Come with me to the Big Flea!

Let's see what there was to see yesterday at the Big Flea!  Wheeeeeee!

Here we are at the Kentucky Fairgrounds, getting ready to go into the West Wing.  Whenever they have the Antique Wing added on to the Big Flea, it moves back to the West Wing.   In the days before the South Wing was constructed, all the Big Fleas were held in the West Wing.  For some reason, the show always seems bigger when it's in the West Wing.

During the fair, the West Wing is where the livestock is judged and displayed.  The room where the Antique Wing is held is used for the small animals, like rabbits and such.  The fair just ended last week, so I hope they got everything cleaned out.

This is a pretty big deal.  The Fairgrounds raised the parking to 8 bucks a few years ago, and that has impacted the attendance at the Big Flea ever since.  That's just outrageous and I go to all kind of lengths to avoid paying it.  The half off deal is new.  They experimented at first with only making purchases from certain vendors eligible for the rebate.  It always seemed like it was vendors that Were of no interest to me, so I never did it.  Now, any purchase at all qualifies you.  And can make some purchases!

And, we have arrived at our destination!  Please remain seated with seat belts fastened until the pilot has finished pulling into the gate.

Whoa!  I just got here.  How did all this get into my cart? I think Gran just attracts the stuff to her like a magnet!

Look Melissa!  (Definitely not in your price range.)

I tried to take a bunch of pics of cool stuff, but this is the only one that turned out at all.  The lighting in there sucks.  As a result, this is kind of a boring photo essay.  Sorry about that.  i did have good intentions.

He shoots!  HE SCORES!  See tomorrow for the story on this one.

Rearranging the cart.  Mavis the tote bag is  photo bombing in the upper right corner, along with my knee in the lower right. I'm keeping the finds under wraps until tomorrow, because I'm a tease like that.

Overall, it was a good show for finds.  I had to make an unloading trip to Mazda about halfway through, which is always a god sign.  It could have been even better for me, but I lost my mind and did something stupid.  More on that tomorrow too.

I heard from several vendors that it was a slow weekend.  Some were already starting to pack up at noon.  Several of my regulars weren't there, especially in the Antique Wing, which was only about 60% full.
 

And so we leave our day at the Big Flea.  Come back for the finds tomorrow.  They're adding a Halloween show this year, which I am really psyched about.  There won't be an Antique Wing, but it will still be worth attending.  They haven't done a Big Flea in October in several years.  I always liked this show, because it is right before my birthday!

Let's Go to the Big Flea!

I managed to get some pics during my recent trip to the Big Flea.  I thought maybe you would like to walk along with me.  I didn't get pics of the whole thing.  I tend to get too wrapped up in my shopping and forget to take pictures a lot of the time.  I'm also leery of taking pics of vendor booths and merch.  Some of them get really cranky about that.

Still, I managed to get a pretty good overview of this trip.  I'll work harder at it the next time.

On the way to the Fairgrounds, we passed a sign for an estate sale.  I saw it, but Keith didn't.  When we got to the street where the sale was, all i had to say was, "Turn here." And he did!  No questions or anything!

The sale was pretty good.  The sellers are downsizing in order to sell their house.  This is supposed to be the first of many sales they'll be having.  They had some great stuff.

A lot of the stuff had been put into baggies (freezer quart size) for a dollar.  As I got there, a guy was leaving with a baggie filled with Big Little Books and Golden Comics Digests.  For a dollar.  There but for the grace of God....

Anyway, I got several baggies, mostly filled with cheap vintage nick nack kind of stuff.  There were a couple of crap items in each bag, but it was all more than worth it.  Good shelf filler stuff over all.

One baggie was full of small tins.  Most were new, but there was this sweet vintage baby in there with them.

The other really nice find from this sale was a pair of these detailed candle holders.

A worthwhile detour, to be sure!  Now then, on to the Kentucky Fairgrounds!

Here we are at the gate.  While the admission to the Big Flea is free, the Fairground has a ridiculous parking fee.  If Keith is going with me, we split the fee between us and that reduces the impact on my expenses.  If he doesn't want to go, then I'll have him drop me off at the gate, walk in with my granny cart, and meet him outside afterward.  Take that, parking fees!

