An old-timey dancing accordion, a blow-up yellow-orange devil armed with a green pitchfork, and a smallish array of sad-looking tarp tents greet visitors to the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market.
The market, along with sister market Antiques Garage on West 25th, has been merged with the original Annex Antiques Fair and Flea Market for the past several years. The Annex helped revitalize Chelsea in the late ’70s, and it is now revitalizing Hell’s Kitchen’s flea market legacy, which began in 1871 with the Paddy’s Market. While Paddy’s ran for nearly 70 years, today’s incarnation has been running every Saturday and Sunday for seven years, with a variety of registered vendors who pay $50-$75 for their spots.
The Hell’s Kitchen’s Flea Market also maintains the spirit of the neighborhood’s historical fish markets, but it now offers wares such as silver and turquoise Navajo arm bands for $50 and vintage alligator clasped suitcases for $40 instead of stinky raw fish.
Like any flea market, this one also has its fair share of junk, like a used Knickerbocker Beer serving tray. Another downside is the lack of clearly labeled prices. Also, while some vendors noisily laud the merits of their wares, others have to be actively sought out.
Although the market’s Web site claims it has 170 vendors, it would be pushing it to say that there were 70. Perhaps the fall chill has scared away fair-weather sellers and left behind the vendors who really mean business.
Take Diane from New Jersey, who, though she has been with the market for only three years, stands by her prices and products—vintage jewelry, purses, and clothing—like a veteran stickler. She won’t lead you astray just to make the sale, though. “That’s not really vintage,” Diane warned two middle-aged browsers, adding, “Old is relative, though. Young kids think anything from the ’80s is old. Over 100 years old is really antique.”
Ron Dabb, on the other hand sells only new wares—ornate, handmade goods shipped from villages in India. His favorite part of the market? “I like the diversity—both of the vendors and the shoppers.” This weekend, much of the crowd was made up of downtown-dwelling college-age browsers. Dabb’s $200 intricately painted wooden cabinets might be a bit much for a dorm room, but a $10 mini wooden elephant accented with gold could make for a nice accent piece.
Frankie and David Williams have been in the market biz for 20 years. They offer another style of dorm decoration—vintage tin signs (two for $20). Why not warm that white wall with a yellow sign bearing the phrase, “Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder” and a seductively winking pint? David Williams calls the market “upscale,” and said that it’s “unlike other street fairs. It isn’t just jewelry, or just new, or just old. It’s a nice mix. You sell what you want.”
Is the market worth the trip to Hell? It’s not for anyone looking for a quick in-and-out shopping experience. But armed with a warm drink for a crisp day, the fair can be perfectly fruitful for anyone searching for kitschy Christmas presents or one-of-a-kind fashion finds (like a $20 emerald ’80s beaded bolero jacket). Apparently, some love the market enough to snatch up $15 orange “Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market” T-shirts on their way out.
Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market, West 39th Street at 9th Avenue. Open every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
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