton branches (I had to find these once I saw others walking around with them), a sweet, colorful vintage rug + last but not least, this amazing Dorothy Thorpe retro/mod 1960's punch bowl set w/ 10 glasses.
This punch bowl was my gem for the day- not only is it gorgeous + could work for almost any occasion, it is in near perfect condition. I'm thinking besides punch, the bowl would be great as a centerpiece with florals...
Details
Day: 3rd Sunday of Every Month
Time: 5:30-2pm
Cost: 5:30-6:30 $12 | 6:30-2pm $6
Space: 4901 E Conant St, Long Beach CA, 90808
Site: http://www.longbeachantiquemarket.com/index.cfm/customer-info/admissions/
Thanks again LB Flea for all the amazing finds + inspiration. With such a successful trip I'll definitely be back next month!
