The Golden Flea by Michael Rips

The Golden Flea

by Michael Rips

Across America and around the world, people wander through flea markets to search for lost treasures. For decades, no such market was more renowned than the legendary Chelsea flea market, which sprawled over several blocks and within an old garage on the west side of Manhattan. Visitors would trawl through booths crammed with vintage dresses, rare books, ancient swords, glass eyeballs, Afghan rugs, West African fetish dolls, Old Master paintings, and much more.

In The Golden Flea, the acclaimed writer Michael Rips takes readers on a trip through this charmed world. With a beguiling style that has won praise from Joan Didion and Susan Orlean, Rips recounts his obsession with the flea and its treasures and provides a fascinating account of the business of buying and selling antiques. Along the way, he introduces us to the flea's lovable oddball cast of vendors, pickers, and collectors, including a haberdasher who only sells to those he deems worthy; an art dealer whose obscure paintings often go for enormous sums; a troubadour who sings to attract customers; and the Prophet, who finds wisdom among all the treasures and trash.

As Rips's passion for collecting grows and the flea's last days loom, he undertakes a quest to prove the provenance of a mysterious painting that just might be the one.

Reviewed by annieb123 on

4 of 5 stars

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Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Golden Flea is a weirdly charming and engaging story of collecting, collectors, and flea markets against the backdrop of the author's particular obsession with the now-defunct Chelsea Flea Market in Manhattan. Released 21st April 2020 by W. W. Norton & co., it's 224 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This is not in any way a how-to guide, there are no tips or tricks for finding hidden treasures. This is a direct and simply told story of the author's experiences with the flea market and a slice of life memoir of some of the buyers and sellers he encounters along the way. The story, I think, is indelibly American, and more specifically New York. Especially the interactions and language are indubitably New York, this story couldn't be told in this way in San Jose, CA or London, or Paris.

I'm a collector and obsessive in my (very niche) habits. I love (and restore, and use) fountain pens, embroidery samplers (especially English, 17th-18th century), and books. I understand the heartbreak and thrill of the chase and the stupendous glee of the win. This author definitely "gets it" too.

The language is rough and often perjorative, but not gratuitous. The author has some good points about mental health and potentially obsessive collecting and the meta-narrative is well wrapped inside the story of a guy who really really liked to go to the flea market and the people he encountered on his sojourns.

I found it engaging and worthwhile. I can understand readers wanting a different book being disappointed in it. Four stars for me (one of the weirdos asking innocently, "do you happen to have any old linens or embroidered pillowcases or hankies" at the crack of dawn on a Saturday).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 23 May, 2020: Finished reading
  • 23 May, 2020: Reviewed