Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market

My chilly visit to W. 39th Street between 9th

and 10th Avenue Saturday, March 29.

Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market is a continuance of the Annex Antiques Fair and Flea Market in Chelsea.

“This market started in 2003, because of the, I guess real estate and residential threat of losing the Chelsea Markets in Chelsea,” said market publicist Kristina Ratliff. “They were in empty parking lots, so now they’re building like high rise residential buildings there and we don’t have the threat of that here.”

A wooden cut out of market creator Alan Boss welcomes shoppers on 9th Avenue.

“It’s the only street in New York that’s closed down permanently for a flea market,” said Ratliff.

The outdoor market is open Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. year round. Ratliff said turnout depends on the weather. About 170 vendors are open during the market’s high season in summer, but there is a great turn out in the winter as well.

“Surprisingly, I mean flea market goers are pretty die-hard so we usually have a really good turn out,” said Ratliff. “But some days are just too brutal especially in New York, I mean the weather is a little unpredictable.”

I visited the market on one of those “brutal” weather days that reached a high of only 40 degrees. The cold weather made it a little hard to take off my coat and try on clothes.

About 20 vendors were open with some fantastic items. Unfortunately, most items were a little out of my price range.

(Left) New purse made out of vintage fabric, cost: $225.

However, one could find many vintage treasures at bargain prices with an expertise in search and bargaining.

Student Rebekka Rafnsdottier from Reykjavik, Iceland shopped the market during her weekend stay in New York City.

She found two dresses and was confident she would purchase them for $35 after a little bargaining with the owners.

While a lot of items were a little pricey, most of those items were high end and well made, such as this Burberry trench coat.

Vendor Judith Adler of Charles Adler Vintage Clothier prices things based on the item’s rarity.

“If you know you’re never gonna see it again, it’s top dollar,” said Adler.

Most of Adler’s items are just that. She prefers to sell pre 60’s menswear.

“Things made in the 60’s and earlier is a whole different level of quality,” she said.

“I mean you look at a coat from the 40’s and a coat from the 80’s or a coat from today and you couldn’t even consider. Even couture, even a $5,000 Armani coat today is not tailored as well as a run of the mill coat was in the 1930’s and 40’s.”

“I mean it was all hand done. It was all handfinished. The seems were perfect. They’re allbinded. It’s just a work of art…and you don’t findthat today.”

Adler, who has been a vendor at the market since it opened five years ago, specializes in menswear and accessories. She offers a wide variety of men’s hats.

“I love hats,” said Adler. “An average looking man puts on a hat and he looks good. A good looking man puts on a hat and he looks great.”

“It adds something and it’s fun. People enjoy them. It’s a real sort of almost play acting sense of it and people love that and it makes me happy to actually pair people up with hats and clothing and the perfect belt. Things that they’re gonna use and love and it really has some value as opposed the the throw away society we live in.”

Tips and finds• Visit in the spring and fall,

weather permitting• Be prepared to pay for

designer vintage items, but less than you would for new items.

• The market offers a little bit of everything but I found a lot of coats, jewelry, t-shirts, and 60’s suits and dresses.

• Don’t worry about getting there early.