Crafty Find: Leslieville Flea Market

I remember when I was younger and we would occasionally head to the Pickering Flea Market with my parents. What we’d find there were vendors selling cheap sweat pants and mittens and other random items. The market was indoors, was huge, and I don’t ever recall actually buying anything there, but that was my impression of what a flea market was - at least in the suburbs. (I haven’t thought about that market in YEARS, but it turns out it still runs every Saturday and Sunday, and has since 1973.) 

But now I’m older, an adult, if you will, and I’m not looking for sweat pants any longer but cool items for our house instead. I wouldn’t consider myself an antique shopper, but there is definitely some appeal to finding a deal on something not found at IKEA.  If I believe the fashion and design experts, it seems that everything old is now modern again. So when our little neighbourhood started the Leslieville Flea Market, my husband and I were excited to check it out. It ran during the summer on the third Sunday of every month in the parking lot of dive bar at Leslie & Queen. We’ve been to each one , and it’s been fun to see it grow, to see the same vendors return, to chat with them, and to see new vendors show up. The finds are pretty awesome, perhaps not everyone’s taste, and even if you’re not there to buy, you’ll surely have a moment of nostalgia when you see some of the things there. 

We’ve bought a couple of items there now and are always on the look-out for other unique items. If you're not looking to buy, the flea market is also a great source of inspiration for those of you who like DIY projects. So far, we've picked up some lovely teal chairs for our new dining room table for $25/each from Sourced & Salvaged. They even delivered them to our door – free of charge! They have the right amount of distress and style to make them look aged, and I love the pop of colour that they add to our dining room. We also found a really cute children’s table and chairs for Olivia, as well as a dress from the ‘70s that had never been worn.  Most times we don't go looking for something in particular, but then something grabs our eye and we just have to have it.

Well, the summer is over, long gone is the warm and sunny weather, but the outdoor market is finding a new life indoors at Jimmy Simpson Recreation Centre, at least for the next two months. If you feel like checking it out, you’ll probably find us there.