Feature

Market Forces

A lot of flea markets disappeared as the boom years turned vacant lots into towers (though we hear that the Upper West Side's P.S. 9 flea will return in April). Below, a guide to the survivors.

By Jo B. Hoffman

THE ANNEX ANTIQUE FAIR AND FLEA MARKET Sixth Avenue at 26th Street; 212-243-5343 The classic. It's down from six parking lots to two, but come weekends, dealers and decorators still vie for the good stuff. Work it like a pro: Come at 5 a.m., with flashlight, and shop off the trucks.

THE SHOWPLACE 40 West 25th Street; 212-633-6063; nyshowplace.com The Showplace showcases 135 vendors every weekend, and permanent galleries feature jewelry (costume starts at $5). Collectors can find Roseville pottery ($50–$300), postcards, old designer clothing, even auction catalogs ($1–$10).

THE GARAGE ANTIQUE SHOW 112 West 25th Street; 212-647-0707 On weekends, cars are flushed out of this two-story, 33,000-square-foot garage by 125 vendors. Often great for fragile goods, since it's indoors.

GREENFLEA AT I.S. 44 Columbus Avenue at 76th Street; 212-721-0900 Each Sunday, 300 vendors unpack antiques and ethnic crafts (Indian silk pillows, Tibetan throws). Bargains are in vintage furniture—a Formica dinette runs roughly $200; barrister's bookcases start around $250.

TRIPLE PIER ANTIQUE SHOW Twelfth Avenue near 48th Street; 212-255-0020; stellashows.com Six hundred exhibits per weekend on Piers 88, 90, and 92. Miss your Brady Bunch lunchbox? Dying for a vintage mink? It's all here, plus tons of costume jewelry, Bakelite flatware, 200-year-old botanical prints, and more.

PARK SLOPE VENDORS AT P.S. 321 Seventh Avenue near 1st Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn; 917-371-0005 Smaller than Chelsea, but less expensive. A recent visit yielded some nifty 1939 World's Fair memorabilia (several pieces for $10) and antique spectacles ($80).

BRIMFIELD OUTDOOR ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES SHOW Brimfield, Massachusetts; 800-628-8379; brimfieldshow.com Where else would people line up at 3 a.m. for a 4:30 booth opening? Or wear T-shirts that list what they're buying? Thrice annually (May, July, September), tens of thousands converge to paw over every imaginable antique. Cash often gets a better price; haggling is all but required. J.B.H.