History, bargains among flea market finds

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This article was published 15/08/2022 (1381 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For some, it’s a warehouse full of knick-knacks and bargains.

For others, it’s a link to specific times in history and a reminder of family and loved ones, or the start of a new project.

There was truly something for everyone at the Southview Flea Market on Saturday and Sunday. Antiques, crafts, crystals, comics, tools, clothes and even produce and treats were available at the 17th Street East Industrial Park warehouse where the market is housed. Vendors stocked their tables with almost every conceivable item for sale or even trade, depending on the dealer and what was being offered.

A steady stream of bargain hunters moved between the tables. Some were newcomers, but many were frequent flea market visitors who hit a circuit of markets across southwestern Manitoba. All of them were looking for their next big bargain.

The simple act of being out meeting people was welcomed by some shoppers like Heather Ficek. She was visiting friend Marg West, who was selling antiques, but said she was really here to just have a relaxing day browsing.

She said she missed being able to look directly at items and talking to people during lockdowns.

“I was saying to my son, I see a lot of stuff in the internet marketplaces that interest me, but I’d much rather go to a walk-in garage sale or flea market and see it, touch it, feel it,” she said. “It’s just nice to be out, again.”

The market itself is its own community, with several working together for years, said West. She was minding her tables and enjoying a quiet moment while looking around at items, commenting on the decades of history on everyone’s tables, along with fun items like crystals and live plants. Shopping at markets like this one are fun for both vendor and customer, she said.

People tend to be friendly and curious, while vendors let people move about hassle-free.

“The people are great and I’m not pushy,” she said. “I just love it here because you have everything from the modern to the ancient. It’s a family.”

The market runs at least every second weekend of the month from June to September, said market organizer and vendor Larry Scott. The market has been running since 2013, he said. It grows steadily each year, save for pandemic shutdowns. He explained the market gets called out to estate sales to purchase and pick up items from homes and families that no longer want items. Antiques are common, he said, but specific items are what makes them special.

If there is anything that is popular, he said it’s anything considered retro or vintage, which is classified loosely as any item from the 1940s to the 1980s. That includes all household items, music, books, clothes and shoes.

That being said, antiques are still the top seller.

“It’s actually a pretty busy market,” he said. “Every year it gets a little bit bigger and a little bit better.”

What makes the market grow are the buyers. Scott said there is a dedicated community of people who do a tour of flea markets and antique vendors to collect for themselves and sometimes resell.

It’s not just about the value. There are many reasons flea markets are so popular. They are a way to keep otherwise good items out of the landfill, have them restored or repurposed, he said.

And of course, there is always a story or two about someone finding a high-value item on a bargain table, or a vendor bringing a unique item everyone wanted to see.

One of the more unusual items Scott was selling was a Victorian-era optometrist’s eyeglass storage and display case that he picked up from an estate sale in Virden.

“This is something you definitely don’t see very often,” he said. “It’s an odd and very specific item, but it’s very beautiful. Victorians were very keen on making things both aesthetic and practical. Back then they had a tool for almost every job, right down to serving utensils for specific vegetables.”

Many of the items he was selling in his section varied widely, from an original Paddington Bear doll to trade beads, vintage shoes, stained glass, food storage tins and even an old folding privacy screen he said likely dated back to the 1880s.

“Judging by the design and the way the top of it was rounded — known as mission — I’d put it around 1885,” he said. “There were screens in it, likely rice paper or silk. It would make a lovely piece for someone’s craft or art project as a frame, or restore it to being a screen again.”

It was picked up by Carla Elliot, who was planning on using it to display some stained-glass panels.

“It will really help showcase my stained glass,” she said.

“Instead of putting them in my window, I thought this would be great so it can be anywhere, not just on a window. I don’t come often, but whenever I have time because you never know what you may find.”

The next market is scheduled for Aug. 27 and 28.

» kmckinley@brandonsun.com

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