The February trip was to Italy, Milan. By then, our suitcases were empty and we were hoping to find something special. Our previous trip to Munich and Innsbrück had not yielded the desired number of finds, so our expectations were now high. For this purpose, we decided to rent a car, which would allow us to easily get around the antique and vintage shops and flea markets in the area. This decision turned out to be worth its weight in gold. We would not have been able to get around these places by public transport.
Tip 1: when you google Italian flea markets, it's a good idea to use the search term "Mercatino".
Tip 2: In Italy, it's worth remembering to pay attention to the closing times of the day. Brick-and-mortar flea markets, vintage shops, and shops and restaurants in general are open from about 10 am to 12:30 pm and reopen at 3 pm.
Our favorites:
1. Canalside markets in Milan: Fiera di Sinigaglia, Ripa di Porta Ticinese
It was raining when we got here, so there were fewer vendors than usual. The prices were high, so we only found a little to take home. Instead, we met a gentleman named Corrado, who invited us to his warehouse by the canal. This friendly man's warehouse had amazing lamps, bookcases, chandeliers, exercise balls, etc. We collected a bunch of incredibly cool stuff that is waiting to be shipped to Finland. Hopefully we can get this sorted out as soon as possible so you can hear more.
2. Al Mercatino "Tra noi e voi", Via Giuseppe Marcora, 8.
Ring the buzzer and the door will be opened for you. The mirrors, serving carts, etc. were incredibly beautiful. I especially remembered the old shelf from the bakery. There were also a bunch of smaller finds here, a box of stamps and shells that found a new home through our online store.
3. Vintage, design and antique shop: Di Mano in Mano, Viale Carlo Espinasse, 99.
Neatly sorted objects and furniture, at reasonable prices considering the quality of the goods. Found more valuable design and vintage accessories. I took away, among other things, this handsome Milanese sports bag
4. Vintage, design and antiques store: Dock 41, Via Damiano Chiesa, 41C.
A large industrial factory hall, full of carefully selected design. The "departments" divided into different styles revealed the most interesting and valuable interior design items, including breathtaking lamps. It's worth visiting here just for the atmosphere and you might find yourself jamming in the corridors. This is where some great coolers came to Finland, which you can find in our online store .
5. Vintage store: Circolo del Collezioni, Via Vincenzo Toffetti, 79.
The items were curated and we were able to get a larger amount of stuff into the stores. The first thing that caught my eye were these old illuminated letters. We also grabbed a marble jewelry box, silver shells and frames, which found new homes in our online store.
In the latest set that has arrived in the online store, you will find more goods we imported from Italy.