Old Notes Vintage Guitars seeks out, restores, and resells vintage guitars and instruments from the 1950s and 1960s. Musicians Ken and Leslie Uhnak told us, "Guitars from this era represented an emerging expression of American music history that is rapidly fading from memory. Our mission is to preserve the spirit of this bygone era, and keep it alive through music played on the instruments of the time." 

When we asked them what inspires their work, they had this to say: "We are musicians; we love the look and sound of these guitars and want to reintroduce them to a new generation of musicians."

They'll have a booth full of boxy-bluesy parlour and arch top guitars ready to adopt. And the other half of their booth features their project, The Brolly Drolly, specializing in Victorian through mid-century umbrellas in all of their glory. 

Nothing will rain on this parade.

Check them out in their double-wide at the Flea on Sunday, June 14 from 10 am - 4 pm along the Providence River Greenway!

Tom Nault loves antiques and collectibles and he's no newbie to the flea market scene, having first attended markets with his parents when he was just 10 years old. "I can't not go," Tom tells us today. "It is pure joy for me to be there."

We like Tom because he has great pickings...and because Tom likes the Flea. In fact, when he gushes, we blushes! "Great stuff, delectable food, sweet people, good times on the Providence waterfront... Why wouldn't I want to come back?" 

Tom doesn't come often, but when he does, he doesn't disappoint. You won't want to miss his eclectic collection of vintage jewelry molds, science lab beakers and bunsen burners, ceramic sculptures, antique furniture and furnishings, and downright fantastic finds. 

Check out Tom's latest at the Flea on Opening Day from 10 am-4 pm on June 7. We never know when he'll be back!

Christine McCarthy of Artful Intuition combines instinct and imagination to offer a uniquely curated selection of handmade and found objects to celebrate, decorate, and commemorate life's special and simple moments. Vintage goods are served up alongside vintage reused creations and vintage inspired crafts and art works.
Christine told us, "All of my work incorporates images and collage materials from the past..." Some of the 'thread' that ties it all together? Vintage sewing notions and knitting; old postcards and sculptural bookmaking; sheet music and beach-combing, and the list goes on. Her vintage product focus is primarily smalls (think: sewing notions, pocket watch parts, and dog show ribbons) and paper ephemera (postcards, flash cards, and labels). You'll even find some antique chemistry lab equipment thrown in for good measure!

A book conservator and artist, Christine tell us she has always made things, collected things, and displayed things. As a child she wanted to be an archaeologist, because the idea of fragments that hold secrets and stories from the past appealed to her.
"The Providence Flea was recommended to me by a customer at an arts and crafts fair last summer," she told us. "I am a Rhode Island transplant in Connecticut, who loves any excuse to come home!" Well, we're glad to be that excuse, Christine--and we're sure Flea patrons are pretty revved about it, too!

The Forager is also known as Cathy. When Cathy talks about her work, it is like a manifesto:  

Cathy is The Forager and The Forager knows The Hunt.  Come see what you can find at her booth next Sunday!

Marco Pimentel got into the vintage and antiques business through an old girlfriend. "She'd want to go out to one of these places at 6 am. I hated it. But then over time I'd see some things I liked and dealers would ask if they could buy my finds from me. People said I had a good eye."

Fast forward 11 years and Marco has a booth filled with interesting things and lots of questions from browsers.  

Marco says, "It is a fun job. You get to tell stories about where things came from, and people tell you their own stories. It's a history lesson. I love it."

One of Marco's specialities is vintage signs...

And he also showed us a prop replica of the DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol that was used as the basis for Han Solo's gun in Star Wars.  

And then we lingered over this childhood memory:

All in one booth!  Stop by to see Marco at The Flea next weekend. He's got stories and he wants to hear yours!

Josephina's Creations is a veritable smorgasbord of flowers, succulents (her personal favorite), cactus, air plants and other garden delights that Josephina Sullivan has planted in old French pots, sea shells, birdcages, various vintage containers and hypertufa forms that she makes herself!  

Josephina told us, "I love the vibe at the Providence Flea..whenever I've gone I've had the best time and I've picked up some of my favorite treasures." 

Jo also makes chair gardens, terrariums, and jewelry out of quahog shells... with still more vintage and garden items sprinkled throughout her arrangements. Now she's working on "living walls" -- plant frames that you can hang up outdoors! 

Jo said, "I love to garden, collecting fun items that interest me and putting it all together. It's a great experience to share a piece of yourself with others!"

Go Green, literally, with Josephina at The Flea this weekend!

The Two Sisters booth at the Flea is filled with a scrumptious range of finds with a great mix textures and colors.  See for yourself: 

Two Sisters is back with their haul of antiques and collectibles, and this year they are also bringing some handmade clothing and crafts.  Yes!  

Ariane says, "It was a great experience to be a part of The Providence Flea last year. It was exactly the type of venue we were looking for with incredible customers!"

Meet Two Sisters this weekend at The Flea!

Barbara Moss is lovely.  So is the Barbara Moss Antiques collection of jewelry.  You *must* stop by her booth for a chat and a slow trip through her glass cases.  “All my items are vintage or antique and for the most part, jewelry,” says Barbara. “Some are old collectibles, others are sterling silver or gold. Many pieces have a story to tell and I love to tell them.”

Barbara has been in the vintage and antiques world since 1967.  (That’s a minute or two!)  She previously had a store in Wickford, but now you can find her at flea markets.  “For me flea markets are a way of life. Even when times were lean, I'd still set up. Many of my best friends are the people I met doing the fleas. I will always be a Flea Marketer.”

Barbara loves seeing all of the dogs at The Providence Flea so bring your pooch by to meet her this Sunday, July 13 and occasional dates through the summer!

Bob’s Beach House premiered at the Flea only last weekend, and he sure made a splash with patrons. Well, according to Bob-o, they’re just getting started. Opening at the Flea with their 1,000+ disc vinyl collection and equally large CD collection, they also brought along some iconic art--including half-size cutouts of an animated Fab Four, painted album covers and more.

What partner Bob-o Feen hasn’t revealed to Flea fans yet is their travel scarf collection featuring Rhode Island summer favorites like Newport and Block Island, as well as an array from neighboring states and cities.  But wait, there’s more…and we’re not talking about a set of steak knives, folks. The Beach House collection rolls out like the pull-down map you studied in 5th grade--and yes, he'll have those, too--plus sea charts, map prints and yes, more paintings. Sounds like Bob’s Beach House is the place to crash at the Flea this summer, and browse to your vintage heart’s delight! See Bob & Co. on July 6, and select dates throughout the season.

Who's the man behind Big Al's Poke & Pick?  He's the guy with the sweet smile, the great hat and the things you want to take home. Al started collecting when he was 18 and took a shine to Coca Cola collectibles.  He now specializes in vintage mid-century modern collectibles including Eames, Heywood Wakefield, Russell Wright and McCobb.  But in the end Al says, “If it is good design, I like it. Whether it is a typewriter or a lamp.”

(Editor’s Note: Our brief interview was interrupted when a man stopped by to collect the vintage bicycle he bought for his wife’s birthday. Their dog, Franklin, fits perfectly in the basket. This is the kind of sunny thing that happens when you hang with Al.)

Al lives in Rhode Island but used to trek to the Brooklyn Flea on weekends to sell.  He’s excited to replace all of that early morning driving with a jaunt to the Providence Flea. “I just cannot come up with a better place to spend my Sundays,” he says. 

Come see what Al has been storing in his garage and his basement.  You won’t be disappointed.  He’s at The Flea this weekend and all summer long!