Report from this weekend’s DC Big Flea

I had another busy weekend filled with kids’ birthday parties and family gatherings, so I visited the Big Flea early on Saturday morning. I usually roll in on Sunday afternoon, but while the crowds were heavy on Saturday, the good stuff was also easier to find.

I would pay the admission price just to visit Henry Karp’s booth and chat with him about movie posters all day. look at all these great posters…

And of course, there was this…

While at the show, I stopped to talk with a couple of vendors I recognized from the recent episode of PBS’ Market Warriors that was filmed at the Big Flea. It was fun to hear their take on how the deals really went down. Rumor has it that Kevin Bruneau, one of the stars of the show, was at the Big Flea on Saturday to do some shopping, but unfortunately, I couldn’t find him.

So, what came home with me this time? Just a few apes and such…

At the last Big Flea, I bought the Addams Family card game from Brent Stokes, and this time, he was selling this awesome battery-operated bank. The toy itself is pretty boring to look at, just a big black box, but when you put a coin in the slot, a hand reaches out to grab it. I just couldn’t resist the graphics on the box.

Any day I get to add a Batman item to the shelf is a good day. Mitch M. always brings items to tempt me, and this time, I left his booth with this pair of Batman and Robin drinking glasses and a Planet of the Apes target game. I also got a great deal on the Batman thermos from David Stinson, and now my lunchbox is complete!  David is a pop culture collector himself and is also an author — here’s a link to his latest novel, Deadball. I always enjoy seeing the items that David brings to the show.

This large Marx Hulk figure is going to stick out like a sore thumb among all the green on the Hulk shelf, but I love the guy! This seller had a ziploc bag filled with figures from this line, but they all had major defects, like hands and weapons broken off — I was tempted to buy them all anyway, but left with just the one. I got the green light-up spinning Hulk head at target on Sunday. I don’t buy too many new toys, but I can’t resist a good figural toy like this.

I have been attending the DC Big Flea for years, and I can see that pop culture is starting to show up more and more often in a number of the vendor booths. This show is truly an antique fair, but you really never know what you’ll find. The hunt is on!