Flea Market Secrets: An Indispensable Guide to Where to Go and What to Buy

In this indispensable guide, Geraldine James, home buying manager for Selfridges department store, shares the insider knowledge she has gleaned from spending every available weekend at flea markets.

Geraldine James is a true fleamarketing expert. She begins with the 10 Golden Rules (from arriving early and knowing how to work the stalls to training your eye to spot treasures amongst the rubbish). The following chapters on china and glass, textiles, furniture, metal, art, jewelry, and gardens explain what to buy, what to ignore, how to clean and repair, and when to call in the services of a restoration expert. There’s advice on how to display your finds and how to build a collection. Finally, there is a detailed directory of Geraldine’s favorite flea markets, from Round Top in Texas and Los Angeles’ Rose Bowl, to the markets of Paris and the south of France and the country towns of England. Vintage, retro, unusual, quirky, and one-of-a-kind—all these words perfectly describe the bounty to be found at a flea market.

Geraldine James started her career in fashion as a contemporary designer buyer, and from fashion she moved to home and gift. Geraldine soon developed a passion for collecting and finding unusual and beautiful things – she can be found at a flea market most weekends. She now works as a home buying manager at Selfridges and, as part of her role, spends time traveling extensively to find exciting new products for the store. She is the author of 'Creative Walls' (ISBN 978-1-907563-15-7), 'Creative Display' (ISBN 978-1-908170-16-3) and 'Creative Spaces' (ISBN 978-1-78249-055-5). The author is based in London, UK.