laura

Looking for antique buttons and smalls--where are the best flea markets March-May?

Caitlin

The best is the one in Chelsea on Sundays, at 6th Ave. around 25th St. It's really the only one that's not mostly junky things.

annK

Alot of the old stand by flea markets are gone on 6th Ave, there are several new buildings going up. There are a few off 6th in the 25th St. area, but you may have to look a bit. There is a building of flea markets just west of 6th on 24th or 25th. There is another regular on Amsterdam at 75th I think in a school play ground.

During the spring and summer months EVERY weekend we have street fairs and you can sometimes get some good bargins there. There is a website, but I will have to find it, used to be at sidewalk.com but I think it has been moved. The street fairs happen on Sat and Sunday starting in say April through the middle of October, makes a mess sometimes of traffic on the weekends.

Hope that helps.

Caitlin

I just want to point out that the street fairs mentioned above will not feature the antique or collectible items you're looking for; they're basically food stalls and cheap, junky merchandise. I'm not sure if you'll find what you need there, but you might also try looking in some of the trim shops on 6th Ave. between 34th and 37th Sts.; these are geared to the garment trade, but many sell retail also. There are at least a couple devoted exclusively to buttons. There's also an excellent button shop called Tender Buttons at 143 E. 62d St.; though the prices aren't flea market, they have lots of vintage things.

Ess

Laura, Tender Buttons is a wonderful little shop. I was trying to remember the name of it, Caitlin. They have all kinds of buttons, good quality contemporary ones, as well as vintage and antique buttons. I bought a beautiful set of buttons there for my mother who was having a dress made - they were carved out of bone or ivory as Japanese Noh masks. Very unusual and interesting. I'm glad to know they're still in business.