Flea Market Flip - HGTV

Flea Market Flip is a thirty minute reality show currently seen on the Home and Garden channel. The show is hosted by Good Morning America's Lara Spencer. It debuted in August 2012 and has just started its second season. New episodes can be seen Friday nights and times vary.

The Setup- Lara Spencer's hobby of turning flea market junk into hip pieces of art has been turned into a sort of flea market game show. Two pairs of contestants are given a small budget, around $500, to buy stuff at one flea market refurbish it and sell it at another flea market. The team that makes the most money over what they spent wins $5000.  Spencer gives a different to do list each time with tasks like one mix and match pair, one table set,and one seating project. There are usually three to four tasks per show.
There is equal time given to the hunt, the transformation, and the sell.

What I love about- This show should not appeal to me on any level. I have little understanding of art, no concept of design, and no interest in the subject matter. The kicker ofcourse is I love this show. It surprises me everytime how clever these people are. They see things my wildest imagination could never come up with.
This not a simple side gig for Spencer. She is far more serious here than on GMA. She knows what she is talking about and her passion shows.
The creativity here is amazing. One couple took a rusty bicycle and a weathered piece of wood that they turned into a table that sold for big bucks. Another couple covered a working traffic light with plexiglass and turned it into a lit bench. Who cares if you don't know the difference between Mid- American and Victorian age furniture. The pairs compete with just the right amount of animosity. Everyone wants to win and thinks their stuff is better but it never gets ugly.

What I hate about it- For what it is it's pretty close to perfect. The downfall might be getting a broad spectrum of people to embrace it. Truth be told if HGTV wasn't on 24/7 at my mother's house I wouldn't know the channel existed. The show doesn't have enough bells and whistles to be on a major network and it may get lost out in the garden.

8 out of 10 Couch Potatoes-  Interesting and entertaining isn't an easy mark to hit but they do it here brilliantly. It may inspire you to go out and spend your Saturday mornings bargain hunting.