The Stables - Camden Town

Still one of the best places to buy old tat. The Stables gets points for merchandise, historic provenance and atmosphere.

Stables Market
Camden Town
London

Shops Without Names - Camden Passage

This little shop along Camden Passage, in Islington, stocks a nice selection of ceramics from the 60s and 70s. When my shopping companion said, "Look, those pieces are so Johnathon Adler," the proprietor responded:

"You Americans and your Johnathon Adler. Sod Johnathon Adler! Who do you think he copied from?"

Battersea Boot - Battersea

Some displays at the boot are better than others.

Battersea Boot - Battersea

What's this line for?

The best boot in London. Ever.


But who would by those bears dressed up in Harley outfits? Bears? Leather Daddies? I suppose it shows there's something for everyone.

Speaking of useless items that other people may find strange, here's a sample of recent things I've bought here in the past two months. Keep in mind, I rarely pay over £2 for anything:

A light up globe from the 70s
An antique sampler
A glass casserole dish from 1953, commemorating the coronation
Beano, Beezer, & Dandy Annuals in near-unread condition
A set of blue pyrex from the 50s
Glass cannisters from the 1940s, made in Italy & the UK (50p each)
A shelf from the Tate
A crockpot
A "mod" lampshade from the 70s
Various books, knick knacks and soaps

It's well worth the 30p admission

Every Sunday at:

Battersea Technology College
Battersea Park Rd (A3205)
Battersea

Greenwich Market - Greenwich

This is a great market for arts and crafts. I'm not talking about potpourri cozies with dead flowers glue on them, this is the real meaning of the word craft: lovely hand-crafted things by artisans and craftsmen. The usual suspects, pottery, jewelry and knitted clothing sit side-by-side with turned wood bowls, blown glass and textiles.

Greenwich Town Centre
Thurs & Fri: Antiques & Collectables: 10.00am — 5.30pm
Sat & Sun: Arts & Crafts: 10.00am — 5.30pm

Dreamtime - Islington

Vintage clothes and accessories for the swing set, and anyone else who likes to collect jewelery and knick knacks from the 50s, and 60s. Cardigan sets and a few things from the 40s and 80s such as mint condition Home Pride men are a few of the treasures found at this hidden gem at the back of Camden Passage. It's a hidden gem because everything for sale is in excellent condition. The proprietor is a fellow collector, so if you have a special request, such as some vintage Bakelite jewelry shaped like cherries, she will call you when she comes across it.

6 Pierrepont Row
Camden Passage
Islington N1

07804 261082

Estate Sale - Civic Center

There's usually a sandwich board out in front of American Rag on the weekends that simply says "Estate Sale, Fern Ally." One day, I decided to follow the sign down the ally. I expected to find a ratty apartment filled with an old dead person's things, but I found so much more. This little shop is a collection of rooms filled with display cases and shelves filled to the brim with all sorts of household items, collectibles and books. Whoever is responsible for displaying the goods has an obsessive compulsive collector's sensibility appreciated by shoppers who like to look at collections of things, and there are many collections here. If you need a specific pyrex bowl to complete a set, this is the place to look for it, likewise for Jasperware, clocks, old radios, coctail sets, 60s and 70s lamps....

This little shop seems to be only open on the weekends, so keep an eye out for the sandwich board.

Fern Alley
around the corner from American Rag

Portobello Green -- Notting Hill

If Portobello Market is a bit too rich, Portobello Green may be just right. Less antiques (none) fill the stalls, but there is plenty of vintage, and just plain used stuff to be had. Artists, jewelry makers and seamstresses sell their wares too.


Suitable for vegetarians? Expect to find the quirky and unusual, like these non-sweatshop made trainers. They look a bit like an art student made them.

American Rag - Civic Center

Interesting small labels share the racks with big, yet still stylish labels like Comme des Garçons, Pucci, and Marc by Marc Jacobs. The front of the shop showcases new clothes, surprisingly divided nearly evenly between men's and women's fashions. The back is filled with vintage, clearly picked with the swing set in mind.

The selection changes often, so the Moscow rule of shopping is well-advised here. American Rag always has a nice selection of denim, including those übertrendy styles that may not look good on every figure, but, I'm sure, have an audience. Shoes are fashionable, yet walkable, from dressy flats to Pumas and Vans. My favorite section of the store is the jewelry, much of it made by local designers.

1305 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94109
415.474.4553

Crossroads - Inner Sunset, Fillmore, Castro, Haight Ashbury

"You have some cool clothes, but...." This is the mantra that must be part of the training for anyone who takes a buyer/cashier job at Crossroads. If you want to sell your frocks, don't bother unless you have designer clothes, or premium brand names, like Levis big E's. Then, if you're lucky, you'll get $5 cash - or $8 in trade.

The selectiveness of the buyers is not reflected in the stock for sale but if you hunt you can find a few good things. For example, a recent shopping trip yielded a $300 pair of brand new, straight legged ACNE jeans for $60. A few designer garments, about 10-20 per store, are hung on the wall above the clothes racks, but overall, there is a lot of polyester, a bunch of t-shirts and jeans and some new, disposable Forever 21-type clothes. If you don't mind used shoes, some real bargains can be had on solid labels. Cute bags, purses and junk jewelry are a good way to complete your environmentally and fiscally correct recycled outfit.

The Sunset branch has the best selection for women, while the Castro branch has the most men's wear.

1519 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
415.355.0555

1901 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
415.775.8885

555 Irving Street
San Francisco, CA 94122
415.681.0100

2123 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
415.552.8740

Alameda Flea Market - Alameda Point

I'm not the type of person who longs nostalgically for the past. I mean, do we really want to go back to the times before penicillin and botox? I am, however, nostalgic for the Sausalito Flea Market that was closed years ago to make way for a low-end shopping center. I much prefer to look at junk piled up on a blanket in a parking lot than look at junk thrown on the floor at Ross.

Now I have to get my junk fix at the Alameda Flea Market, officially called the Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Fair. No matter what it's called, my first Sunday of every month is reserved for a good old prowl among the junk. It's a great place to pick up vintage patterns and fabric, china sold in grocery stores in the 50s, and branded premiums, like the toys cereal companies used to give away if you collected enough box tops. Furniture, clocks and Persian rugs are also big sellers. Even though there's a sign at the entrance stating that all items sold must be at least 20 years old. I'm not 100% convinced of the authenticity of some of the stuff sold here. Do fancy $300 repros of old movie posters count as vintage?

Nevertheless, it's well worth the $5 admission. This is the last great flea market left in the Bay Area. If it wasn't for the Alameda flea market, and it's dead sister, Sausalito, I've have to decorate my house from IKEA and Craigslist -- the horror!

Alameda Point
formerly Alameda Naval Air Station
at the end of Atlantic Avenue
Alameda, CA
510.869.5428