Summer Fun: Rescuing the Earth by Re-evaluating Junk or The Joy of Eco-cycling Your Way Thru the Best Flea Markets in the World!

For me, summertime means a series of flea market adventures.  Numerous books have been written on the subject and others eulogize its bounty of second-hand offerings in ‘Shabby Chic’, ‘Thrifty Chic’, ‘Vintage Look Collecting’, and ‘Flea Market Decorating’ tips along with copious notes on ‘Behind-The-Scenes Treasure Hunting Secrets’.  And along with the explosive growth of  eco-chic outdoor flea markets across the USA, Europe, and now globally around the world comes a flood of trendy articles on ‘eco-renovating’ and ‘eco-accessorizing’ your home with old flea market finds and exotic craft work. But amongst all this ‘flea-bitten’ obsessive literature, I still have yet to find one critique that colorfully addresses the paradoxical joy of culling thru unusual time-worn objects of flea market junk in order to rescue one’s own personal junk from being thrown out – another words – the joy of being both environmentally responsible and artistically creative by combining eclectic junk materials found at flea markets with your own well-worn, imperfect junk at home.  And in the process creating your own masterpiece of cultural second-hand treasure – an “eco-makeover gift”.

But what constitutes an “eco-makeover gift”, you ask?   A little homework, yes, a few magazines to energize your imaginative juices, yes, but above all – a sharp shopper’s eye for discerning under-rated and over-looked junk.  Hence, the best way to start is to make a list of small to mid-size objects that you currently own around you that you consider hopeless – either out-of-date or out-of-place or just badly damaged or perhaps missing a part or section.  The key here is that you are hesitant to throw it out – just yet.    That’s good – your instinctual knack for conserving is working fine!  Next, check with your local library or your local bookstore and the internet as well for a few “Do-It-Yourself” and “Ready Made” magazine issues and ‘simple lifestyle’ type magazine issues such as “Country Living” and “Living Crafts”.

Next, whilst looking thru the many picture pages of these magazine issues, see if any of the home objects on your ‘misfit’ junk list have potential worth that you may have not considered before and then consider the range of flea market possibilities that might do well in conjunction with your own items which would give them added value.  If you can make this connection, you have then made – theoretically-speaking that is – an “eco-makeover gift”.

These are but a few examples of my favorite handcrafted “eco-makeover gifts”:  1) a vintage lamp assembled of odd and end saucers and teacups accumulated from home and my local flea market 2) a ‘geeky’ serving platter and teenage table top covered with old computer keyboard buttons, typewriter keys, scrabble tiles and misplaced domino pieces collected from home and my local flea market 3) decorative paper table runners, garlands, and posters and photo frames made from discarded easy-to-recycle children’s books, science fiction novels, and old college text books found at home and used book markets and 4) curios of one-of-a-kind hats, necklaces, pillows, napkin rings, and coasters made from stitching recycled linens and woollen sweaters together with a stockpile of lost buttons, pins, earrings, key chains, cuff links, and broken wrist watches from a myriad of flea markets and my own home.

So instead of waiting to shop at the end of the year for that perfectly labeled, monogrammed and personalized holiday gift – start now, this summer, and save money, (and your own garbage disposal) and have fun creating your own gifts by eco-cycling your way thru the Best Flea Markets in the World – and don’t be surprised who you might meet next to the table full of hand-me-down toys – for Santa Claus has gone green and is now ‘flea-ing’ as well!

BEST FLEA MARKET DESTINATIONS BY COUNTRY

ARGENTINA

Buenos Aires – San Telmo Flea Market at Plaza Dorrego

AUSTRALIA

Sydney – The Rocks Flea Market

BELGIUM

Bruges – Bruges Flea Market

Brussels – Place du Jeu-de-Balle Flea Market

Ciney – Brocante Fair

Waterloo – Waterloo Flea Market

CANADA

Ottawa – ByWard Market

Saint Eustace (near Montreal) – St. Eustace Flea Market

Toronto – Dr. Flea’s Flea Market

Vancouver – Vancouver Flea Market

CHINA

Beijing – A) Panjiayuan Weekend Flea Market

B) Hongqiao Market

DENMARK

Copenhagen – A) Norrebro Flea Market  B) Israels Plads Flea Market  C) Gammel Strand Flea Market  D) Fredericksberg Flea Market  E) Lyngby Flea Market F) Kongens Nytorv Arts-and-Crafts Flea Market

