Treasure Hunting

Last week I went to the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena.


It was a MUCH better experience than the Antique Expo I wrote about here.


I got some great stuff all for under $80 (including ATM fees and price of admission). I also learned a valuable lesson in vintage purse shopping.

First, I got this gold mesh purse which I love. I call it "the bag by no one" as it does not have a label-just like Carrie's vintage wedding suit in SATC: The Movie!


Next, I got this vintage Furla crossbody.


I also bought this mirror for our apartment. I'm going to paint the frame black.


And last, but not--oh wait--last and definitely least...

In my haste, I thought I scored a vintage Chanel bag. The Cs crossed each other correctly, the logo is on the zipper, and the inside is leather with the gold Chanel stamp. However, once I got home and took a closer look I was disappointed. Aside from missing a serial number, here is the reason I believe it's fake.

See how the area circled doesn't match up with the rest of the row? All authentic Chanel quilt patterns are flawless. Wah-wah.




Wrap-Up:
So when venturing to the flea market, be more careful than I when shopping and hit the ATM before you arrive (the portable ATMs on-site charge ridiculous fees!). I also highly recommend shopping in the eastern part of the country (if you're there of course) as they tend to have more antiques for lower prices. Every industry, including the vintage/antique set, seems to be marked up in LA.