Well, it was certainly crazy, but I got the Disaster poster I've been wanting, so I'm happy! I also got some playbills, a Ragtime (2009), Nice Work if You Can Get It and Tonys 2017 shirts, a note from Kinky Boots signed from Billy Porter, a Playbill Broadway Yearbook I didn't yet own, and two of the Public Theater buttons. I also got a button (one of the few items I could afford on my budget) from the Comet table once things had died down in the late afternoon.
Maybe I got lucky or just skipped past tables that didn't seem worth the wait but I actually didn't mind the crowds this year. With the lines for Great Comet and Dear Evan Hansen (and to a lesser extent the crowds around The Public table, etc.) drawing people away from the rest of the flea market, I was able to move around relatively freely. My only issue was people camping out by a box of Playbills or three people being in a group when only one person was shopping. I sorted through a few boxes of Playbills at the various Playbills but I stopped when I got bored or when I got the feeling that hidden gems were going to be buried VERY deeply.
I'm curious if there was anything special at the Anastasia or Waitress tables that I missed (besides signed windowcards, Playbills, etc.). I went around rather haphazardly and only took a good look at those tables later in the day when I was leaving. I was disappointed there wasn't really anything from War Paint. Maybe merch will surface next year.
Does anyone have a photo of a piece of the Great Comet curtain? Were they just cutting off pieces of the curtain hanging behind the booth as people bought it or were there already packaged pieces?
Does anyone have a photo of a piece of the Great Comet curtain? Were they just cutting off pieces of the curtain hanging behind the booth as people bought it or were there already packaged pieces?"
They look like these and come pre-packaged nicely:
Did anyone get one of those drawstring backpacks from the Beautiful table that they'd be willing to part with?
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Cape Twirl of Doom said: "I was working the event so I only had a short amount of time to browse but I got the one thing I actually was looking for: a full cast signed poster of the current Barrow St production of Sweeney Todd -for $5!"
Lucky you! I wanted to go back later in the day in case the signed posters went down in price, but when I came back, they already packed up. Beating myself up for that.
Got there kind of late today (at about 1PM) -- got a few programs of plays from this and last year that were made up for Tony voters (the A Doll's House Part 2 one is absolutely beautiful and huge).
Did really well on a bunch of window cards and some shirts, mugs, magnets.
Honesty got most stuff from the Creative Goods portion of the flea market and from the Hedwig table (which was a nice surprise) the whole time i was there the creative goods table was pretty busy.
theater_tech said: " Does anyone have a photo of a piece of the Great Comet curtain? Were they just cutting off pieces of the curtain hanging behind the booth as people bought it or were there already packaged pieces?"
They look like these and come pre-packaged nicely:
I'm curious if there was anything special at the Anastasia or Waitress tables that I missed (besides signed windowcards, Playbills, etc.)."
For Anastasia, someone on Tumblr found letters from the Anastasia claimants to the grandmother used in the show and a Russian "Wanted" poster with Dimitri, Vlad and Anya's faces on them.
VintageSnarker said: "theater_tech said: " Does anyone have a photo of a piece of the Great Comet curtain? Were they just cutting off pieces of the curtain hanging behind the booth as people bought it or were there already packaged pieces?"
They look like these and come pre-packaged nicely:
The crowds were annoying, but I had no major problems getting around as I avoided Great Comet entirely and only made a quick pit stop at the end of the evening to the DEH table as they were packing up. I don't go for Playbills as I have way too many of my own to deal with that I don't need more so I also avoided the Playbill heavy tables. I did have some great finds and am proud of myself for spending about $5 or less on the items I did get.
Gotta Dance water bottle - $1
In the Heights pre-Off Broadway demo: $2 [A friend of mine gifted me a $1 to get Javi to sign it at the Hamilton table].
Dear Evan Hansen "You Will Be Found' rubber bracelet[s]: 2 for $1
School of Rock cast recording: $1
Hairspray Live sunglasses: $1
Matilda tote bag: $5
Aladdin t-shirt: $5
An American in Paris London hat: $5
A Bronx Tale cast album [which I got Bobby Conte Thornton to sign when I ran into him] $5
Freaky Friday opening night duffel bag [Obsessed with this to be honest - it's huge and just adorable] - $5
Bring It On poster: Free
White Christmas windowcard: Free
Significant Other windowcard: Free
Matilda water bottle: A gift from a friend.
The Anastasia table had signed Wanted posters used during the We'll Go From There scene [$50], signed cast posters [$100], signed playbills [$40], and the photos from the stage door man's Instagram printed and signed starting out at $50 then dropped to $30 toward the end of the day.
In my adventures of the day, I got to meet and take photos with a couple Broadway/Internet type personalities including BroadwayWorld's own Richard Ridge, Patrick Hinds from the BroadwayBackstory podcast, Iain Armitage, and Louis Peitzman of Buzzfeed. I also got photos with Trista Dollison of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Hayley Podschun and Cameron Adams from Hello Dolly, and Bobby Conte Thornton from A Bronx Tale. All of which were free.