ENGLAND

London – A) Portobello Road Market B) Camden Lock Market C) Camden Passage Market D) Petticoat Lane Market  E) New Calendonian Market or Bermondsey Market

ESTONIA

Tallinn – Balti Jaama Turg

FRANCE

Lille – La Grande Braderie de Lille Flea Market

Nice- Cours Saleya Flea Market

Paris – A) Marche aux Puces de St.-Ouen Porte de Clignancourt B) Le Jules Valles Market C) Le Marche Serpette  D) Porte de Vanves

GERMANY

Berlin – A) Die Nolle @ Nollendorfplatz B) Museum Island Flea Market  C) Mauer Park Flea Market D) Moritzplatz Flea Market E) Arkonaplatz Flea Market F) Strasse des 17.Juni Flea Market

Munich – A) Theresienwiese Flea Market B) Auer Dult Flea Market & Crafts Fair @ Mariahilfplatz

GREECE

Athen – Monastiraki Flea Market

HUNGARY

Budapest – Esceri Flea Market

INDIA

Goa – A) Anjuna Flea Market B) Mapusa Friday Market

IRELAND

Dublin – Blackberry Fair Flea Market

ISRAEL

Tel Aviv – Jaffa Flea Market

ITALY

Alba – Mercantino di Torino

Arezzo – Arezzo Flea Market

Florence – Mercato Delle Pulci Flea Marketd @ Piazza Del Ciompi

Lake Maggiore – Borgo D’Ale Flea Market

Milan – Cormano Flea Market

Rome – A) Porta Portese Flea Market B) The Underground

Turin – Carmagnola Flea Market

JAPAN

Tokyo – Ameya Yokocho or Ameyoko

MALAYSIA

Singapore – Sungei Road ‘Thieves Market’

MEXICO

Puerto Vallarta – Puerto Vallarta Flea Market

MOROCCO

Tangier – Casa Barata Flea Market

NETHERLANDS

Amsterdam – A) Albert Cuyp Market B) Waterlooplein Flea Market  C) Noordermarkt Flea Market

POLAND

Krakow – Sunday Flea Market @ Plac Targowy Unitarg; Warsaw – Kolo Flea Market

PORTUGAL

Lisbon – Feira Da Ladra

RUSSIA

Moscow – Izmailovo Souvenir Market

SPAIN

Barcelona – A) Placa de la Seu Flea Market B) Mercantic Flea Market

Cap de Creus (Catalonia) – Cadaques Market

Madrid – El Rastro Flea Market

THAILAND

Bangkok – Chatuchak Weekend Market

TURKEY

Istanbul – A) Sahaflar Carsisi B) Grand Covered Bazaar C) The Egyptian Bazaar D) The Arasta Bazaar

URUGUAY

Montevideo – ‘La Feria de Tristan Narvaja’ Flea Market

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Dubai Flea Market

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

CA – Alemeda – Alemeda Flea Market

Long Beach – Long Beach Antique Flea Market

Pasadena – Rose Bowl Flea Market

San Francisco – Alemany Flea Market;

San Jose – San Jose Flea Market

FL – Daytona Beach – Daytona Flea & Farmers Market

IL – Chicago – Maxwell Street Market

Wheaton – All-Night Flea Market

IN – Shipshewana – Shipshewana’s Flea Marke

MA – Brimfield’s Outdoor Antique Show

NY- New York City – A) The Antiques Garage B) Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market C) Brooklyn’s Flea D) GreenFlea

TX – Austin – Austin Country Flea Market

Canton – First Monday Park

127 Corridor – Jamestown, TN – North Covington, KY –  Gadsden, AL – World’s Longest Outdoor Market and Yard Sale – Covers 630 Miles and 5 states