Return of the Flea Market

We made it to the flea market again this past weekend. This visit brings the summer's grand total to an astounding THREE visits! Yes, I know, unbelievable! Even more unbelievable is that this time, going to it was my idea.

It's not that I wanted to get anything at the flea market - I have way too much junk already. And it's not that I wanted to walk around the place. This is not the type of place to go simply to drink in the ambiance. My only motivation in going was to give Sam the chance to do something a little bit different.

In years past, you never knew what you might find here. Now, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Maybe I've become more discriminating over the years (unlikely) but it seems to me that the quality - and definitely the variety - of crap being sold here has been on a sharp downward trend over the last several years. Here are a few shots of some of the higher quality items that we somehow managed to let slip through our fingers...

You're looking one vendor's entire inventory of goods - a golf club carrying case (with possible golf clubs inside) - and four large buckets, each filled to the brim with used golf balls. That's it. Not even any tees (unless the case is full of them). What is the thinking here? I can't believe that this is anybody's idea of a worthwhile way to spend a day - to get up early, load up the very small car, drive to the flea market field, stake out your spot - and then sit out in the hot sun all day and hope (i.e. "desperately pray") for that one customer who's been itching to buy twenty gallons of used golf balls.

Here's a fairly typical display of some of the higher quality items offered for sale at the flea market - a box of miscellaneous rusty hardware - some of which is conveniently pre-greased (note the knob thrown into the rusty hardware box, apparently to sweeten the deal). Also note: a selection of random lengths of different size chain; some old, unidentifiable hand tools (in various stages of decay);  plus a generous selection of other unidentifiable items. Oh, and lets not forget the bicycle sprocket. Someone's gotta need one of these. At least this person, unlike Golf Ball Man, sees the wisdom of catering to a diverse clientele.

Another guy was selling an old steering wheel - and not just any old steering wheel. This old steering wheel is for a Chevy! I wonder what the story is behind this. Did it have some odd sentimental value? If not, why hang onto it? And anyway, who would buy this - maybe someone who has all of the parts to an old Chevy EXCEPT the steering wheel?

I'm not sure why I found this interesting. From a distance, I couldn't tell what I was looking at - a bad wig? Uneaten spaghetti? Obviously wrong, but both good guesses. Interestingly,  quite a few people were picking these up and examining them. No buyers though - yet.

One person was selling an old water pump. Do people still use these? Is forty dollars a good price for one of these? If it is broken, are there still water pump repair(men/women/people, etc.) around?
This is also the vendor who had a (potential) customer come up and ask, "Do you have any cannons?" Are you kidding me? Cannons?

Note that the figure in the center appears to be a bird with it's face smushed in. Not only is the face smushed in but the figure is larger than the "people" figures. Does all this mean something? I have a lot of questions about this.

Remember what I was saying up above about the "fairly typical" display of merchandise? Here's an entirely different guy selling a box of door knobs. How many times has this guy lugged these door knobs back and forth to the flea market?

I can only assume that the guy that caught this has finally died and his wife, after living with this thing for thirty years, is seizing the opportunity to try and make a couple of bucks off it (before it ultimately goes in the trash).

According to the woman checking this out, "That's one of them Barvarian coo-coo clocks." That woman knows her stuff. I took the closeup so you can appreciate the quality of that world-renowned "Barvarian" craftsmanship.

Something for everyone. I have nothing in particular to say about this other than, who in their right mind would buy an old, rotting out blow torch? Maybe it's only there to make the new one look good.

I have more photos but you get the idea.