Last Saturday I dragged my mom up and down the aisles of the Raleigh Flea Market. Located at the NC State Fairgrounds on weekends all year (except in October when the State Fair's in town), it was a great activity for a beautiful summer day---sans toddler, thanks to my dear husband who stayed home for the team. I snagged the school-bus-yellow wooden chair poorly pictured above for $20, and also purchased a mini measuring tape for $1, one super skinny screwdriver for $1, a pair of rubber-palmed work gloves for $4, and a wooden phone case for $10. Ca-ching is right! The flea market itself was a mix of thoughtfully-displayed well-priced antiques next to booths full of broken bric-a-brac that I couldn't imagine anyone buying, along with the requisite Avon and kettle korn tents. Something for everyone!
I keep thinking about some of the hucksters we encountered. It seems like such a tough job; setting up all of your wares at the start of each morning, hustling and small talking with strangers in the hot sun for hours, then breaking it back down and packing up whatever you weren't able to sell at the end of a long day. Some dealers even had their pre-teens working the tables for them. I wonder what the inside of their houses look like, where they get their merchandise, how much they need to make each day to break even, how their kids feel about all of it. I went in looking for deals and left curious about their lives. I probably need to get out more.
- Cathleen
I miss the Raleigh flea market! I'm so glad you made some fun discoveries!
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