Change of Plans

Date change for Top Shelf 7. Sat June 1 or Sunday June 2. Stay tuned.

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!

I found two more!

Vintage swimsuits, that is! Above, a vintage 1970's animal print bikini from Swim Bali, below, an incredible 1960's Hawaiian two-piece in a 38 bust. Ooh la la! These preview at the Top Shelf Flea in three weeks!

Fun in the Sun!

Although I literally still have a space heater blowing on my feet under my desk as I type this, here at Carmen and Ginger, we are thinking ahead to summer as we plan for the next Top Shelf Flea event!

Late 1960's Roxanne Suit in Medium/Large Size

We have been squirreling away any vintage swim and sun related items we have found all fall and winter and plan to debut them at the May 22nd event!  Those who attend get first dibs; after that anything left will go on-line.

No tag or mark on this vintage swim cap, but, it is a vintage beauty for sure!

1950's Roxanne Cotton Weave Belted Swimsuit Small/Medium Size

These vintage cotton suits are getting oh so hard to find!  I grabbed this beauty in a flash!  Please see the vintage cover-up below in a similar but not quite matching pattern.

Early 1960's Gabar Swimsuit in small/medium size.

The cotton cover-ups below were found at the same time as the blue and yellow swimsuits above.  They are adorable and perfect as beach cover-ups for your vintage swimsuits!

Stop by the Top Shelf Flea early to get first look at these summer beauties! Hope to see you there...

All vintage images used in this post are courtesy of the January 1956 Harper's Bazaar.

Getting Carried Away...

For this spring's Top Shelf Flea, Carmen and Ginger is planning to bring a selection of lovely little handbags for spring and summer!

Beautiful pink, elegant navy (lined in deep red leather!) and a funky laced up bag in a great shape!

Love how the top of this blue bag is wider than the base; like the fins on a '57 Chevy! And who can go wrong with a bright yellow 60's box bag?

Awesome oversized navy handbag is sure to get you noticed! And this red one? Not only does it have this killer color, great clasp and multiple interior compartments, the handle adjusts to a shoulder strap length as well, oh my!

Come to visit us and get first dibs on these bags (none have been offered on line as of yet) Sunday, May 22 at the Top Shelf Flea!

The Spring 2011 Top Shelf Flea Details!

Top Shelf Flea Market III

Sunday 22 May 2011

Noon till 6 p.m.

George Dilboy V.F.W. Post 529

371 Summer Street

Davis Square, Somerville, MA 02144

The roster for the upcoming third semi-annual Top Shelf Flea Market is now set. We've got a good crop of returning favorites, plus a nice handful of newcomers to welcome aboard. It is my distinct pleasure to announce them here.

Artifaktori Vintage

Amy and Amanda of the Artifaktori vintage shop were two of my earliest boosters in the original Top Shelf Flea. They were on hand the first time out, and are returning for a third time. A great source for the ladies among you to stock up on stunning vintage that you didn't even know you liked.

Newton Street Vintage

Our man Zach is also returning for a third round. Since the last Top Shelf in October. he has launched his online shop. Check it out for an example of what you might find at his booth. Friendly and sharp as a tack, he's a great source of sartorial knowledge, as well as a good place to look for the elusive un-darted, hooked vent jacket so many of us revere.

The Red Velvet Shoe

Michelle is as nice a lady as you're likely to meet, with an impeccable vintage style and a great eye for what you need. The best in ladies vintage, with plenty of household chochkies to boot.

Carmen and Ginger

I tend to think of Christine of Carmen and Ginger and Michelle as something of a tag team. Both hailing from the Providence area, I was pleasantly surprised when they contacted me first time out. Christine's got some funky stuff, but it's the coolest, and all top quality. Something for everyone at her booth for sure.

NimCo Vintage Housewares

Good friend Nimco was a Top Shelf original, though she took a pass last time out. We're glad to have her back. Rest assured, any of you would kill to have her decorate so much as a corner of your house. Vintage enamelled cast iron cookery and other kitchen goods are a specialty...she's got more that all of France and Sweden combined.

Swamp Rabbit Books

First editions? Signed copies? Out of print oddities you never thought you'd find? No sweat for our man James. Bookworms, bring your cash.

Gypsy

Ruth and her friends have a passion for fashion...on the cheap...and they just love to pop up at events such as these. Visit their booth for a wide array of ladies designer clothing at a fraction of a fraction of the cost.

A&J Outfitters

Alexi is a guy I know who used to work in the local bike shop. Jason runs the outdoorsy blog eggs & wool...and also holds court at the venerable Hilton's Tent City in Boston. Between the two of them, they've got a lot of bike stuff, and camping stuff, and cool stuff. Some of it old, some of it not, all of it worthy.

Fredricka

Muriel of Fredricka calls her collection "eclectic". I call it impressive. Beautiful things for your home from bygone eras. Her stuff is legitimately antique. "None of that new stuff from the 60s" as she says. Lamps and light fixtures, milk glass, kitchen wares, handmade toys....the list goes on and on.

Bobby from Boston

When Bobby opted in for the first Flea, I was aghast. When he came for round two, I was floored. When he wanted in as a regular...I patted myself on the back. Bobby is the stuff of legend in the world of vintage menswear. Visit his miniature museum, close your eyes, and buy whatever your hand falls on. You simply can't miss.

An Affordable Wardrobe

Of course, yours truly will be there. Remember, this whole Top Shelf Flea thing started as a cockamamie idea to sell my own crap. I'm humbled by your attendance in the past, and I look forward to seeing many of you again this time.

Top Shelf Flea Market III

Sunday 22 May 2011

Noon till 6 p.m.

George Dilboy V.F.W. Post 529

371 Summer Street

Davis Square, Somerville, MA 02144

From A Flea's Point of View

Christine of Carmen & Ginger.

Debbie (& friend) of Vintage Haven.

The absolute gentleman Zachary of Newton Street Suit Co.

Bobby From Boston Magpie

Swamp Rabbit Books Artifaktori

Propologie

The Red Velvet Shoe
(CoCo modeling my grandmother's c1949 Flobert gown....NOT For Sale :)

Giuseppe first in line for a shoe polish~~I wonder if he paid his brother?

followed by his adorable son...

Best photo of the day....an uncle shines his nephew's penny loafers.

Best Dressed Gentleman~~Mariano. Trust me.

Best Dressed Lady~~modeling a 1950s dress by "Coco"~~the lovely
and extremely talented Ida Floreak.

Thank you to all who attended The Top Shelf Flea II and for granting us another wonderful day. From the distinguished gentleman who arrived early with his LL Bean bag filled with (handsome) shoes in need of a shine, to the mother/daughter team out for a day of shopping together, to the pretty single gal looking for the perfect dress for that upcoming wedding, to the little man wearing his penny loafers eagerly anticipating his very first shoe~shine....the day was absolutely perfect, from a Flea's point of view...as well as from mine.

~Michelle

(P.S~~If you shopped at "The Shoe" and lost your parcel, it was most thoughtfully returned to me, so please contact me via email at theredvelvetshoe@yahoo.com and I will mail it to you right away.)