It's probably going to sound strange, but flea markets make me a bit nostalgic.
On Friday, Mark and I headed to Rogers Community Auction. Located in Ohio just a few miles beyond the Pennsylvania border, it's one of the biggest flea markets in the region.
Rogers is almost like a county fair, in environment and vast space. Between the smell of fried foods permeating the air, livestock on sale, even a LIVE merry-go-round with donkeys, the place draws an interesting crowd.
Of course, it has the staples of a standard flea market: vintage postcards, tools, furniture, brick-a-brac, succulents, Amish baked goods. It's all here.
This place reminds me a lot of the flea market that was held down the road from where I grew up. There was a mix of indoor and outdoor markets, fresh produce and bizarre goods. (A friend found moon shoes there once for a dollar. Needless to say, I was very jealous.) The flea market I grew up going to almost every Sunday after church, called the Wildwood Peddler's Fair, closed four or five years ago. Rogers is the first place I've been to that actually has more variety in vendors and items.
The biggest drawback to Rogers is that the flea market is only open on Fridays, making it difficult to go very often. Mark had the day off, but I took a work comp day so we could spend the day there.
The hunt started out slow, since it looked like it could start pouring down rain at any moment. Vendors were already beginning to pack up and go when we got there. But out of nowhere, the sun came out, and we started finding goodies. I found a Peanuts mug with the Christmas scene on it for a couple bucks (I collect way too many cute and quirky mugs), mark found an old, rare bobblehead from a local minor league team for five bucks (baseball-related items are his addiction), and I got a pack of Garbage Pail Kids cards for a dollar.
Our best find though was a bar cart, with big, bicycle-like wheels for five dollars. I've been eyeing them up for awhile, and was loving the idea, since liquor takes up an embarrassing amount of our kitchen counter space. I was nearly giddy when the vendor told me the price. I'll have a future post about the cart, since there need to be a few DIY fixes before it's fully functional.
While driving an hour away to a flea market isn't the best time ever, there were some interesting roadside attractions that made the commute worthwhile, including a 20-foot tall gold statue of a muscle man, and Santa Claus. (proof below)
PS If you're wondering about the frumpy "yinzer" outfit, it's the best way to go flea market shopping. It's comfortable, but also, I tend to get better offers and have more success haggling than when I've worn something nicer to a flea market or yard sale, like a dress and boots.
Does anyone have a favorite flea market or favorite flea market find?
