New finds, meeting artists at the Escolta Saturday Market

Dinna Louise C. Dayao

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New finds, meeting artists at the Escolta Saturday Market
The upcoming Saturday Future Market at Escolta is chock-full of quirky items and may be a rich experience for those tired of the frenetic pace at the malls

Warning: Are you the kind of person who falls in love with objects that have the patina of old-world quaintness? Or do you like art that is quirky and edgy?

The monthly flea market takes place from 9 am to 6 pm, at the ground floor of the First United Building on 413 Escolta Street. And it is a treasure trove of vintage and one-of-a-kind finds.

Here are just a few of the things that I have seen sold there: secondhand books, vinyl records, film cameras, traditional, charcoal-heated flatirons painted with colorful designs, beaded and beribboned miniature shoes, and old coins, comic books, medals, and belt buckles.

TAKE YOUR PICK. Merce Layog tempts fashionistas with her brightly colored, handmade cocktail rings made of resin
POINT OF VIEW. You say 'trash,' I say 'treasure'

Serendipity is the name of the game, as the offerings keep changing. The Saturday Market has grown into two markets, according to 98B COLLABoratory, the “community + network + library + kitchen + shop” that organizes the market:

  • Future Market is for “emerging creative labels and individuals who do not have the opportunity or the means to showcase their line and merchandise” in bigger and more expensive retail spaces.
  • Saturday Market is for sellers of pre-loved or vintage items.

98B COLLABoratory manages the market in partnership with the First United Building and the Escolta Commercial Association. The Saturday Market is not for the addicted to the climate-controlled comfort of the mall. It is held in a space that has a floor and three walls of bare cement. Because the front of the store opens to a busy street, the place can be dusty.

ART. These vinyl records have a great look to them – you might even use them as wall art

Still, the market offers a nice change from the cold commerce of the mall. At the mall, purchases are brisk and impersonal; salespeople are often indifferent.

In contrast, the sellers at the Saturday Market, particularly the artists and makers of the items, practice the art of the soft sell. They are happy to get to know you and to tell you the stories behind their wares. Transactions take place at a more leisurely pace.

Also, you won’t find mass-produced and generic items in this market. To ensure this, 98B COLLABoratory vets the items. The group issues an open call to invite prospective sellers to email 98B the list of items to be sold, including photos and prices. It puts a premium on items that are unique and lovingly crafted.

Here’s a short list of what I found on my visit on March 15, 2014: handmade cocktail rings made of resin by Studio Bohemia; prints and T-shirts showing the digital artwork of Lorenzo Gabutina; Kolabora Obra, postcards with unfinished drawings that the buyer or the recipient completes, and Laro Tayo packs containing traditional Filipino childhood games including a Chinese garter and pick-up sticks, both by Pompyang; and small, acrylic paintings on wood.

I bought three postcards (100 pesos) and a painting by Macoy Bacay (250 pesos). When I went to the very first market in March 2013, I purchased the following: a secondhand glossy with a cover story on “what makes a city livable and lovable” (400 pesos); a generous compilation of 78 essays (50 pesos); and a book entitled U.S. Camera 1939 (100 pesos). (Upon searching Amazon.com, I learned that U.S. Camera 1939 is a first edition; it can fetch as much as US$105.)

Perhaps the space—the former site of Berg’s Department Store, a popular store in the 1930s and 1940s—is haunted; I could almost hear the ghosts of shoppers and salespeople whispering, “Go ahead and buy something. Bring back the ka-ching! of the cash registers that used to fill the air in this space. Rekindle the spirit of Escolta, Manila’s former premiere shopping district.”

Here’s my final warning: When you visit the Saturday market, resistance would be futile.

How to get there: 

HOW TO GET THERE. Here's a street map to guide you to the location. Courtesy of 98B Collaboratory

1. Via the LRT 1 (Yellow Line)

• Coming from the Roosevelt Station, take the train headed towards Baclaran. Get off at the Carriedo station. Walk towards the BPI Building. Right next to it is Escolta St. Walk until you get to the First United Building on 413 Escolta Street.

• Coming from the EDSA station, take a train headed for Roosevelt Station. Get off at the Carriedo Station. Walk toward the BPI Building. Right next to it is Escolta St. Walk until you get to the First United Building on 413 Escolta Street.

2. Via the LRT 2 (Purple Line)

Coming from the Araneta Center Cubao Station, Take the train headed for Recto Station. Get off at Recto Station. Head towards the Odeon Mall exit. Exit the Odeon Mall at its Rizal Avenue exit, and cross the street towards Chowking. Ride a jeep going to Sta. Cruz; the fare is 8 pesos. Ask the driver to drop you off at Escolta. Walk until you get to the First United Building on 413 Escolta Street.

 

Happy shopping! – Rappler.com

You can find out more about the Saturday Market at Escolta here.

Dinna Louise C. Dayao is an experienced writer and editor. She organized the Change.org petition asking President Aquino to require all public officials to take public transit at least once a month.

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