
What a gorgeous day at the flea market….
My just turned 18 year old boy (here on my bulletin board)
came along. Made him a thermos of cocoa and off we hurtled into the
brisk and clear Sunday morning before 7 am. Just look at that sunrise.
So many vendors go out of their way to catch your eye…
Loved this vendor’s full coat rack of vintage frames…

Everyone loves Big Daddy’s Antiques …and owner Shane Brown is such a
nice guy. He really is always my favorite stop at the Flea. I have friends who’ve
visited and have been blown away by his enormous warehouse in Los Angeles…
If you get on his email list they send out reminders, and offer to put anything
you see on their website here on the truck to bring up north for the monthly
Alameda flea market. His displays are always incredible.

The trumeau is reproduction, huge, available
in several colors and sizes here …
Shane had many black and gold framed prints
Nice strong visual/traditional statement able to hold
its own against the heavy industrial…

Wire multi-compartment baskets filled with
jingling glass test tubes, rough bowls filled with
succulents, huge twisted wood balls…

At 7:30 his guys are still pulling things off his truck
setting up his “rooms”

Lots of industrial…with personal touches here on the drawers…
“Collier”, “Manchon”, “Raccord” … Collars, sleeves, connection….

Shane had his guys fill this metal cauldron with
sand and then set and light a quantity of votives
that flickered in the morning breeze…
Faux bois style mushroom trees on the industrial
table behind, wrapped at the base in burlap…
Magic in the midst of 800 vendors set up on
acres of asphalt, with the huge cranes used to
unload cargo off the bay stalwart in the distance…

Chopping block table with industrial pot rack…
Under “custom tables” here

Shane was almost apologetic when he gave me a price on one
of these gorgeous antique vellum books ($750)
C’est la vie. They’ll be well worth it to someone.
Love the row of milk pails at top

Gorgeous wheat colored cabinet
hit by the early morning sun…

I always come to the flea market with an open mind
but I needed a few of these long antique bread baskets…
and grabbed Big Daddy’s last two.
Always leave Big Daddy’s wishing I could buy more

Across the way …
a bit of quiet reflection on a busy day…
Antiques by the Bay