January 8, 2009
Antiquing on West 24th Street
A teak daybed and pots from India, once used to churn butter, at Hip and Humble Home, on West 24th Street in Manhattan. (RJ Mickelson)
Who needs the country? The usual venue for autumn antiquing is some small town up along the Hudson or the Delaware, but if a fine fall Sunday finds you stuck in Manhattan, head over to the West 20s for an afternoon of getting and spending.
HIP AND HUMBLE HOME specializes in art, antiques, furniture and accessories from Asia -- mostly India and Indonesia. If your taste and pocketbook will stretch a bit, there are lovely carved wooden daybeds and tables. But if you're looking to spend less, consider the colorful Ukhala pots from India -- once used to churn butter, now put to use as vases ($235). Or glowing silk pillows made from saris ($65 or so). A ceramic-tile topped iron dining table goes for $625, but colorful wooden door knobs are a mere $3.50. Finally, if you're looking to really liven up a room, a 3-foot tall wooden sculpture of a bright red rooster can be yours for $385. (132 ½ West 24th Street; 212-675-1527; www.hipandhumblehome.com)
OLDE GOOD THINGS Halfway along West 24th Street, between Sixth and Seventh, this architectural salvage place is great fun to wander. While a lot of this stuff would never fit through the doors of your basic Manhattan one-bedroom, there's plenty to look at: baronial carved wooden chimney pieces; massive crystal chandeliers that drip like frozen waterfalls from the ceilings, a mirrored cocktail bar. On the other hand, there are things you can actually use: mirrors, framed with recycled squares of antique tin ceilings go for $140 for the 18" x 22" inch size. There's a six-foot dining table made of reclaimed wood is $975 (if you want something a little smaller, they'll make it for you); and a pair of delicate brass carriage lamps complete with amber glass that would look swell on a traditional mantelpiece ($485 the pair). (124 West 24th Street;
212-989-8401; oldegoodthings.com; 9 am to 7 pm daily)
THE GARAGE FLEA MARKET Located in an old parking garage,the market has been around for the past 18 years. As in all flea markets, quality varies from stall to stall, but there's lots to look at: Bakelite necklaces dripping bright red cherries ($60); a vast assortment of '60s-era glass vases, in blue or orange ($38 or so); vintage clothes; and a framed poster advertising Mossant hats from France ($50). (Saturday and Sunday, 111 West 24th Street; 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m)
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RONNIE SCOT Just outside the garage, Ronnie Scot -- who runs a vintage clothing business by appointment -- sells vintage hats and clothing out on the sidewalk. He's there every weekend, "as long as it doesn't rain," he says. Look for all manner of romantic hats in terrific condition, like a bright red flowered pillbox with veil ($35) or a hot pink velvet turban ($50). In the clothes department, there was a delicate pale pink lace shrug ($40) well worth buying. (109 west 24th Street; 201-394-7545 or 973-614-1505; email: jmronniescot@aol.com)
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