Sparks and White Cloud's flea markets used to be one of the highlights of my year. Between my needs changing by no longer selling antiques at the mall or at pop up events, and less dealers setting up at the fleas, the shopping isn't as big of a draw as it once was.
In the past, Beth and I would NEVER miss it. The weather bothers us more now, it is either blasting with heat and humidity, muddy and wet with thunder, or freezing. I'm trying to recall if I was ever there on a perfect day… nope, I think it is typically Kansas-ish weather, and unpredictable.
This year, it chose HOT. I brought my own portable shade, my collapsible umbrella which also kept me from frying at the Happiest Hottest Place on Earth, Disneyworld in the summertime.
Sadly, I didn't bring Beth. It used to be our thing, to get up before dawn was even creeping in, pack for chilly, dewy mornings and hot afternoons, bring enough treats to sustain us for a rough day of trudging the fields from opening til close, and getting home late that night.
She is swamped at work right now, and as I said before, the shopping up at Sparks just isn't what it used to be and White Cloud is a mere remnant of its past glory.
So, I popped up there for a quick walk through. No planning out a whole day and making it a big event, just grabbed a water bottle, my flea mkt cart, umbrella, some ones and I was off.
I kinda know where my favorite vendors will be, and can whip through the whole shebang in about an hour.
See those bright pink dollar table signs? Yep, that is where I go.
Oh, I'm still attracted to large furniture pieces like I used to buy to fix up. Somehow, whether I need them or not, I'm drawn to seek them out. Now, I'm satisfied with just looking and feel a sense of relief that I don't have to figure out how I'm going to lift something like this into my van to get it home.
In my 40s used to be really good at flirting with older guys. (men my age or younger would never take a glance at a woman in her 40s, but if a lady that age would bat her eyes at a man over 60, he'd carry anything for her.) Although, sometimes if it was something heavy, I'd have to flirt with 3 or 4 of them to get the piece hefted out of the booth and into my car.
The old van I drove is long gone now, and I have a feeling that I'm past the age of getting old guys to help me any more. I'm an ancient broad myself.
So it is a good thing I didn't buy this wonderful wardrobe, isn't it? I still daydreamed about what I'd do with it if I had it. It is overflowing with potential.
The booths that really caught my eye were the food vendors. How cute is this set up. And seriously, red velvet funnel cakes????????? Those exist???? I was a bit too over heated and didn't order one to try it out (I'm an ancient broad, remember?).
Toward the end of my hour or so there, I was too hot to even shop. I stopped at this dollar table and was too fried to even sift through it.
Over all, even with the heat, on my own with no trusty BFF by my side, and no real needs to fulfil while there, I was still glad to have gone. It's a funky place, like nowhere else I have been to. Someday, I'd like to see the towns when they are not set up as a flea market. They must be very ghostly. Both towns look abandoned, but I have a feeling that they are not.
Even though I complain that it just isn't what it used to be, the flea still doesn't exactly suck. At the dollar tables, I found 3 floral hats, a domed glass frame (to turn into a Christmas ornie later on) and a Valentine box with a velvet rose.
And at the jewelery $1 tables, you can do 12 for $10. I slightly scored there too.
I was glad I went, but I missed Beth and the heyday of our shopping adventures there.
In other news- I will be participating in Brenda's Fall Home Tour. My next post, on the 18th will have some pumpkins in it. I'm not quite as decked out for fall as I thought I'd be… but I have 3 pumpkins and some mums. The party has already begun if you'd like to visit some of the other bloggers on her list, I'll bet you'll find some beautiful displays of autumnal delights, unlike my 3 pumpkins and some mums.
Oh, Brenda, are you going to be sorry you invited me to join in???
I do have some new chandeliers that I repainted, I'll be showing those too. With step by steps on how I did them in an upcoming post also.
PS- The kits for the Book of Mysteries are now available!
What a great place!!!
It really is pretty cool, Rita.
Typepad HTML Email
Published
Unpublish
email_buttons_delete.png Delete
email_buttons_spam.png Mark as Spam
email_buttons_edit.png Edit Comment
email_footer.png
email_tp-logo-small.gif
Typepad, Inc.
10 Corporate Drive, Suite 300, Burlington, MA 01803
Manage Notifications |
Support |
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy
Its nice that us old broads can get nostalgic about the good old days.
i just love flea markets that sell vintage things instead of cheap new things. I want to go to Canton and spend some time at round top. Of course doesn’t everybody want to go to Rose Bowl. Bringing things back from California would quite a challenge. I scored 6 identical 9 pane windows while I was in Kansas for Birdsong. I want to make a little greenhouse with them, I had one that I bought already
made but after many years outside it fell to pieces . I just need someone to bevel the edge, of the two that form the roof. Best thing, is I only paid $ 10.00 each!!!
I want to go to the Rose Bowl too! Ive been to a couple of the other good ones in CA as well as Canton and Roundtop. I used to think Sparks was the best of all of them, but Canton was really great. I had a wonderful time there.
Two friends and I went to Sparks and White Cloud last spring. Our first time. They both found lots of goodies. I just bought 2 or 3 small things but we had lots of fun. We planned to go this fall but forgot about it.
I dont get there each time either, Claudia. Wish I did!
Oh I would have had fun at the $1.00 tables also
There is going to be a flea market east of Columbia the 26th and I can’t attend this year, darn it , too many irons in the fire LOL
Life seems to get in the way of finding good junk!
I went for the first time this year (Fall show) and you’re right, it was HOT! Even if it is smaller than it used to be, it was still a great experience and so glad we went. I won $30 at the White Cloud Casino Saturday night (LOL – did not go to that market) then Sunday morning we went to the Sparks show. Talked to a few vendors who said they did very well this year; somehow I missed those $1 jewelry tables!! :O We didn’t buy anything, but I know I passed up a really good deal at the very end just because I was completely wilted and didn’t want to mess with packing it up. Maybe NEXT year!!
I probably cleaned out the dollar tables when I went early, Janet!
Typepad HTML Email
Published
Unpublish
email_buttons_bottom.png
Delete
email_buttons_bottom.png
Mark as Spam
email_buttons_bottom.png
Edit Comment
email_buttons_bottom.png
email_footer.png
Typepad, Inc.
10 Corporate Drive, Suite 300, Burlington, MA 01803
Manage Notifications |
Support |
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy