Top Shelf Flea Re-Cap - C & G Style

So, the Top Shelf event was two days ago and I am STILL recovering! Thankfully I was able to sleep in until 9:00 or so Monday morning, and, since I set my alarm for 6:30 PM this morning instead of AM, I had a little unexpected extra sleep this morning as well! If you are wondering why - aside from chatting, packing and doing math for six event hours - I also turned everything in the pic below, into the pic above, then back again in the same day...whew!

I was very happy with my booth set-up this time. I actually took fewer items, and, stayed a bit more seasonally focused. This meant I brought no hats, but, a lot of super colorful bags and scarves, and pink cowboy boots! (Those sold in a flash to a very happy customer - thanks!)

As always, we had and sold a ton of jewelry, but, not my beloved red lamp! (My apologies again to the couple so interested in purchasing it!)

I really had fun displaying all my vintage swimsuits. I only sold one, but, was happy to make that one sale to a very happy young co-seller from Gypsy. Others were tried, but, no others went home for a new life...yet! these will all of course appear soon in my on-line shop. I think if the weather had not been so dang cold and dank we might all have sold some more summer wear.... But, enough about me, lets take a tour of the other sellers that day as well!

My event "neighbor" and partner in crime, the lovely Michelle from The Red Velvet Shoe always looks as polished as her impeccable goods!

My neighbor to the other side, Zach from Newton Street Vintage is equally as dapper and always has a crowd at his table! (see top photo once event was started, the portrait was pre-opening bell!)

Newcomers Fredricka had gorgeous antique wares, but, did not want their faces plastered all over the internet, so, I will respect that! (but look at their great stuff!)

Another newcomer, J A Outfitters, offered a table full of fab outdoorsy artifacts for the urban enthusiast!

Bobby from Boston always manages to make vintage look exceedingly elegant yet accessible! I was drooling over this vintage mailbag below:

I got to touch it, but, that was about as close as I was getting to ownership on this beauty!

The women from Artifaktori, in the same week they managed to open a new store on Beacon Hill, also displayed their always impressive selection of vintage goodies! Talk about tired! Oh, and I'm pretty sure they did Brimfield two weeks ago too...

The women of Gypsy are new to the Top Shelf, but, they are certainly not new to vintage lovers in New England! These gals love to "pop up" all over the place, I've seen them in Providence and Somerville at the Rock and Roll Yard Sales and I even hear they set up tent at one of my favorite summer venues, Todd Farm in Rowley!

The lovely Nimco joined us again with her to-die-for mid-century enamelware and more! (drool!)

The crowds were steady so I barely had time to snap this one pic of Swamp Rabbit Books providing assistance to some customers in choosing from their enticing selection.

Last but not least of course is our fearless leader Joe, from An Affordable Wardrobe. What more can I say? The picture captures it all. This guy's got it goin' on and no one can rock or hawk a pair of pink pants or white jeans like this guy!

If you stopped by - thanks! If you missed us this time around, bookmark the Top Shelf Flea Blog and watch our postings as our plan is to return each Spring and Fall...

Rare Books, Handmade Cards, and Vintage Pulp!

I'm very excited about the Top Shelf Flea tomorrow! I will have substantial new additions to the genres I've brought in the past: more cookbooks -- including a first American edition of Larousse's Gastronomique ($13) -- more art, and more children's books, among others. I'm adding some new categories, too, including a selection of collectible pulp 1970's erotica ($15 & up). Non-literature items at my booth will include authentic disbound illustrations from vintage books (small 50¢, large 75¢; suitable for framing or art projects), and incredible handmade greeting cards ($6), typed on an actual typewriter and screenprinted by brilliant local artist Mandy McCormick.

As before, I will have a number of one-of-a-kind items, including a signed first edition copy of Madame Lyon de Romaine's The Art of Cooking Omelettes ($559), recommended by Julia Child herself as the definitive guide, and the author's personal copy of Ideal Metrology in Nature, Art, Religion and History ($479) by Boston architect and theologian H.G. Wood.

For the budget reader, I'll have suitcases full of children's books ($1 and up) and another case of literary paperbacks.

Other big news: I can accept credit cards this round (with a minimum purchase of $10). Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover, via Square!

