Broadway Flea Market — Page 5

Re-posting from the other flea market thread:

I hope this helps everybody. It's something I started working on last year and I'll save it as a Word document and edit it accordingly every year if you guys like it. Feel free to ask questions, add details, etc.

CELEB TABLE
The celeb table and photo booths are divided up by hour (actually 50-55 minutes because of the time needed for the change over). Usually 10-15 celebs appear simultaneously at the celeb table. You pay a certain amount PER HOUR to go down the table and get as many autographs as you want, limited two items per celeb. You can bring your own items, buy the flea market poster and have it signed or they usually have slips of paper set up next to them if you don't have any items with you. At the same time, certain celebs will be removed briefly from the signing table if they've been requested for photos. (See section on photos below.) If you're in line for the signing table but somebody you want a pic with just got called to the photo booth, alert a BC/EFA volunteer and they will hold your spot in the line so you can go to the photo booth and then come back in line. If you are currently getting your stuff signed and someone is missing because they got called away to the photo booth, they will usually let you step aside and wait for them to come back. Absolutely no photos are allowed at the signing table. You can go as many times as you want throughout the day but you must re-pay for each group of celebs.

PHOTO BOOTH
The celebs are chosen for the photo booth based on popular request. You may be out of luck if someone you want a photo with doesn't have enough people asking for their photo. They only have under an hour for each group and while they try to accommodate all requests, they are obviously going to go with the most popular celebs if given the choice. A photo with a single celeb is usually $10 and they sometimes have VIP booths set up that are $40 and have either full casts or very famous people. If you want a combination that hasn't been pre-announced, you can ask a BC/EFA volunteer and it will be up to the celebs. One year, Anthony Rapp and Jesse L. Martin were both there and someone offered up $75 for a photo with both and that became the asking price. To request a celebrity, head over to the photo booth area about ten minutes before that hour's celebs are set to arrive and there will be somebody very noticeable tallying up requests. Then they'll call out the name of the celeb currently in the booth and put up a sign as well and everyone who requested them will get the chance to get their photo. You can get a picture with your own camera (a volunteer will take the pic) and, as of last year, they were still doing Polaroids for the same price but I'm not sure if that film still exists. With the Polaroids, you also get a cardboard frame and usually the celeb signs it too. Sometimes the celeb will sign something quickly at the photo booth but it's usually frowned up since the goal is to raise money.

GENERAL FLEA MARKET
Shubert Alley is also covered with booths for all of the shows and general theatre-related merchandise and games (e.g. Seth Rudetsky, Playbill, poster frames, raffles, etc.). The price of merchandise depends on what it is so there's no approximate price. Some places have playbills and baked goods and old costumes for as little as a quarter, some have signed posters and CDs for hundreds of dollars. My best advice is always to bring a lot of cash and to bring it in various denominations. I usually split up where I'm storing my cash for the purposes of safety.Most of the tables do take credit cards for high-priced items. They will mark off the item as purchased and you go to a kiosk set up in the middle of Shubert Alley that has a credit card machine. You then bring back the receipt indicating that you paid and the item is yours.

AUCTION
Various packages and expensive items are auctioned throughout the day in the center of Shubert Alley. There are pamphlets listing all of the auction items and the starting bids (if applicable). If you want to participate in the auction, just stand near there and raise your hand or your stick when the item comes up. It's just like a usual auction. There is also a silent auction where you write down your bid.

VARIOUS
The flea market is one Sunday a year at the end of September and it's rain or shine. If they're predicting rain, bring your umbrella and your rain boots. Prepare for a lot of crowding regardless of weather. The crowding is worst in the middle of the day and the celeb booth area is always the most congested. For bathrooms, my suggestion for any tourist in Times Square for anything is to go to the Marriott Marquis hotel lobby which is on the eighth floor (note this - it's not ground level). You can go up in the elevator and the bathrooms are on the right. They're clean, there isn't usually a line and it's a way to get out of the heat if it's hot out. Use water, sunscreen, etc. as needed depending on weather. A lot of times you will see Broadway celebs wandering around, including those who aren't part of the celeb table. If you ask them for a photo, some will ask you for a donation in return. Remember that this is about raising money for BC/EFA and AIDS research and not strictly about talking to Broadway actors. If you have the time, spend a lot of time at the merchandise booths because you never know what great finds you will find. Sometimes getting there early when they're just setting up is great because you get first peek and the crowds haven't swarmed yet. It's a great day, you always find great things and meet a lot of fellow theatre fans so enjoy yourself!

I love the flea market more than anything! I've gone for years-when I was living on LI then when I moved up to Boston and now I am actually flying up from Atlanta for it! The best item I ever scored was a blanket with the logo from Grey Gardens on it. I am praying for a rare Xanadu gem this year tucked away somewhere.

Ashley-I debated for like 2 minutes over the last one they had. Best purchase ever. Especially on cold winter nights I use it and start talking like Big Edie. I also bought more buttons at that table than I can ever count.

They perform.

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I wonder if it'll be "A Steady Rain"
lol
At least it won;t be "3 days of Rain"

Why do you care? They don't offer student discounts at flea market.

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It's not like there are gates up around the entire area. People are usually mulling about starting around 9. Tables just won't start selling until 10.

PPC, I went a bit crazy with all the Grey Gardens stuff they had two years ago. Tshirts, buttons, key chains. I even got the opening night sweatshirt they had.

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For newbies to the Flea Market: Applause Video will be selling DVDs to the following Broadway Cares benefit events: 'Broadway Bares,' 'Easter Bonnet Competition,' 'Gypsy of the Year' and 'The Leading Men.' They're $25 apiece, and all proceeds go to BC/Equity Fights AIDS. You can usually find this table near the stagedoor of the Booth Theatre. And for those of you who can't make it to the Flea Market, the newest editions will be sold after Sept. 28 at www.broadwaybeat.com for $35 apiece.

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Updated On: 9/22/09 at 08:36 PM

I wish Hugh Jackman was doing the photo booth

I'm trying to let my parents know this is what I want to do but they keep saying its too much for 1 day
1. Take the 7AM train into NYC get in by 9:10
2. Hang out at the Flea Market till like 2
3. Go see Hair at 3
4. Back to the Flea Market at 6
5. Mamma Mia at 7 (I already have tix)

They are saying that it's too much for one day
I feel like it'll make the most of an AWESOME day
Any input?

tking001, you will be sleeping in Mamma Mia (for more than one reason). You will be very exhausted. Skip Mamma Mia!


and wolfpit228, they won't be there. It will cause insanity.

I'm 18
& No I won't be sleeping at Mamma Mia
I got the tickets for the gf and I so I'm def going lol