Furniture designer Margaret Elman happily kisses $500 good-bye at the fashionable West 25th Street Market.

The atmosphere and wares at New York City's weekly West 25th Street Market remind Chair Couture owner Margaret Elman of Paris' famous flea market, Les Puces de Saint-Ouen at Clignancourt. "You'll find sophisticated things here, like a lace blouse I could wear to a black-tie event," she says. "But you can also find a gift for just $2."

Margaret has good luck finding French furniture among well-priced European antiques. The 125 vendors also offer up everything from vintage jewelry and Buddha statues to marabou wraps.

If Margaret says "no" to something, she relies on what she calls The Gnaw Test. "If it gnaws away at me," she says, "I'll go back." And that's the beauty of a weekly market: "I sometimes go back on Sunday to make up for something that got away on Saturday."

The outdoor West 25th Street Market is open year-round on Saturday and Sundays. Admission is free. For details, visit hellskitchenfleamarket.com.