1987-1991 Los Angeles Flea Markets & London

From just west of St. Louis (isn't this a pretty view).......

Soooooo, after my Culver City debut I was anxious to get back into the show again.  At that time, wait lists were common and it took me a bit of time to get a spot.  But every time there was a vacancy I eagerly gathered inventory and participated in the show.  As I sold, I learned.  And as I learned, my eye got better.  And as my eye got better, my pocketbook opened a little further, taking a chance on big (and small) but BETTER stuff!

So the cycle started again.  I'd buy something I loved, would live with it for a spell but because I was holding onto something a bit better, I had to let something go.  Oftentimes I would buy a lot more than I needed but would eventually separate the better from the best. 

I attended all the Flea Markets in Los Angeles - Rose Bowl, Long Beach, Santa Monica and in 1991 (after finding a new job at yet another law firm) I booked a trip to London for April. 

Now my first trip to London in 1976 was when I was married.  My second in 1984 with my then-room mate was a complete disaster so in order to erase bad memories, I had to take another trip only this time by myself. 

Flying TWA and going for a week, I managed to hit every flea market I had ever heard about - Bermondsey, Portobello Road, Newark, Covent Garden - it was one of those dream weeks that every antiquer dreams about.  Only problem was, I didn't have much money.  And by the fourth day of my sojourn, I had pretty near spent every penny I had.  But I went back to the States a happy lady having found some really good bits 'n pieces that I was so sure would sell. 

Going back to a law firm after having had the time of my life in London was hard but I justified the job due to the fact that it would afford me another opportunity to visit London to purchase even more goodies to sell. And the next Culver show proved that point.  I sold EVERYTHING that was new in my booth, in other words, all the new stuff from London!  I commented to other dealers how weird I thought it was, selling only the new stuff.  "Radar" was what all the dealers told me - "antique radar, all the regular customers here have it."  Again, I went home with more money than I thought possible and I started salivating about heading back to London even sooner than expected.  But it was not to be.  April and October seemed to be the best times to shop in the UK so I had to wait quite a few months to cross the pond once more.  But I did purchase my plane ticket right away.

My October trip to London proved to be better than the prior April.  And when I showed up at Culver yet again for another show, it seemed that every dealer knew where I had been and between them and the buying public, I yet again sold out of all my new inventory.  Everyone, it seemed, was in love with all things Victorian or Edwardian - the want lists at that show came out in full force.  Could I get this? Could I find that? October 1991 in London may have passed but I couldn't wait for April, 1992.

But that story will wait until my next Blog.

Stay tuned.