Flea Market Finds

This past weekend brought about a trip to Central New York's Regional Flea Market, which is comprised of a variety of vendors. This is the place to go to find anything your heart desires, from freshly packaged silverware and farm-grown foods to Wiggles CD's or even an antique Victrola bell! A flea market is the perfect conglomeration of convenience store meets yardsale.  This was yet another opportunity to expand my exploration of design to zone in on household paraphernalia from past to present generations.

I found this delicious looking salt and pepper set at the first table i visited: a good omen for the rest of my adventure at the flea market. The condiment containers fit snugly into the constructed cob of corn to make this item multi functional as a household item and a sculpture. And what better food to put salt on than corn! Good design.

At first sight, I was a bit bemused to see a piece of cloth lounging upon a cleaning bottle that I took to have been forgotten on a vendor's table, but upon further inspection, it became clear that this oddly-shaped piece of cloth was in fact an apron for the container! Although I'm not quite sure as to the purpose of this accessory, as a potential housewife I couldn't help but be won over by the adorable look it put upon the mundane product. After this unique discovery, why not make my kitchen cabinet the most fashionable one on the block?

This bowl is beautiful and entirely functional.  What more could you ask for?

Pez. It's a classic candy/toy. Who wouldn't want to eat a yummy candy that was produced from the mouth of your favorite cartoon character?

Coca Cola's familiar logo has surpassed the ages, which is why I give this symbol the good design stamp. Not to mention that the soda is delicious.

This doily was constructed entirely by hand.  Being able to make something so beautiful and intricate out of such fragile appearing material is good design to me.

This funky looking container was carved out of a dried-out gourd-like object.  Waste not, want not, good design.

The Japanese have always had a knack for making all of their products bold and beautiful with their simplicity, which continually makes them classic and appealing.

  This reminded me of the corn-on-the-cob salt and pepper shakers I had encountered previously. Although I wouldn't be drinking grape juice out of such delicate ceramics, I can see myself using these solely for the purpose that they are well crafted, reinvent and refresh the traditional teapot and tea cups that all are accustomed to. Now my goal in life is to possess a full dinner ware set entirely in food forms. Why not eat spaghetti on a plate that looks like it is spaghetti? Only we designers have to make sure that the illusion doesn't become so convincing that we have people winding up in the hospital for trying to consume that spoon that "really looked like it was a carrot."

I might have been suckered into this one with my "diamonds are a girl's best friend" gene, but it's pretty impressive that such a small chain can support the weight of so much rock, don't you think? :)

With the following items, we see design leave the line of success and begin to go astray:

Sure, these clothes might have a cool texture to them, but I'm not crazy about running around looking like icing on a cake. Not to mention they look weirdly warped and unflattering on a hanger. Maybe the vendor should have invested in a mannequin to make their product a little more understandable.

Cute duck, great! Cute duck in a witch outfit with a pumpkin bag and pointy elf shoes, what?

These hairstyles are not just bad design; they are a fashion crime.

What kind of a toy is this?  Please please let me know if a heart filled with alphabet soup holds any special significance for you, I would love to grasp the concept.

These two figures are borderline creepy with their luminous shade of skin and buggy eyes.

Why this item is associated with bad design should be apparent with the logo stretching across its front. ;)

I think it's acceptable to wear mutated clothing to add a little spunk to your high school's pep rally or sporting event, but it's a little unsophisticated to be wearing it out on the town for your flea-market date with the 'rents.

Maybe Mindy has some good music. But with her cropped arm, bagged eyes, vacant expression, and oddly colored text, I'm not sure that I want to give the cd a chance.

Even if dear old grandma did knit this one-of-a-kind creation for you, you should probably let her know for her next victim that hairy pumpkin is not really season appropriate for the holidays.

The lifeless eyes and spontaneous mumbo jumbo emitting from the mouths of Furbys have freaked me out since I was offered one for Christmas years ago.

Even though there was some weird random stuff at this flea market, there was also a bunch of really cool random stuff there too, perfect for dressing up your mundane college room and making it unique! (In a good way!)  Go check it out!