Buyers peruse the jewelry offerings at John & Lindsey’s Good Things, Newark, N.J.
Review & Onsite Photos by Andrea Valluzzo
EDISON, N.J. — The fall edition of the NJ Big Flea at the New Jersey Convention Center on October 10-11 offered up a compact harvest of antiques and vintage wares. The diverse selection included the vintage clothing and jewelry the show is well known for, along with vintage posters, Midcentury Modern, traditional antiques and more. No one category felt overrepresented, and dealers’ booths were spread out, allowing plenty of room to move around freely and to take one’s time in each booth to inspect the goods.
“The show went well. Vendors were happy, and customers were happy to be here and excited for this show in New Jersey,” said Marthia Sides, whose mother Joan Sides began this show more than 40 years ago. Marthia and her sister Dee Dee run the show now.
Among dealers pleased with how the show went was Two Little Larks, which has been exhibiting with the Big Flea shows for three years and this was the dealers’ second time in Edison. “When we started Two Little Larks, our mission was to find a new home for every treasure we find. And we try to find unique pieces that we can sell at affordable prices,” said Marsha and Steve Little “We are very particular when we lay out our booth for each show. Our focus is to curate our booth with our unique treasures and arranged so there is rest for the eyes. Customers that enter our booth make our day when they tell us how inviting and pleasing to the eye the displays are.”
Two Little Larks, Leesburg, Va.
“The Edison show for us was a tremendous success,” they said. “It was, in fact, our highest single-event sales total by far. One of the highlights of the weekend was when a customer told us we had so many treasures that she needed to start a pile so she could continue shopping. She later returned for another treasure she didn’t get on her first shopping adventure.”
Declaring they will return to this show again, the Littles summed up their showing here, saying, “Our weekend at Edison was memorable, as we found so many treasures a new home and new owners to love them. We will definitely return.”
John Kelly, who brought a mix of ceramics, including a collection of Wedgwood, made his debut at this show and noted that while his sales were small, he did do some buying.
“The attendance was decent but, perhaps due to high gas and food prices, people were not purchasing big-ticket items. I didn’t have a sale above $100,” Kelly said. “The most interest seemed to be in my porcelain, stoneware and china, probably because they were priced less than $25. On the positive side, I did make some good buys from other dealers. Sometimes a show can be successful if you’re able to buy items that should sell quickly in a different market.”
Surprisingly, these glasses did not sell during the show but did get lots of attention. Vintage Boho Boutique, Lambertville, N.J.
John and Francine Gintoff were also pleased for the most part. “The show was good for us in that we sold many things. It could have been fuller with more dealers, and there was a little too much jewelry,” they said, noting this was their second time in this show.
Vintage Boho Boutique put together a large and colorful booth, highlighted by fun, whimsy, color and texture, ranging from a grouping of vintage Blendo glasses, all in different pastel colors, to a leather jacket and a lavishly embellished green dress.
“I wouldn’t say we blew the doors off in sales, but I don’t gauge my shows only by that,” said Vintage Boho Boutique dealer Laura Seylaz. “We met a lot of great people, customers and other vendors. I was able to direct people to my store in Lambertville and ran into several people who have already been. It really was a great vibe.”
“Some of the fun things that stand out in my mind that sold … the treasure chest ice chest, the tin gentlemen photo, the gorgeous salad bowl and tongs,” she added. “The 80s-style leather jackets got a lot of attention and sold. I was happy to see the giant wine opener go. [The buyer] said her mom had it, and she’s really been trying to find another one, so she was thrilled. That’s my favorite part: People connecting to something, bringing back memories and giving things a new chapter.”
The next Big Flea will be the DC Big Flea November 21-22. The NJ Big Flea will return April 3-4. For information, www.thebigfleamarket.com or 757-430-4735.