A taste of what's waiting for you:

Art and poetry



Handmade cards and vintage erotica; the suitcases in the background contain goodies, too!

Feel free to stop by and browse; I love talking books with customers. See you there!

What To Wear To A Flea Market

Or, should I say, what to wear underneath what you wear to the Flea Market?

Or underneath anything....

Find it all here.

What a racket!

So, I stopped by one of my favorite local haunts today, just for a "quick" walkthrough. Little did I know I would find an assortment of vintage gowns, sporting goods and jewelry all to bring to the Top Shelf Flea III this Sunday! I decided to send up a quick post to generate some buzz on two categories of items that have NOTHING whatsoever to do with each other, but, will both be in my area of the Flea this Sunday.

First, is this selection of fantastic vintage rackets! Great graphics and patina! Perfect for decorating your game room or manly abode! (or womanly abode as well, I'm just trying to reach out to some of the guys here...) Super fun selection and something for everyone! My fav is the 1960's Billie Jean King Jet!

At the opposite end of the spectrum (and, actually, the store) was this cache of beautiful vintage rosaries! They are in Ebony, Rosewood, glass, crystal, and amber. They hail from Italy, Ireland, Canada, France and more! One is confirmed as completely Sterling Silver. These are beauties and priced very reasonably and will all be with me Sunday...

Bags & Bananas at The Market

I finally received my new camera, but the week of the bi-annual Top Shelf Flea Market III was not exactly the best time to get a new gadget to figure out, as I'm up to my ear lobes tagging items & treasures to bring to Boston on Sunday. I read through about half of the online manual (I thought someone said this is a very simple camera to use?!) and snapped a few photos from my studio of what I've been working on. The jewelry photos were snapped prior to reading anything and the quality is terrible, so my apologies ahead of time.

I'll be debuting a very small portion of a trunk full of vintage Banana Bob jewelry. The company went out of business in the late 1990s, but in it's day made some lovely art deco & victorian inspired pieces with vintage and antique facets and findings. Swarvovski crystals were used in many of the pieces, and most were hand crafted and hand painted, with many limited editions. The assortment I'm bringing to Boston Sunday are on the more casual side, but I am hoping to create a Vintage Jewelry floor in The Red Velvet Shoe and offering this gorgeous jewelry, as it has become highly collected & coveted. If you are looking for a specific Banana Bob piece, please email me and I will gladly check my inventory for you.

(Here is a sample of some of the more glamorous Banana Bob line that I found online...I'm quite certain I have this set, or something very similar.)

Here is a collage of some of the purses I just packed up to bring along....I love the Etienne Aigner in the top left, it has such an equine look to it, and I won't be sad if it doesn't sell because, as you know, a girl can never have too many purses...The top right is a lovely paisley Margaret Smith / Gardiner Maine purse and the label, I believe, dates it to one of her earliest pieces from the 1940s.

You'll find that (and much, much more!) Sunday at The Top Shelf Flea Market in Somerville/Boston, MA ~~ doors open at high noon. See you there!

For the Guys...

It's really, Joe, Zach and Bobby from Boston who supply the best men's stuff at this event, but, I try to bring a fun selection each time too! Today I finished pricing some lightweight fedoras, vintage ties, madras shorts, Hawaiian shirts, sport coats and a few other choice items for the guys. It will all be merchandised out front for you on this rack too so you need not wade through jewelry and handbags to find it! See you in a week...

Top Shelf Bling!

With the Top Shelf Flea III just over a week away, here at Carmen and Ginger we have started to sort and price and pack up items for the big day!  Yesterday, we went through many of the fine jewels (Ok, fine costume jewels!) we plan to bring so I decided to snap some pics to get you in the mood to shop!  As always, we bring a lot of the fun, colorful enameled flowers and butterfly brooches as well as other cute figural brooches from past decades!  Above you can see the butterflies, owls, fish, doggies, strawberries, a Trifari apple and more!

We certainly bring more of the "fun" than the "fine" to this event, but, have selected some choice rhinestone beauties for you to drool over!  The fantastic bejeweled bird above is surrounded by some 1940's and 1950's demis in blue and pink, as well as a selection of clear stoned dazzlers!

We're still going through some of our recently found funky necklaces to get them packed up and ready to go!

Hope to see you there!