- followmarla

This weekend, I went to my favorite flea market at the Ashby Bart Station in Berkeley (Adeline & Ashby) and on Sunday, traveled over to the Laney Flea Market on 7th Street in downtown Oakland. Although I went to the Ashby Flea Market on both Saturday and Sunday, I was luckier on Saturday, but unfortunately, I didn't have my camera. I was able to score a brown suede shirt (Ellen Tracy) and a cashmere Ralph Lauren sweater for $6. I also admired a 1940's fur coat, but it had a price tag of $350, so I knew that was out. But since it was at the end of day, the vendor sold it to me for only $5. I'm definitely not a proponent of fur coats, but this one was in perfect condition and is seriously vintage, so I could not say "no."

I hadn't been to the Laney Flea Market for several years. I used to go there on Sundays with my friend, Nancy, who loved to pick up odds and ends for her art projects. It used to be a fun place to go because there were a lot of independent junk-oriented venders with interesting stuff, so there was always a chance of picking up a gem for very little. How surprised I was to see it now. It is still big, but mostly with new things or piles of clothes, shoes and purses that need serious time to look over. It was a disappointment and I doubt I'll go back there. I did find some couture items, but they had steep price tags for the flea market. So here are some photos of my trips.