A Weekend Filled with Fleas

I've been looking forward to this weekend for a long time, so when I started not feeling well on Wednesday, I was starting to worry that I wasn't going to be able to get out and about. This weekend I had five different flea markets mapped out, with plans to visit them all. I skipped the one that was the furthest away, but did make it to 4 out of the five.

Four of the fleas were scheduled for Saturday, and one was scheduled for today. We had a really bad storm roll through on Friday, and we lost power around 7:30 pm. Mr left around 5:30 for a weekend in Ohio for 1812 reenactment stuff with his brother-in-law, so it was just my two guys and I. Within a half an hour, they were getting the generator out and ready to go. It's a good thing, too, because our power ended up being out for 25 hours.

I found it interesting how much we take for granted electricity and wifi...until it's gone! The main road by our house is still closed while they clean up downed trees and wires, but our power has been restored. That's why yesterday was a perfect day to take in three flea markets.

I visited the Maple Street Mall Flea Market in Mason, as well as the antique mall because they are having great sales inside through the 12th. I found an awesome light purple chenille bedspread, but I talked myself out of it. How many chenille bedspreads can one person have?? I also visited the Columbia Street Mall & Bargain Barn, but didn't find anything I couldn't live without.

I checked out the Thrifter Sisters Flea at the Fowlerville Fairgrounds. They charged a $5 admission for this flea market, which was very small. I got there just as it was opening, and was surprised to see very few cars in the parking lot, and was very disappointed to see so few vendors. I just looked at their facebook page and see that it looks like more vendors came after I left, because some of the things they have pictured weren't there by the time I left.

I wonder if the storm the night before kept people from bringing their stuff to sell...I was done visiting all the booths within about 10-15 minutes. I hope they can build their vendor base for this flea market because it would be great to have a big vintage flea so close to home.

I also visited a Trunk Sale at a local church. They rent two car spaces that are end to end (lengthwise) for $10 (with all proceeds going to their food bank) and sellers park their car in one end and spread out their stuff in the other space. Some people had tables, some people just put out tarps and sold their stuff from there.

It was a lot bigger than I expected. It was free to get in to shop, and there was a really good mix of fun things to look through. I hope to visit this sale again next year...maybe I'll even see about renting some space and try selling some stuff. Even though I only bought two things, I am thrilled with them and I'm glad I went.

I stopped at an estate sale that I totally missed on Thursday and Friday, and I'm so bummed I missed it in the earlier days, because looking at the online pictures, I found some things I would have loved to have bought. They were of course, gone when I went Saturday morning. Saturday was the last day of the sale, and everything except furniture was $1.

I've never been to a sale where everything left was $1. Have you? There were TONS of things left, but I only found two things that I couldn't leave behind. When I first got there, there was only one other guy and his little boy shopping the sale, but when I left the road in front of the house was lined on both sides with car after car.

This morning I had to work. It is our annual fall kick-off day, and it was also the last of two Greenmead Flea Markets of the year. By the time I was done with work, the flea market had been going on for a little over two hours. I started for home, but talked myself into turning around and going to the sale. Admission is only $2, and it's only about 25 minutes away, and I knew I'd be going home to an empty house, so I decided to go for it!

I didn't get much, but it's ALWAYS fun to look! I really enjoyed people watching as I walked around to all the booths. I'm still smiling at a group of young people, late teens to early twenties who found an old "leather" jacket at one of the booths, and it fit one of the guys. Just to watch their faces, and see how excited they got over the jacket was so much fun! I think the vendor and her husband were getting a good chuckle out of it too, especially when the guys found out the jacket was only $5!!

A little further down the line, a woman walked up and found some Smurf glasses, and it was fun to hear her squeal with delight when she found them. Her husband was quickly behind her saying shhhh! She found the ones she needed for her collection and was very happy. I love seeing people find just what they were looking for! I know how fun that is and how good it feels so it always makes me smile when I see others experiencing that kind of joy.

It seemed like there were a lot more vendors this time, compared to other years. There was a really good mix of things to look at and buy, and even though it was only 73 degrees, it sure felt a LOT hotter in the sun!! I felt bad for the sellers who didn't have tents to block the sun-they must have been melting!

Here is what my weekend looked like...

 Borrowed his nephew's clothes to go off on a new adventure. 

 This was the Thrifter Sisters flea...I'd guess there were between 7-10 vendors while I was there.

Greenmead...a gorgeous day and LOTS to see!

These are my treasures from the weekend. The dress form has the base, but no pole. The quilt next to it and the one directly in front of it are in pretty rough shape, but they were only $1 each. The giant hatpin and the quilt top in the front were from Greenmead, and the wire basket was a great deal at the trunk sale for fifty cents!

The Pyrex bowl is for my trade pile...hoping to trade it for a piece I need. I have a couple of trade pieces now, so hopefully I will find someone to trade with soon. If you're a trader and you're looking for this Golden Scroll, send me an email!

I'm going to soak in the sunshine and the quiet house for the rest of the day until the guys all start coming back home...hope you have a great rest of the weekend! Next weekend is the Run for Their Lives 5C walk, and I'm thinking of going to the Renaissance Festival...I'm not sure though. Have you been to it? Do you have to dress up? How out of place will I be if I don't dress up??