NYC Markets revisited, episode 5. In which we flea and share.

Collectibles have been finding me my entire life.  It is only recently that I have decided to document their appearance and annotate my world-wide search for them.  My first, if you recall (The Owls, episode 1), was my elementary school weather owl and his twin, both of which I still admire daily.  If you have been keeping up and taking notes, there are probably about a dozen collections (publicly acknowledged thus far) gathered (and gathering dust) in our home.

I intend to devote some future blog time exploring more of our collections, but you'll have a bit of a sampling today as I share some of our most recent discoveries from the Grand Bazaar NYC. Mari's market bag was overflowing that day, but as I came to discover a few days ago while gathering items for my photo shoot, I am largely responsible for its contents.

Pictured here is one of Mari's finds on fleamarket Sunday.  We found a fascinating character with lots of stories behind his collectibles, standing behind a table laden with multitudes of obscure objects which some would hardly characterize as collectible, but which by their very eccentricity are now collectibles.

It was like gazing into my not-too-distant-collectibles-trafficking future.

Mari's miniature "spinner" was part of a collection of old game pieces our new merchant friend had himself inherited from another vendor.  Without any other clues attached, we assume the spinner was part of a long-forgotten family board game.  The intricately carved (from bone) pointer hand still spins on its smooth, hand-painted wooden base.  Mari is re-imagining the former game piece as a chic pin or pendant and it is now gathered with soon-to-be decorative projects in her waiting-for-free-time aggregate of goods.

When I first walked into the sunken cafeteria at PS-452, even before we had made our way to our starting corner, I was immediately drawn to a beautifully-displayed collection of vintage and antique teacups.  I don't have an official collection of teacups nor teapots (not really), but there are a "few" of each in our home and yes, there are stories behind a few of them, so I suppose that makes another collection.  Here is my recent purchase from a couple of angles.

You have probably surmised by now that I'm more of a tea drinker than a beer drinker.  Maybe it's the self-professed British in me, but there is something about tea, both its aroma and its social function, that fascinates me.  For centuries, intricately decorative items have been fashioned by artisans to help us not only enjoy the delicate brew, but appreciate its cultural significance, even if it is simply to calm one's ill temper after a stressful day.

I learned a bit about my newest rescued antique from a very knowledgeable vendor who truly values and appreciates her collectibles and did a little more research on my own to discover that my "new" bone china teacup and saucer had been imported from Limoges, France by former 6th Avenue retail giant, Simpson-Crawford Department Store (1885-1914).  Not certain whether it was purchased there by a fashionable New Yorker (perhaps a writer or librarian?) or perhaps even imported for use in the store's tea room, I am ecstatic to have this beautiful bit of history on display in my home.

No need to tell you how nervous I was transporting this treasure in my backpack,

bubblewrap notwithstanding.

Before I forget, here is another tea-themed accoutrement (that's right, I called a cream pitcher an "accoutrement") I rescued.

Not stamped or marked like the carefully documented teacup and saucer from the turn of the 20th century, the barely 4-inch tall pitcher was instead displayed among an eclectic mix of "bargains" in various states of collectability.

You can't exactly call it a "junk table"

if something costs 12 dollars.

Satisfied with its lack of markings as much as
I was with its price tag, this delicately petite beauty is as easily at home displayed among its socialite sisters in a collectibles cabinet as it would be proffering 1% milk for weekend morning coffee at our simple IKEA table in the kitchen.

More on my fascination with all things tea and British another time.

Next time, additions to a relatively new old collection that I'm ready to publicly acknowledge.