The Rose Bowl Flea Market

Last November my son and his fiancé were visiting from Los Angeles and we were discussing their wedding plans for this month. We discussed how I had never been in Los Angeles or California for that matter and kiddingly I said to them that if they were planning a wedding in Los Angeles the only thing I would ask would be that they planned it on a weekend where the Rose Bowl Flea Market would be taking place. A few months later, while talking to them on the phone, they mentioned that the Sunday after the wedding, we could visit the Rose Bowl Flea Market. I had completely forgotten about my comment on their previous visit, but was ecstatic that I would be able to go to the Rose Bowl Flea Market.

The largest flea market on the west coast, the Rose Bowl Flea Market is usually open on the second Sunday of every month. It features more than 2,500 dealers and thousands of visitors including the famed Kovels, Ralph & Terry as well as major Hollywood Stars and entertainers. The Rose Bowl Flea Market also features a little bit of everything and is one of those mega markets where if you cannot find what you are looking for here, you are never going to find it. In addition to antiques, collectibles of every kind, vintage clothing and garage sale items, the Rose Bowl has now added an indoor section dedicated to art and artisans.

The Rose Bowl Stadium where the flea market is held is a National Historic Landmark that was built in 1922. Many people are familiar with the stadium even if they haven’t been to sunny southern California because it is where UCLA plays and it hosts the Tournament of Roses college football game. Additionally, five Super Bowl football games have been played at the stadium by National Football League teams and the Men’s Soccer World Cup games were played there in 1994. Situated in the Aroyo Seco section of Pasadena, the stadium backdrop includes majestic mountain scenery and natural beauty that takes your breath away.

After having a grand but exhausting time at the wedding this past Saturday, I finally realized one of my dreams, and we all went to the Rose Bowl Flea Market. It was a beautiful day in Pasadena, California, sunny skies with the temperature in the mid-80’s. As we stepped through the gate, I couldn’t help but think that this is also one of those flea markets that we’d never be able to take in all in one day but I found that the Rose Bowl Flea Market was all that I expected it to be. The vendors that we talked to were customer friendly and willing to make a deal and the merchandise was amazing. We saw more beautiful Murano Glass than we have seen at any other flea market we have visited but what we ended up buying a Blenko Art Glass Amberina pitcher and a Fenton Art Glass Amberina bowl and we got a great deal on both. More importantly, the best deal we found was on a cedar chest that the newlyweds had been looking for and not found at other flea markets, which confirmed our thought that if you can’t find it here, you’re not going to find it.

Vintage Collectible - Beautiful but Inexpensive Opalescent Glass

Although many people credit Rene Lalique and Louis Comfort Tiffany for inventing opalescent glass it was actually developed and patented by John Lafarge in about 1879. Lafarge was an American artist, decorator and stained glass maker that was born in New York City on March 31, 1835. He studied and then experimented with stained glass and eventually discovered opalescent glass. Some of his stunning successes can be found in the “Battle Window” at Harvard University and the Unity Church in Easton, Massachusetts. Later during the Art Nouveau period of the early 1900’s, many designers and manufacturers started producing their own versions of opalescent glass.

Opalescent glass is a semi-opaque pressed or hand blown colored glass that has a milky haze to it. Adding arsenic to the glass in its molten state makes it opalescent, although not poisonous. Opalescent glass became very popular and many companies, including Fenton, Northwood, and Hobbs, started producing a lot of merchandise in different styles and patterns. Other companies in different parts of the world also started producing the glass including Davidson and Sowerby Glass in England.

It is easy to collect opalescent glass because it can range in price from inexpensive to moderately priced. The blue opalescent glass bowl pictured at the top of this page was made by the Jefferson Glass Company in the many loops pattern and usually sells at antiques and collectibles shows for between $30 and $40. The blue opalescent vase pictured on the here was made at the turn of the century by Sowerby Glass of England in the Piasa Bird pattern and retails for about $120 to $160. In either case, both are very beautiful pieces of antique and vintage collectible art glass that would be attractive in any home or office.

Fenton Art Glass Vintage Collectibles

In 1905 the Fenton brothers, Frank and John opened a glass factory in Ohio. They were original artists who painted on glass produced by other glass makers. In 1907 they moved their operations to the Fenton Art Glass factory in Williamstown, West Virginia. Fenton Glass is best known for its unusual colors and patterns and was the first to introduce iridescent glass better known as carnival glass. Fenton has continued that tradition over the years creating colorful opalescent glass, Auburgine, Rosaline, Burmese and Satin glass. Fenton Art Glass is now very collectible and is in high demand since the announcement of the company closing last year.

Amberina Glass - An American Beauty

At the end of the 1800’s Libbey Glass Company hired Joseph Locke from the Cambridge Glass Company. In 1883, he patented amberina glass. This Victorian Era glass is distinctive in its colors. Gold was mixed with the molten glass to produce stunning reds and oranges that tapered into a fine amber color. Other companies, including Blenko, Fenton, Boyd and Kanawha later received licenses from Libbey to produce amberina art glass pieces.

Collectible Moonstone Glass

Anchor Hocking glass was “raised from the ashes” so to speak, as the venerable glass company sits on the site of its original premises. The Anchor Hocking factory, called the Black Cat, is partially named for the Hocking River, on which shores it sits.

Better known for its Royal Ruby glass and Fire King products of the 60’s & 70’s, the company is also known for its very popular Moonstone, Depression glass, which is very collectibles. The Moonstone Pattern was produced between 1941 and 1946 and is quite distinct. Some people confuse it with other makers such as Fenton Glass because of its hobnails and its white opalescent quality.

Another good thing about the Moonstone pattern is the fact that it is quite affordable as a collectible. Many of the smaller pieces can be picked up for a few dollars and a collection can build up quickly. Pieces can be found at many area flea markets, auctions and estate sales.