The Paris Apartment Visits San Francisco

Yesterday was a whirlwind day with Miss Claudia from The Paris Apartment. With a 4:30 am early rise, I picked up Claudia at 5:30 to hit the Alameda Point Antiques Faire. Nine hours of fun, laughter, bitter cold and photos GALORE!

We even hit a couple of auction houses. Needless to say, my feet ache, but worth the treasures we found. Claudia will be posting some photos on her blog (she is an amazing photographer.) Can't wait to see Alameda through her eyes...

Back to work...but wait, isn't hauling pieces from the flea market considered work?

Wishing you all a great week ahead!

The Paris Apartment's "Keys to the Fleas!"

Looking for the inside scoop on the Paris Flea Markets? Who to use for shipping your treasures back home?

Today my dear friend Claudia at The Paris Apartment launched her fabulous "Keys to the Fleas" application which works with an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.


With this fun application Claudia shares her passion, extensive research and trade secrets with us from her years of shopping in Paris. So excited because I recently purchased an iPad and quickly downloaded this today.

Even if you're not planning a trip to Paris, this is so fun to browse! It’s got in-depth information on Paris markets and brocantes by location & date, along with métro stops, maps, and beautiful photos. It's even got the info on the best places to ship from.

To download "Keys to the Fleas" for a mere US $1.99, click here. OR, you can visit The Paris Apartment blog here, as Claudia will be giving away 10 apps to 10 lucky people!

CONGRATS CLAUDIA

& Bonjour!

This Happens to Me All the Time...You Too?

My favorite purchase from yesterday's Alameda Point flea market.

Famous last words... Ain't it the truth?

Here it is on my bulletin board...

The Show Will Go On! Update on the Alameda Flea

Yesterday I posted about the Alameda Collectible & Antiques Faire aka Alameda Flea Market being canceled. Their website offered no details. They simply posted a banner with the following statement: Proceedings have been commenced for the voluntary dissolution of Antiques By The Bay, Inc. As a result the show scheduled for Nov 1, 2009 will not take place.

Since yesterday, it's been a whirlwind of emails, Tweets and phone calls between myself and vendors, dealers & bloggers. What a great network we have. If we want to get the word out, it spreads like wildfire. It appears as if Sunday's show will go on and hopefully continue into the future. Oh, thank heavens.

This very informative article in The Island confirms that this Sunday's flea market will be happening. Evidently there is a legal dispute among the partners who run the Antiques By the Bay corporation, but the President of the company, Allen Michaan, confirms to The Island that the vendors will indeed be setting up at Alameda Point on Sunday morning.

So, for all of you attending, set your clocks back an hour, sleep in a little longer, bring your warm coat, coffee and flashlight, and I'll see you out at the Point!

Important Announcement re: Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire

For all of you that attend or sell at the Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire in Alameda, California, this news was just released today. "Proceedings have been commenced for the voluntary dissolution of Antiques By The Bay, Inc. As a result the show scheduled for Nov 1, 2009 will not take place."

I am not sure exactly what this means, but I just spoke with a monthly vendor and apparently the partners are in some sort of litigation. Will there be another Alameda Antiques Faire? None of us know. I feel so badly, as hundreds of people make a living from this show; the sellers, food stands, even the City of Alameda. And as a buyer, it is one of my best sources for antiques.

The Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire is Northern California's largest antiques and collectibles faire with over 800 booths and a growing attendance that recently topped out at over 10,000 customers. Let's hope this situation can be rectified soon.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHO ATTENDS THE FAIRE TO SAVE THEM THE TROUBLE OF SHOWING UP.

UPDATE: Word has it that the show may be back on. Will keep you posted with any updates...sorry for the confusion...

photo from here

Do You Think I Have a Shopping Problem?

Yesterday I woke up at 4:30 am to attend our monthly outdoor antiques faire. Thank heavens my friend Renee drove (thanks Renee), as we had to take a loooong route because the Bay Bridge was closed. A boat would have been much easier.

After 6 hours of sprinting walking and hunting for treasures with not too many finds, extreme sweating from hauling furniture, we decided to stop by a local auction house to use their clean bathroom. The antique faire has outhouses, which are okay in the early am, but as the day progresses, well... The next thing I knew, I had a paddle in my hand and was bidding on this Victorian agate seal ring. Gosh did I want this ring. Needless to say, I was half comatosed and ended up losing to an online bidder. I'm still mad about not bidding higher.

Wasn't 6 hours of antiquing enough for me? I sadly turned in my paddle, and off we went. I know my job is to buy things to resell, but when is enough enough? Such is the life of an antiques dealer...enjoy the rest of your weekend!