I had changed our original plans as Laurie had training this past week and I felt she need to relax. So I went out early to a couple of flea markets. The best flea markets in my area are in Adamstown, PA about 50 miles away from the house. It takes me an hour to get there if I get most of the traffic lights and there are no delays in traffic.
I arrived at the first market and noticed right away that the market was off. the market was only 60% full. The previous week most of the tables were taken. The market has a pavilion which I usually do first. This market is an antique market, you will some nice quality items for sale. I saw one EBayer buying MPC ring hand figures with accessories. I walked down the aisle and found a bag of farm animals. I looked over the market and found a few more items. I saw a friend and we talked for awhile over what he had found before I headed out.
I went to another flea market, but it was a disappointing. this market has been on a decline for years, which is sad as this was a fun market. I headed to a market which is on Sunday twice a month. I found a collector set up and bought an item from him. I figured that this collector had already checked the market, but was surprised to find a bag of Auburn plastic western figures, animals and accessories.
One other item I picked up was an Elastolin wagon. This wagon has composition horses (sadly one is missing a tail) tin body and part of the top. I had seen this item the Wednesday before but no one was at the table.
Overall It was a worthwhile day roaming.
Good report, Paul. Other than toy soldier shows, which my wife finds boring (and therefore lets me go to by myself), we both enjoy antique festivals and flea markets. They’re fun, simply because you never know what you might find.
For any that are in the metro-Detroit area, on Saturday, June 6, from 9:00 – 1:00, Rick Berry has his twice a year toy soldier flea market in his store parking lot. He lets any collector set up a table with toy soldier items for sale, and he doesn’t charge any table rental at all. It usually has about 10 – 15 collectors setting up, with lots of good deals. Rick himself brings a lot of discounted vintage merchandise out of the store into the parking lot, and has his store staff serve hot dogs, drinks, and donuts.
Don
Laurie enjoys the flea markets and the toy soldier shows. She has not been doing the markets with me either because she is working or I let her sleep. I am light sensitive and get up early. Also Percy can get up early and want a walk.
I like the flea markets and shows as I have found many surprises over the years.
Yes my dog is too, she wake the bird/chipmunks outside running wild early before sunrise in my back yard!!but she is very friendly towards all but coyotes roaming around and two leg strangers passing around the land too. So I was force to fence all land to avoid incidents.
And fencing these days is not cheap!
Well, Paul, while you are back in PA piddling around at weekend flea markets, here in Michigan last Saturday we all piddled around in the parking lot of Rick Berry’s Michigan Toy Soldier Company’s 2x annual toy soldier flea market. I managed to sell exactly $143.00 of toy soldier related stuff I didn’t want anymore, and managed to escape with expenditures of just $50.00 more than what I sold. I consider it a successful event financially when I can offset 75% of my purchases with corresponding sales.
We had about 10 sellers set up tables, with probably about 20 attendees beyond that. I ran into a retired psychologist collector (unfortunately can’t remember his name) who recognized my own name as a regular poster on Stad’s Site. He says he hasn’t posted, but checks into your site every day to review the comments. I purchased 11 mounted Timpo swoppet Crusaders from him, and a friend of mine purchased a group of 12 mounted Timpo Roman swoppets from him, accompanied by 6 Roman Timpo swoppet foot figures. It turned out we were both retired part-time instructors at Baker College in our respective fields, although we previously had never met. He’s also a regular attendee at OTSN, even though we had never met there either. It’s amazing who you run into when you get out and about at these toy soldier events.
All in all a satisfying Saturday, especially since I got rid of some stuff that I was getting tired of hauling to either OTSN or Indy.
Don
I am glad you had a great time. It is a small world sometimes. I remember taking my Late aunt and uncle for a vacation after my mother died. We went to Phoenix and the same motel we were staying at was Chuck Rastelli, a collector I know for years in for a foot ball game.
One time Laurie and I were over in London we went to the British Museum. I was looking at the Magna Carta and Laurie was looking at some original Beatles songs. A woman came up Laurie and said hello. Here it was an old class mate of hers. This woman lived about ten miles from us back in the states. We never saw her again.
I know that Stadsstuff has a world wide presence and I know we have readers in at least ten different countries.