Speaking of the Granny Cart, or "Gran" as I have taken to calling her, here she is, packed and ready!  I wanted to give her a name, but I could not decide which of my grandmothers to name her after.  I have the best collection of grandmother names:  Ethel, Dorine, Gladys, Elsie.  How does one pick?  So Gran, she shall be!

My backpack has a couple of reusable shopping bags in it, to use for light things.  If Gran gets full, then I put the lightest things in those bags and tie them on the back.  I'll also use the backpack if I have to and carry some things out, usually comics.  Mavis is in the bottom of the cart, ready for her inaugural Big Flea.  I'll be using her to corral smaller items.  As the heavier stuff accumulates on the bottom, she will rise to the top with the smallest stuff!  It should make more room in the cart itself.

I think about this stuff way too much, don't I?  

I'm not sure if you can see the name written on the backpack or not.  I got it at a yard sale a few years ago.  It's huge and I love it!  It can hold everything I need for a weekend trip, which is helpful.  That's the name of the previous owner on the back.  The last name is "Bilbro" which makes me think that maybe the backpack was actually owned by Hobbits!

Here we are at the door to South Wing C, the home to the Big Flea this weekend.  This is one of the smaller shows, since there is no antique wing.  That's why we're in South C this time, instead of the old West Wing, which is bigger.  Also, this is not a holiday weekend, so it's only a three day flea, which means there will be fewer vendors.

This is the newest part of the Expo Center at the Fairgrounds.  It was added on for trade shows and conventions and the like.  The West Wing is one of the oldest parts.  It was constructed for the agriculture judging during the State Fair.  (The antique wing is always placed in the hall where the small animals are judged during the Fair.) It's a pretty no frills building, but it has lots of room.

On the other hand, the restrooms in the new part are much larger and much nicer.  There's even a family bathroom, which is nice and roomy.  I like to use it, since I can wheel Gran in there easily.  She doesn't fit quite so well into a standard men's room stall.

There are also comfy couches in the lobby.  Perfect for taking breaks.  Much nicer than concrete benches.

Wait a minute!  What's going on in South Wing C where my Big Flea is supposed to be?????

It costs 10 (!) bucks to get into this thing!  Ye Gads!

A Wing?  That's waaaaaaaaaaaaaay up there.  Oh, well.  Off we go!  South WIng A was the first part of the South Wing to be added to the Expo Center. It's not quite as nice as South Wing C (no couches), but is still newer than the other wings.

Ah....here we go!  These are my people!

We don't need no steeenking garden show!

It is often said that one can find many rare and exotic delicacies at the Big Flea!

 

Uhm, no thanks!

One of the regular vendors sells fancy, schmancy games and toys and novelties from chain bookstores.  These things can be pricey at retail, but at the Big Flea, I can get them for 50 cents to a dollar each, still new, still in the package.  I always pick up a lot of stuff here.  Those USAF planes are metal and cost almost 10 bucks each off the shelf.  I prefer fifty cents each, please!

Vrooooom!

One dealer had all these DVD's for a dollar.  As I was digging through the box sets, he made me a deal on the whole box. That's why I like to go on the last day.  He wound that tape around the box to make a carrying handle "at no extra charge."  Silly man!  I have Gran!

Oh no!  I forgot to get Keith a Hanukkah present!  Think it's too late????

Time for a fry break!  Since this is the Fairgrounds, food costs Fair prices, which I am not wild about.  Still, I have to get something. It's a tradition.  My mother and I always had a little snack about halfway through.  One drawback to the South Wing is that  there are fewer food choices. The West Wing has a lot of food stands, which are permanently part of that Wing. 

YUM!

It's also time to repack Gran.  If I repack frequently throughout the day, I can get more in there.

I had to sneak a pic of this table and chairs set.  It's just too cute!  If it had been a little bit cheaper, I might have considered it.

Apparently, this is now a thing.  Unfortunately.  I expect to start seeing them for sale at the Peddlers Mall soon, much to my eternal shame. I spent last summer trying to ignore all the vendors who hopped on the Confederate Flag bandwagon.  I guess this year, I'll be ignoring the Trump shit.  As much as I love selling in a flea market, there are downsides.

Really?

My, what a lot of pretzels!

 This is my favorite brand of pre-packaged snack popcorn.  It's some kind of regional brand that is not available here.  It is the best-tasting bagged popcorn I have ever had!  Every so often, a bag or two will turn up in the salvage groceries at the Peddlers Mall.  This is the first time I've ever found it at the Big Flea.  Of course, there was only one bag.

Well, it looks like my work here is done.  Gran is full and Mavis now rests happily on top.  One bag is tied to the back of Gran, but I did not need the backpack this time around.

Let's head to the gate!  When we get home, I'll show you all some more of the finds.  At least a couple of them.

I got a nice sized baggie full of these vintage metal Kodak film containers.  I love the embossed brand name on them! It pays to dig through the dollar boxes under the tables!

I also got several of these specimen storage boxes for micro test tubes.  Nerdy science stuff for the win!

And finally a vintage Fisher Price musical rolling toy.

There are a few more things, but it's either personal stuff or stuff for the house.  I'd rather not bore you with all that.  There really weren't many comics for sale this time, much to my disappointment.  One of my favorite comic vendors was there, so I did buy a couple, but it wasn't like usual.  I spent some time talking to this vendor.  He's just retired from his day job and he's looking forward to selling comics at flea markets full time.  Cool.  I wish him lots of luck.

And that was the day!  It was a lot of fun, as usual.  I ran into three other Peddlers Mall vendors while I was there and got to visit a bit.  Thanks for making the trip with me.

Big Flea Finds!

I know you don't believe it looking at my granny cart, but it was slow going for a while at the big flea on Sunday.  Since it was a regular show, with no special antique wing, all of the older, cooler stuff was mixed in with all the folks selling socks, honey, roofing services and salvage groceries.  I'm not saying there's anything wrong with those kinds of vendors.  One of the things I like about a good flea is the eclectic mix of goods.  I always find a few things for my own personal enjoyment, especially with the salvage groceries.  Besides, there are always folks selling Avon and the like who have a small table set up with a few other cheap, interesting items for sale.  I've found a lot of things from set ups like that over the years.

I always get so wrapped up in my shopping that I forget to take pics.  Sorry about that.  One track mind, I guess.  Instead here are some of the finds.

I bought some more comics there.   I always buy some comics there.  Since I spent a lot of space on comics in Monday's post, I'll just hit one highlight here.  I was pleasantly surprised to find this.

I don't run across these Whitman Dynabrite comics very often.

Of course, you have already seen the charmer on the bottom step, sitting atop the granny cart.  The red wagon is well-made and cool, but not that old.  I got a good price on it using my killer bargaining skills.

BOO!

Speaking of bargaining, it took a little work, but I got this bad boy down to a decent price.  I could not pass him by.  He's awesome.

Ahem!

These busty beauties almost got me in trouble.  The dealer had a sign that everything in her booth was a dollar, the kind of thing you do not have to tell me twice.  I was picking one of them up, when she said:  "Those are a dollar too.  I don't think a lot of people have realized that they are for sale.  For a dollar, you can take those ta-ta's home."  By this time, I'm holding both of them.  She's talking loudly, and the place gets quiet.  Folks in the next stall start staring at us.  All of a sudden, she points at the figures in my hands and says, even more loudly:  "I meant those ta-ta's.  Not these ta-ta's!"  Of course she points at her chest while she's saying it.  Now everyone is staring at me like I'm some kind of a ta-ta freak or something.  (As if!) 

Some of the smaller finds.

A metal flower frog for a buck?  More, please!  The dealer I got that from had been moving things over to his dollar table all day to reduce his carry out load.  He said he was surprised that the frog had stayed there all day.

Ew!  I need to clean these babies.

I got five of these great cocktail glasses from the same guy.  They have a little frosted spot on the glass where the host could write a guest's name and their drink order.  Cool.

I paid a lot more for these than I ever do, but I wanted them for my collection.  They're all quite old.  I've never seen an Altar Society pin like that before.  Cool.

All in all, a nice day at the big flea!