Whether searching for turn-of-the-century botanical prints, biscotti tins, or vintage linens, travelers will find this slim, handsome volume an indispensable passport to Italy's most authentic and enjoyable shopping. The great antique and flea markets of Italy often remain hard to locate, and once discovered, tourists still face the challenge of deciphering complicated seasonal schedules as well as finding out what each market offers. Comprehensive and easy to use, The Antique & Flea Markets of Italy guides shoppers to the best markets in all regions. It also provides specific information about each market's merchandise, from furniture, jewelry, and postcards to enamel signs, perfume bottles, and fedoras from the Forties. Listings include location and directions, opening days and hours, and telephone contact information.

FOR FUN, FRUITFUL, AND SMART FLEA MARKET SHOPPING, DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THIS BOOK-- NOW COMPLETELY UPDATED AND EXPANDED! -- COMPREHENSIVE. From Advertising Character Collectibles to Barware, Italian Glass to Beanie Babies, Fisher Price Toys to Road Maps, The Official Price Guide to Flea Market Treasures contains more than 500 categories listing the most current information on the hottest flea market finds. This one-of-a-kind guide reveals how to identify a "true" flea market, and how to shop once you're there. A complete list of item prices organized by category provides a handy and authoritative reference that assures you of getting the best deal. -- PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. With the unrivaled acumen of antiques and collectibles editor and author Harry L. Rinker, and the added expertise of a fifty-member board of advisors contributing information on their specialty categories, this guide is essential to a successful flea marketing adventure. -- SPECIAL FEATURES. There are more than sixty new categories for this edition, a detailed annotated Reference Library for Flea Marketers, and a handy list of the top thirty flea markets in the nation. -- FULLY ILLUSTRATED. Hundreds of photos throughout the volume help identify the precise items you are looking for.

"This guide describes more than thirty markets, along with their specialties and the regional items you're likely to come across, and offers practical advice on visiting the markets, tips on bargaining, and relevant French phrases"--book cover

Marks are one of the collector's most important tools when it comes to identifying and dating antiques. Of course, it is important to understand that they should never be relied upon completely, as many have been copied or faked. What you should rely on is experience. Handle as many antiques as you can and learn to combine your knowledge of marks with the knowledge of how an authentic piece looks and feels. Whether you are buying at auction, flea market or antique shop this is the book you need to identify and date what you find. More than 6,000 marks are organized for quick, at-a-glance reference with full-colour sections on silver, Sheffield plate, bronze figures, ceramics, glass, costume jewellery, toys and dolls. This comprehensive guide can be kept handy to identify antique finds and valuate them from a catalogue of the most common marks that you will encounter, as well as any unidentified treasures you already own.

Dozens of inspired ideas for using dried flowers and herbs in the home for fragrance and visual beauty, as well as how to shop for, grow, dry, and store them; by the owner of Cherchez, the elegant New York store.More than 110 full-color photographs.

A lovable oddball cast of characters is at the heart of this treasure-hunt through the last days of one of the greatest flea markets on earth. "[Rips] has humanity, humor and the gift of a limpid, agile, unpretentious prose style.… A captivating portrait.”—Ben Downing, Wall Street Journal Across America and around the world, people wander through flea markets to search for lost treasures. For decades, no such market was more renowned than the legendary Chelsea flea market, which sprawled over several blocks and within an old garage on the west side of Manhattan. Visitors would trawl through booths crammed with vintage dresses, rare books, ancient swords, glass eyeballs, Afghan rugs, West African fetish dolls, Old Master paintings, and much more. In The Golden Flea, the acclaimed writer Michael Rips takes readers on a trip through this charmed world. With a beguiling style that has won praise from Joan Didion and Susan Orlean, Rips recounts his obsession with the flea and its treasures and provides a fascinating account of the business of buying and selling antiques. Along the way, he introduces us to the flea’s lovable oddball cast of vendors, pickers, and collectors, including a haberdasher who only sells to those he deems worthy; an art dealer whose obscure paintings often go for enormous sums; a troubadour who sings to attract customers; and the Prophet, who finds wisdom among all the treasures and trash. As Rips’s passion for collecting grows and the flea’s last days loom, he undertakes a quest to prove the provenance of a mysterious painting that just might be the one.