special junk edition

1

Where?: Vrijthof, Maastricht
When?: April 30th, 8:30 am
Must-have?: This design classic should be included in any serious collection of Dutch trivia.
Why?: The symbol in the centre of the face stands for HEMA, one of Holland's most popular retail chains. Established in 1926 as Hollandsche Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam it was the first warehouse to serve the ordinary man with a large selection of daily goods against uniform budget prices. Nowadays everybody shops at the HEMA, that produced some remarkable designs over the years. This is one of them, in perfect shape after forty years of duty, and still producing lots of decibels.

2

Where?: Hondsdrafweg, Zoeterwoude Dorp
When?: April 30th, 2:00 pm
Why?: Practical and with a tasteful Delft Blue decoration, this pepper and salt set is the perfect gift for the family members of one of Dutch Image's designers. Living in Philadelphia, USA, they have become more Dutch than Dutch can be. With this set they now can show off their Dutchness at the dining table: 'Could you pass me the windmill, please?'.

Where?: In front of café De Mens, Best
When?: April 30th, 9:15 am
Why?: Don't mistake this cute little doll for a simple Dutch maid or a traditionally dressed native. What you see here is a precious Dutch amulet. Originally meant to stimulate fertility, it now serves as a beacon for the high percentage of the population that claims to have lost its roots.
How?: Traditionally the amulet is worn in the right sock (for gentlemen) or stocking (for ladies), which explains the height of only 7,62 cm (3 inch). Nowadays an estimated one on every six Dutchmen carries an amulet around.

Where?: Wirdumerdijk, Leeuwarden
When?: April 30th, 11:25 am
Why?: As a token of clever Dutch marketing and smart design, this is a valuable addition to our collection of All Things Dutch.
What happened?: It was the magazine Eva that launched the box in the sixties, a decade in which housewives progressively built up a professional life, resulting in less time for cooking. Eva came up with a series of recipes to save both time and taste, packed in a superbly designed metal box, that could be completed by clippings from the magazine itself.
How's Eva today?: In 1972 Eva became Viva, the first Dutch magazine to aim at young female professionals. Viva still exists.

Where?: Plompetorenbrug, Utrecht
When?: April 29th, 11:50 pm
Why?: In a country below sea level, with oceans expected to rise dramatically, this purchase makes perfect sense.
Deal!: Not so fast. With bargaining already underway, a group of students in hazy Heineken condition showed up. Dressed like football supporters, they claimed the orange flippers – to wear at the upcoming Soccer World Cup in South Africa.
What happened?: In the following scrimmage one of the studying drunkards fell off the bridge and into the canal – a sign for the rest to jump in as well. The flippers were ours. We'll wear them in South Africa, next June.

Where?: Varkensmarkt, Culemborg
When?: April 30th, 2:20 pm
Must-have?: Ladies and gentlemen, we've got him! Twenty years of detective operations came to an end when our man in Culemborg hit the jackpot by discovering this jewel of Dutch pop history: an original 1978 Philips-recording of the album With Luv' by the Dutch female band Luv'. Although the album contains several hits, these were never the reason behind our greed. it's all about the sleeve.
Discount?: We were prepared to invest heavily in this top piece, but the price turned out to be no more than a ridiculous fifty cents. Still in shock our man decided to pay a fifty percent increase – for which he received a scolding back at the office.

Where?: Prinsengracht, Amsterdam
When?: April 30th, 4:30 pm
Why?: This chair acted as a life saving attribute for Carla, one of our downtown Amsterdam reps.
What happened?: Having checked 14,352 stands with an estimated merchandise of 1,5 million objects, withstanding a partying crowd of 250,000 in a noise of over 300 bands, she nearly suffered a heroic on-duty collapse. Just in time she reached a chair in the center of someone's stand. During her short rest seventeen bids were noted for the chair – including its passenger.
So she bought the chair?: No. When Carla was finally delivered back at the office by a friendly Moroccan gentleman, she was still sitting in her chair. The gentleman seems to have paid for it.

Where?: Fleamarket for kids, Berkheistraat, Wassenaar
When?: April 30th, 3:40 pm
Why?: A purely nostalgic purchase, this primer, but moreover a fine example of what has become known as the 'VOC mentality'. Fabrice, our local rep, knocked 75 percent off the price, which left the eight year old seller not much of a profit on his first deal ever.
Listen...: When he presented his trophy at our office, Fab was heavily criticized by his colleagues for his brute behaviour. He is now desperately looking for his little victim, ready to treat him on a full day at De Efteling.

Where?: Markt, Breukelen (Brooklyn)
When?: April 30th, 6:01 pm
What happened?: Bright dark eyes, she had, according to our local scout. His full report reads like a novel: 'I was stopped by a pair of bright dark eyes and a smile as big as a parking lot. The saleswoman appeared to be of Moluccan origin. I instantly fell in love. She asked me what I was looking for. "... You, I believe' ...", was all I could mumble. She picked up an object from her stall, and wrote her name and number on the backside. "See you soon", she smiled. I walked home in trance. Only there I discovered what she gave me.'

Where?: Thomsonlaan, Den Haag
When?: April 29th, 6:04 pm
Stategy?: Directly after opening, flea markets are the hunting terrain of the professional collector, looking for a 'Rembrandt' amidst the displayed junk. At 7:00 pm most top deals have gone.
Score!: This year we competed in the hunt – to snatch away the best deal in town within minutes. Right under the nose of our government – housing some heavy duty collectors –, we scored our 'Rembrandt'. The sellers, a senior couple getting rid of some household, clearly didn't have a clue of the value of this rare etch in art deco-style. So here's our chance to gain back our total investment. Every serious offer will be considered.

There's a whole lot more to Queen's Day than this flea market-madness. Read all about it in our E-zine.