Overall, it was a nice day - hot for sure and crowded, but I'm really proud of my purchases and not getting caught up in too much of the chaos.
"Anybody that goes to the theater, I think we’re all misfits, so we ended up on stage or in the audience.” --- Patti LuPone.
I never made it to the Comet table. Can someone describe what the pricey stuff was that they were selling and how much it was? $80,000 is incredible!
"What was the name of that cheese that I like?"
"you can't run away forever...but there's nothing wrong with getting a good head start"
"well I hope and I pray, that maybe someday, you'll walk in the room with my heart"
Great Comet was certainly the star of the Flea Market.
Wonder if it would have been such an attraction had the show still been open. It's unlikely they would've sold curtain pieces and earrings but everyone is really rallying around the show.
mikem said: "I never made it to the Comet table. Can someone describe what the pricey stuff was that they were selling and how much it was? $80,000 is incredible!"
Prices just got escalated as the morning got crazier. The curtain pieces went from $25 to $100. The earrings went from $30 to I think over $100. And the shoes were apparently expensive too
I think the only way I survived this hot, cramped, somewhat off-kilter Flea Market this year without shoving a 15-year-old with a Whizzer Tumblr URL was that I took frequent breaks away from the mess. Thank goodness for Panda bubble tea opening at Turnstyle.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
Overall I was happy with my purchases, though most of them were gifts for other people. Set up was awful with only half the streets being used.
Mostly upset that I showed up right at 10 AM only to find that people had been there since 9 AM and picked through a LOT - is this a common thing? Every poster I saw advertised a starting time of 10 AM. I wonder what good things I could've gotten by showing up at 9.
I hope the lack of Comet (and less DEH) will keep some of the crowds at bay next year. Even the Hamilton booth which had some pretty cool stuff didn't have a line.
Did anyone see the Comet chandelier go for $13K at the live auction? Wowza
schubox said: "That Great Comet FB page (which I got banned from) is predominantly young 20s females and was insane"
Heh, I never got banned, but I did get pulled into a tribunal of moderators, since I kept saying the show was going to close and it was deemed mean and negative. I left the group after the show closed.
TexanAddams18 said: "Got there at 9:45 and got a pretty productive haul Including:
BOM window card signed by original cast"
Jealous! I've been looking for a Book of Mormon window card signed by the original cast. How much did yours cost, if you don't mind me asking?
I've been to the flea market the past few years but I decided to sit this one out. In the last couple years the crowds have gotten quite... unpleasant. And with the heat this year? Forget it. I was happy to stay home.
I would have been tempted to buy the $500 Hello, Dolly! Playbill though so maybe it's a good thing I wasn't there! (I know the money goes to a good cause but it could have broke my bank!)
I was gonna go and try to find CDs for the Roundabout productions of She Loves Me and The Robber Bridegroom for cheap. I usually buy physical albums for the musicals I see but I didn't love those shows, so I was hoping to grab them for a few dollars. It just didn't seem worth the effort to me. But wondering if they were available for cheap yesterday...
hannhannham said: Mostly upset that I showed up right at 10 AM only to find that people had been there since 9 AM and picked through a LOT - is this a common thing? Every poster I saw advertised a starting time of 10 AM. I wonder what good things I could've gotten by showing up at 9.
Yes, the opening much earlier than the announced time annoyed me too as well as everything closing down at 4:30 or 5 when it was supposed to run until 7. For future reference, does anyone have an idea of how long before the announced time the flea market actually opens?
Still, I managed to get a few great things:
A Wicked mystery bag for $25 that contained: a Shiz homework assignment prop, a playbill from the San Francisco tryout, signed photos of Carole Shelley and Fred Applegate, a Wizomania ticket prop, a scrap of striped fabric used in the Shiz uniforms, a bracelet with green beads, and a couple of random buttons for other shows. A great value as several of the things in the bag were being sold for $10-$30 separately on the tables.
A Reynolds Pamphlet prop from Hamilton for $5
Set of 4 letters from the Anastasia impostors read by Mary Beth Peil in the show - $10
A Newsies poster with drawings of all the characters given to the cast on closing night - $1
Had a great time despite the crowds and the heat. Can't wait for next year.
haterobics said: "schubox said: "That Great Comet FB page (which I got banned from) is predominantly young 20s females and was insane"
Heh, I never got banned, but I did get pulled into a tribunal of moderators, since I kept saying the show was going to close and it was deemed mean and negative. I left the group after the show closed."
They posted a rule that absolutely no negativity about the show would be allowed and when I pointed out that was silly, you can love the show but still recognize it’s flaws...I got a message from the mod where she told me I either loved the show or hated it and there was no in between. After I told her that was dumb and the place didn’t need to be some sort of safe space she started screaming at me in all caps and banned me. I apparently can’t relate to young theater majors.