Flea Markets

      Growing up in West Virginia, there were two things to do on a Sunday morning; Church and visit family or go to the flea market. Now I was lucky enough to get to do both because we went to church on Saturday evenings and had all day Sunday to explore the flea market world. As a child, it was a very fun and "cool" experience. I would wonder around with my grandma and grandpa,(occasionally my parents) and we would look at every booth and what it had to offer! And the flea markets had everything to offer you could think of and then some! My grandma and grandpa were very into wood working and other crafts were able to buy wood and wood crafting supplies while I was able to look at all of the toys! My grandma and I would then go from the toys and craft supplies to the used books. It was better than the library! Twenty-five cent Nancy Drew or The Baby-Sitters Club books for me to take home and read! I was in heaven!!
       It was such a fun experience I decided this past weekend to share it with my own siblings. First we adventured out of the house to go to a local hot dog shop to get chili dogs and then head up the road to Charleston's Capital Flea Market. The two younger brothers and my husband ventured on their own accord to look for vintage style video games and my little brother's latest hobby of trading cards. My sister and I wondered and took in the 70 degree sunshine and looked at the 'junk tables' that the early birds set up. That's the neat thing I've discovered since a child. Going to the flea market as a child meant you had to be up and out the door by 7 a.m. to be there by 8 to get to explore the whole place! Nowadays there's two sections, the early bird tables who set up from about 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Now they have a nicer set up on the insides of them where they're open til about 4 or 5 p.m. just like little boutiques!
     Now some shops will try relatively hard to keep a good appearance and others are just bursting full of products. Walking down you see the variety of people peering from the shops waiting for you to buy their goods. My favorite shops as I'm older are the ones with handmade products such as The Berry Patch in the Capital Flea Market. This adorable little shop has homemade candles, tarts, rustic/primitive furniture and home decor. It's amazing to see the heart and soul that goes into some of these shops and their products. Buying and selling is something that happens in our every day life, but the beauty of the flea market is your face to face with the creator or supplier, giving it a more personal feel. So the next time you're bored on a Saturday or Sunday why not venture out to a local (or not so local) flea market and check and see what kind of treasures you can find?

-----Lucy