Behind-The-Scenes Facts Of Flea Market Flip And Its Host, Lara Spencer
Behind the hustle, bustle, and creativity of Flea Market Flip, there are behind-the-scenes facts about the HGTV show that some fans might not know. Even though the design show has been on since 2012, how many people actually know that host Lara Spencer works on various news outlets? Or that each episode takes three days to shoot?
Don't worry, though; there are more fun facts below; keep reading!
Off-Camera Browsing Happens Before The Cameras Roll
While it might look as though contestants are seeing a flea market layout for the first time while running around on camera, that's not entirely true.
Before the cameras begin rolling, the teams are allowed one hour to browse the flea market and scope out the furniture they'd like to purchase with their $500.
It Takes Three Days To Shoot One Episode
According to season four, episode seven winners, Sarah and John Trop, it takes a solid three days to shoot one episode of Flea Market Flip. The first day is the "shopping day," where the contestants run around various flea markets looking for furniture.
The second day is "building day," and the final day of filming is "selling day." It's all very organized!
Contestants Have A World Of Help In The Workshop
When Flea Market Flip constants make their way to the workshop, they're paired up with a "helper." But viewers might not realize that these carpenters do a boatload of work redesigning the flea market purchases.
According to former contestant Charlotte Smith, she and her partner never could have made their design a reality without the help of Cija.
An Antique Bike Turned Tavern Table Was Spencer's Favorite Flip
As Flea Market Flip aired on HGTV from 2012-2019, it's safe to say host Lara Spencer has seen some pretty funky creations in her time. But, when it comes down to it, there is one flip that totally blew her mind.
In one episode, a team took an antique bicycle and completely transformed it into a chic tavern table. According to Spencer, "It was one of a kind."
Most Of The Contestants Are Related
No, there isn't a rule that says all of the contestants who go on the HGTV show Flea Market Flip need to be related or married. But it just so happens that most of them are!
There have been multiple sibling teams as well as mother and daughter duos and even father and son pairings.
There Are No Plans For New Episodes
The last new episode of Flea Market Flip aired back in July 2019. But due to the HGTV show's immense popularity, fans were speculating whether or not Lara Spencer would move forward with a new season.
During an exclusive interview with PopCulture, Spencer said that she has no future plans for the series and, right now, is focusing on her hew series Everything But the House.
Trash Talk Is A Big Part Of The Show's Competitive Nature
Throughout the years, Lara Spencer has noticed that the competitive nature of Flea Market Flip has become more and more intense. People are coming on to the show with a lot of skill and creativity, some of which they got from watching previous episodes!
Because of this, friendly trash talk has become a big part of the series.
Lara Spencer Is A Successful News Anchor
Lara Spencer might host the HGTV show Flea Market Flip, but that doesn't mean it's her only job. In fact, Spencer is a successful news anchor, having worked for various outlets throughout her career.
From 2004 to 2011, Spencer was the host of The Insider, and she's also contributed to The Early Show. Aside from that, she's been working as a correspondent for Good Morning America since 1999!
Lara Spencer Learned About Flipping From Her Mother
Since Lara Spencer is the host of Flea Market Flip and the proud author of two books, it's safe to say she knows a thing or two about finding a diamond in the rough and repurposing it into something completely new and creative.
Spencer actually learned the skill of flipping from her mother!
Flea Market Vendors Have To Sign Waviers
During Flea Market Flip, it might look as though the contestants are in hardcore negotiations with the vendors. But that's not exactly the case. Each vendor has to sign a waiver saying they're okay being on TV and showcasing their products.
So, everyone onscreen pretty much already knows what's about to happen during an episode.
They Have A Few Days To Make A Building Plan
Watching Flea Market Flip, it looks as though contestants only have a day to figure out what they want to build out of their purchase. In all actuality, this isn't the case.
According to former contestant Charlotte Smith, she and her partner Jill had a solid four days between their initial purchase and actually getting into the workshop.
Lara Spencer Designed Kathy Griffin's Home
Aside from being a TV journalist, the host of Flea Market Flip, and the author of two books, Lara Spencer does a bit of interior designing in her spare time. In fact, she has some pretty big-name celebrities going to her for her input.
She even designed comedian Kathy Griffin's home!
Contestants Get To Flex Their Acting Skills
When it comes to Flea Market Flip, so much is happening at once that the film crew might miss a key component of a team's shopping or building day.
That means the contestants have to go back in time and reenact something the crew found interesting or important even though, technically speaking, it had already happened.
Episodes Aren't Filmed In Order
Watching Flea Market Flip, there is a very precise order of events: the contestants shop, build and resell. Interestingly enough, this isn't exactly how everything is filmed. Some scenes are actually filmed out of order.
According to former contestants, "...our post-selling interview was very down. Lara arrived to shoot her scenes with us, and we were feeling bummed, but we had to perk up and film all of the scenes for the day, including getting set up and pretending the day hadn't happened yet."
Lara Spencer's Net Worth: $20 Million
Between her TV journalism career on Good Morning America, two books, and hosting various television series such as Flea Market Flip, Lara Spencer has quite a resume that has brought her some serious cash.
At the peak of her hosting career, Spencer was bringing in a solid $3 million per year. As of 2021, her net worth is $20 Million.
Lara Spencer Authored Two Books About Flea Markets
While Lara Spencer is known for her lengthy resume full of TV journalism, she has other passions that align pretty seamlessly with her role as host of Flea Market Flip. As of 2021, Spencer has authored two books, both revolving around the topic of second-hand furniture.
I Brake for Yard Sales: and Flea Markets, Thrift Shops, Auctions, and the Occasional Dumpster was published in 2012, and Flea Market Fabulous: Designing Gorgeous Rooms with Vintage Treasures was published in 2014.
Sometimes Fans Know Which Flea Markets Will Be Showcased
HGTV knows that Flea Market Flip has a solid fanbase. So, they do something every once and a while to keep that fanbase happy -- they spill which flea market they are going to be filming at!
A majority of the time, the network will let people know via their Instagram account.
The Show Won A Daytime Emmy Award For Best Lifestyle Program
Since its debut in 2012, Flea Market Flip with host Lara Spencer has been one of HGTV's most popular programs. It was solidified how popular in 2017 when the series walked away with a Daytime Emmy Award for the Best Lifestyle Program on television.
Not too bad for a fast-paced restoration series!
A "Seasoned Picker" Wasn't Fond Of Waiting Around
Contestants don't arrive at the selected flea market right when it opens, something that kind of aggravates "seasoned pickers." According to them, waiting around is literally a waste of time since all of the good items tend to go early.
One former contestant even had to calm her mom, a seasoned picker down, telling her that there'd still be items waiting around!
Lara Spencer Has Hosted Other Antique Shows
Lara Spencer is a flipping genius and loves antiques, roadshows, and flea markets. In fact, she's hosted various other television series throughout her career, not including Flea Market Flip.
Throughout the 2004 and 2005 seasons, Spencer hosted Antiques Roadshow. Then, in 2005, she hosted a spin-off series called Antiques Roadshow FYI.
There Is A $100 "Extras" Budget
Flea Market Flip contestants are given $500 to spend in the selected flea market, picking out and haggling with vendors as they see fit. Of course, the less money they spend, the better in the long run!
But there is another budget they are given. Contestants get $100 for "extras," such as paint.
Lara Spencer Created A Game Show
While Lara Spencer is definitely known for her work on Flea Market Flip and as a news anchor for popular programs like Good Morning America, she is also very creative.
In 2011 she created a game show called It's Worth What? Unfortunately, after a single season of nine episodes, the show was canceled.
