My mom and I used to go to flea markets when I was younger. Then, I went to college and maybe we would go to Webster once a year. Then, I was working and we didn't do any of it.
However, I'm not working so we have all this extra time. Time to check out local flea markets!
Big Top Flea Market- Horrid although the bathrooms were plentiful and clean. There was one nice vendor of Star Wars items and the rest over-charged and had attitudes, plus, everything was dusty.
Oldsmar Flea Market- Ugh, no, one restroom for the whole place and the selection was non-existent: almost all whole-sale and produce. I got a nice 2001 Pluto beanie from Tokyo Disneyland and that was about it.
So, we began to wonder, are flea markets just horrible now? Was it us? Were we not flea market people anymore?
If it was, it would make sense. I know some of my problems were also that there's lots of people all cramped together which was made worse with large strollers, then there's incense, smoking and cannabis products everywhere. I'm allergic to everything that plant has to offer apparently. First, it was hemp and then, it was pot. Plus, there lots of fans and lights which can make me sick if I'm around them too long...it's the strobing effect.
However, we had fond memories of Webster so to really decide if we were no longer flea market people, we had to go back.
Now, we knew it's July so that may have been the problem with the other two, all the good vendors were up north but this would be a good test.
Nope, all other flea markets just suck. Webster is a monster of a flea market: over fifty acres, over thirty sheds with a capacity of two thousand stalls. In the winter, it actually takes two visits just to see
everything because they're overflowing onto the back lot with tables and cars. If you can't find it here, it probably doesn't exist. Just on Monday, we saw everything from tableware rings to chickens to cowfeet for dogs to chew to Pez dispensers to Disney pins to a wooden cupboard shaped like a UK phone box...I was VERY tempted.
If you go, make sure you hit the antique mall. It's U-shaped with another building in the middle of the U. On one end of that building is a couple with the most awesome collection of Disney memorabilia you will probably see outside of Disney, I always buy like ten dollars of stuff off them: Broadway Lion King beanies, Wombles and rare '80s Darth Vader hologram pin.
In the middle of that building is a guy with a little of everything pop-culture-wise from the last fifty years, I always spend at least ten dollars with him, too. It's great because he remembers me, never remembers my mom, but he always remembers me and prices his stuff accordingly. He's always in a good mood and likes to joke...SUPER nice guy. Once my mom accidentally broke a glass of his and even though she offered to pay for it, he refused to let us do it...even joked about it.
Plus, look at the view coming and going!
That's the Green Swamp.
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