The last place you'd expect to find a flea market is Beverly Hills, California -- home of Rodeo Drive and celebrity mansions. But last week when I was in Los Angeles looking for sun, I found a fantastic outdoor second-hand Nirvana. It happens every Sunday on the grounds of Fairfax High School. It's called the Melrose Trading Post (as in Melrose Place, the early 90s tv show).
Like most flea markets, this one included stacks of dishes and plenty of empty wooden frames. What caught my eye on the table below was the white and green pill-shaped digital clock on the lower left. Unfortunately, it was a reproduction. (That's me in the mirror.)
Furniture was everywhere, and most of it reasonably priced. Not as much mid-century modern as I was hoping. I liked this pair from the 70s. Perhaps they made an appearance in an episode of Medical Center?
Strangely, typewriters were everywhere. I don't remember seeing so many in one place since my typing class in high school. Screenwriters trying to make ends meet? Maybe a blockbuster like The Poseidon Adventure was tapped out on one of these babies!
Thanks to the dry climate, all the metal items I saw were in good shape. Here's a collection of odds and ends, tastefully presented in a large brass bowl.
From the same booth, another tableau. Perhaps a reminder about drunk driving?
One more. I wish I could have met the person who arranged these displays. A true curator.
I saw a few upcycled creations. Some involved old pipes, like these.
In another booth, artist Lisa Raphael used the same kinds of pipes to achieve a steampunk effect.
She also electrified old metal fans, typewriters (of course) and cameras.
A booth with hundreds of necklaces hanging in the air caught my eye. The creators took old bottle caps, added fun illustrations, welded the edges and created cool pendants. For $10, I would have been crazy NOT to get one. I chose Sun-Rise orange soda.
But I had a serious mission -- I was searching for old books. I found a booth full of them. Unfortunately, they'd already been repurposed.
Finally, after I'd almost given up hope (and wondered if anyone in LA read books), I found a large stall filled with old hardbacks. I took home some Nancy Drews in perfect shape.
But what I really coveted was a 70s handyman guide, with photos of wood paneling and helpless women on the cover. I pulled out 2 volumes and added them to my stack. But no, the seller insisted they could only be sold as a set. Really? Guess I'll just have to give my money to Amazon. So there.
I can't resist showing one of the more unusual snacks being sold -- spiral-cut potatoes fried on a stick. I did resist ordering one.
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