Saturday Shopping by the Sea: Ocean Grove's Fall Flea Market

 

It's been a while since I've posted; mainly because it's been a while since I've been on a shopping adventure!  After my summer vacations I decided it was time to do some pre-fall cleaning, which evolved into pre-fall painting, re-decorating, and purging stuff I didn't want anymore.  I came across the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, and so far it has been life changing!  I've been a bit consumed by tidying lately, but since I've created tons of room for some new goodies, when my bestie Hailey (Splendor and Sierra) asked me to join her and her boyfriend Adam at the Ocean Grove Flea Market, I thought it was perfect timing.

The adorable town of Ocean Grove hosts the Flea Market twice a year; once in the spring and once in the fall.  Almost 400 vendors participate; the Flea Market spans quite a few blocks from the Ocean Grove Grand Auditorium to the boardwalk.   This was my first time at the Flea Market, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  There is certainly a little bit of everything, and definitely something for everyone!

There's the standard flea market fare; cheap knockoff handbags, scarves, sunglasses, and of course a vendor selling socks!  However, I'd say the majority of the vendors were selling cool antiques and collectibles, which was exactly what we were looking for.  Hailey and Adam were in search of large vintage mason jars for their kitchen, and possibly a vintage 7-Up crate to match one they currently had.  I wasn't searching for anything in particular; just open to anything that may catch my eye!

Hailey and Adam ended up having a really successful day, finding everything they were looking for, and for good prices.  I was enjoying looking through everything, but didn't really see anything I loved enough to buy until almost the end of the market.  Hailey and I were perusing the tent of a vendor whose taste we loved; everything in the vendor's collection was perfectly curated, very feminine and sweet.  I was immediately drawn to a beautiful deco vanity tray she was selling.  It was in near perfect condition; it came with five glass containers, the middle one with a cute gold lid.  Something about it was so beautiful and unique; it had to be mine! 

After speaking with the seller, she initially wanted around $100 for it, but said that she could do as low as $75.  The piece was actually from Paris; she had recently found it on a trip to visit her daughter who lives there.  The tray was seriously perfect, and it was all the more impressive knowing that it made it across the Atlantic!  But....I wasn't planning on spending that much.  I walked away a few steps, but couldn't leave it behind!  After consulting with Adam and Hailey, I went back and bartered a bit more, settling on $65.  The piece was really one of a kind, and something I know I will treasure forever! 

Here are some other highlights from the flea market:

 PYREX. Can I have all of it?

Photo courtesy of Splendor and Sierra

Photo courtesy of Splendor and Sierra

It was a great day to end summer, with great friends, great weather, and great finds!

I'm still in the process of going through all of my clutter and tidying up; stay tuned for my review of the process in addition to new shopping adventures!

Until then...

xoxo, Bettie

Consignment Pit-Stop: The Vested Interest

Two weeks ago as I was cruising home through Warren, NJ, a cute little store on the side of the road caught my eye.  I was in motion, so I only caught a glimpse, but what I clearly did see were the words Consignment Boutique, and a rack of clothes outside on the porch.  I did some research as soon as I got home, and learned that the boutique was The Vested Interest, a consignment shop that carries like-new items from stores such as Neiman Marcus, Bloomindgale's, and from high-end designers.  Conveniently I already had plans to be back in Warren the following week for a hair appointment, so I made certain to leave a little early for a quick pit-stop! 

The Vested Interest is on Mt. Bethel road, right off of Route 78, before you hit the main part of Warren at Mountain Avenue.  It's really easy to get to, just take note - Google Maps had me reaching the destination 1/4 mile after I was actually supposed to turn!  Luckily my shopping sixth-sense was in full force, so I recognized the shop and made the turn in time.

Walking into the store there was clearly a ton of merchandise.  Items are pretty well organized by clothing type; dresses, blouses, sleeveless, sweaters, jackets.  Shoes and bags have different sections throughout the store, including one full wardrobe/display case of each:

I was impressed by the pretty decent selection of formal evening wear and plus size clothing as well; those are two categories you don't see that much of.

There was a lot of higher-end designer clothing, such as Missoni, Prada, Kay Unger, and Trina Turk to name a few.  There was a special Lily Pulitzer and Vineyard Vines section for those on the preppy side.  The shop is definitely catered more towards a working woman, so no fast fashion brands like Forever 21 were in sight.  There were lots of really, really nice items; you can tell that the owners do not accept anything that isn't in like-new condition.  SO MUCH of the merchandise was still new with tags! 

Looking around initially I was impressed and intrigued by a lot of the merchandise, but not so much with their prices.  Everything seemed a bit more than I'd be willing to pay, even for used designer.  One Eddie Bauer t-shirt was marked $18 - there was no way I was paying that much for that!   I had been in the store about 15 minutes and had circled once already before the owner finally greeted me, and asked if I knew about the sale.  Um, what sale?  She pointed to a board behind the register I had totally missed - all items with a purple dot were 50% off, items with a blue dot were 30% off, and green dots were regular price. I quickly double checked a Missoni dress I had liked; it was $36.00, with a purple dot!  Okay, I thought, that changes everything! Time for a second go-around of the store!

The sale really changed the game for me price-wise; things were much more reasonable and were more steals than not.   I went into the dressing room with about 10 items; some notable ones were the Missoni dress I mentioned above, a Calvin Klein khaki shirt dress, and an adorable Lily Pulitzer cardigan.  I loved a lot of the items, but decided to restrain myself.  I ended up coming home with these cute woven oxfords by Hinge:


They normally are around $100, and I got them for $25.

Overall, I think the sale prices really make The Vested Interest a place to stop by.  The owners keep a really great selection of clothing, especially if you're into higher-end designers.  I think I'll definitely be stopping by in the fall for basic sweaters and shirts.

As a side note, before stopping into a shop I always check the internet for reviews to give me an idea of what people are saying beforehand.  I could only find one review of The Vested Interest, which stated that the owner was unpleasant.  After my experience I wouldn't use that term - the owner I spoke with, who co-owns with her mother, was fairly pleasant once I started talking to her.  I wasn't greeted right away, which would have definitely helped with my understanding of the sale, but I didn't feel that the owner was nasty or hard to deal with at all.  Let's just say I've dealt with much worse!  If you plan on stopping by, just keep an eye out for the sale sign behind the register as soon as you start shopping.

Today actually happens to be my birthday, (whee!), and as part of my celebration I asked my honey to accompany me on some bargain adventures this weekend.  I can't wait to report back with what we find!

Until next time,

xoxo, Bettie

Happy National Thrift Shop Day!

Unbeknownst to me, today is one of the greatest "holidays" of the year: National Thrift Shop Day!  I've been seeing great deals advertised by thrift and vintage stores all over social media to celebrate.  Unfortunately I'm confined to my cubicle today, and have a painting-the-walls date with my bedroom later, so I'm not going to be able to participate in any of the fun!  Let me know if you make any great finds today - Happy Thrifting loves!

xoxo, Bettie