BC/EFA Purchases You Wish You Made

[quizking101]

Posted: 2/21/26 at 12:36pm

Just to have some friendlier chatter…

Has there ever been a special item during Red Bucket season or the Flea Market you wanted to purchase, but didn’t and now regret it?

My story is about Tyne Daly. She had a table at the Broadway Flea Market a few years back and was selling her souvenirs and such, and one of the items was her GYPSY pearls for $50. I didn’t know the significance at the time and $50 seemed like a lot for costume jewelry. Then I saw the video of Rose’s Turn with her wearing them and made the connection. I kick myself to this day.

She did, however, drag me by the hand to a coat rock full of her show jackets and hustled hard to sell me her “It Shoulda Been You” cast jacket which, unfortunately, was too small. She definitely tried though, pulling on the sleeves and hem and lapels. I joke to this day that I inadvertently got to second base with Tyne Daly  

[darquegk]

Posted: 2/21/26 at 3:46pm

It wasn't BC/EFA, and I know I've told this story on here before, but it's sort of followed me through the theatre community, so I'll tell it again.

Back in summer 2009, I was assistant-directing a production of Sweeney Todd in the Pittsburgh area. (It wasn't a very good production exactly, or at least not a very faithful one: someone described as "Muppet Sweeney Todd," since Sweeney and Mrs Lovett played everything straight as an arrow while the rest of the show was played as farce.) Around this time, I happened to see a Facebook or Craigslist posting stating that a warehouse in NYC was being cleaned out, and a number of Broadway prop and set pieces were "free to a good home." One of these was Dracula's coffin from the opening sequence of Dance of the Vampires: neon and leather lined, it floated and levitated and mechanically opened and shut with a built-in smoke machine.

Immediately, our director and our Sweeney said "let's get the coffin for Sweeney's big entrance!" The only trouble is, none of us owned a big enough van to go get it, and the production wouldn't write off a rental from Pittsburgh to NYC and back to get it. Last I heard, a funeral home had taken it and used it in a Halloween promo display... I wonder where the Dracula coffin is now. (Our director and our Sweeney eventually said "what if we bury Sweeney alive for each show and he claws out of a real grave?" This proved unsafe so for the show, Sweeney just... walked out like usual.)

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/21/26 at 7:19pm

I could kind of kick myself for not buying a snow globe. They had one for sale at the flea market table years ago at the end of the day and for some reason I didn't buy it.

I did get a few cool show logos items at the flea market table at end of day a couple of years. I got a nice glass candle, an eyeglass case and a serving tray. A friend surprised me with the cookie jar. 

I always put money in the bucket. I put enough in at "Hello Dolly" to get that cool calendar with the male ensemble.

Updated On: 2/21/26 at 07:19 PM

[Copeman63]

Posted: 2/22/26 at 12:28am

I’m so sad to have missed out on one of the Phantom candles they were selling a couple years ago. I did get a piece of the Majestic floor, but dang I wanted that candle!!

[James2]

Posted: 2/22/26 at 12:41am

An opening night pie plate from the 2005 Sweeney Todd.