Chelsea Flea Market
Twice a week since 1976, the 150 vendors of Chelsea Flea Market showcase a vast array of antiques, collectibles, the decorative arts, and other interesting inventory
Chelsea Flea Market can offer flea market enthusiasts and antiques lover, something more than just another Sunday spent shopping. Here in the shadow of the Cathedral of St. Sava, veteran dealers and shoppers sell, shop, and socialize alongside a new crop of vendors and a new generation of buyers from here and abroad.
This open-air flea market features between 100 and 150 vendors (depending on the weather and calendar) selling a vast array of antiques, collectibles, ephemera, decorative arts, vintage clothing, jewelry, and other types of antiques (items older than 100 years old), vintage items (including Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern items), and other desirable items from the past.
If you are a layman looking to kill some time at the market, chances are that you’ll go home with something at the end of the day. For one thing, most decorative items sold at Chelsea Flea Market are not mass-produced, unoriginal copies that you see at the souvenir shops. Besides, vintage pieces often come with histories and it adds a human touch to it.
If, on the other hand, you‘re an expert bargain hunter seriously looking for some real deal, you won’t be disappointed. Hodgepodge of stuff is on offer: accessories, antiques, vintage clothes, old cameras, beads and jewellery, decoration, furniture, paintings, and so on.
Most vendors at Chelsea Flea Market are ultra-friendly fellows, some of whom drive in from another town before the crack of dawn. They are stalwarts who have developed a faithful following in the neighbourhood over the years, with still-avid followings from Chelsea’s glory years.
In January 2019 Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market merged with Chelsea Flea Market. Bringing the Hell’s Kitchen vendors to Chelsea created a real critical mass of merchandise that enhances the buying experience for shoppers and the selling experience for vendors.
All in all, Chelsea Flea Market somehow evokes the original Annex Antiques Fair & Flea Market, its forebear begun nearby on Sixth Avenue almost 40 years ago.
This is a casual flea market that’s fun for browsing, but don’t expect to find anything really good. Most of the stores are very poorly organized and you have to sift through piles and piles of junk. Much of the merchandise looks just plain old, without any antique charm.
I’ve been to other flea markets that have better items, and most of the “junk” has already been taken out. This flea market, on the other hand, feels like a big collection of garage sales/people trying to get rid of things they’ve accumulated at inflated prices. You have to do the searching yourself, and if you do happen to find something you like, it’s being sold for more than it’s probably worth.
$1 admission to enter. The place has a calm vibe. It’s more of an outdoor thrift/pawn shop than a flea market. Lots of used cloth, phones, art supplies, and more are sold. They are not as timeless as they are just old.
This flea market has a wide assortment of interesting things for the collector of most anything. If you’re in the area on a Sunday, and want to spend a couple of interesting hours of browsing, I would recommend this flea market for sure.
Chelsea market offers a wide range of vintage clothes; high end-cheap, and all that’s in between. My friend found a vintage rabbit fur in ice blue! She was thrilled; a rare finding when you love vintage fur and bright colors! You can also find stones, jewelry, paintings and old nips at this flea. I thought that a lot of the prices were a little too expensive, but hey! this is not the place to give up on! I also found two new favorite pieces to a very decent price! A new straw hat and a funky halter neck top!
If you’re trying to get your thrift fix without having to travel all the way to Brooklyn, I think this little flea market/parking lot will do that for you. While it’s not nearly as vendored-up and large as Brooklyn Flea, it’s still organized and manageable.