highway robbery.

I have been going to an indoor flea market in PA since I was a kid. Sadly, the condition of the market has declined and along with that so has the number of vendors. Booths used to be packed in both buildings, but now many are empty or covered with sheets. The vendors that have stuck around are the same vendors that have been there for 10, 15 years... and some of their "stuff" has been there that long as well.

So, why do I continue to go there? Because there are some good finds to be had. Prices are okay - some in the correct range and others way off the mark. There is one booth where everything is 95cents. I'm sure that in the midst of the items in this booth are hidden treasures, definitely worth much more than the asking price. Apparently other people believe this because the seller has signs that if you ask what the price is (not believing that yes, everything is 95cents, you will be charged $3 for an item).

 I bought one of my first "bubble" frames there... I absolutely love the convex bubble glass portraits. The first one that I ever bought was of a woman, very homely and not that attractive...wearing her hair up in a bun, simple dress on, complete with a brooch necklace. The frame was in excellent condition, adorned with ornate brass edging and flowers. The price? $10. I walked away with that piece feeling like a proud picker.

(Photo property of GuidoneEtsy.. creator of mixed media art selling on Etsy.. a great way of re-using vintage items)

 Since that purchase, I have one rule when it comes to the convex bubble frames... I will not pay more than $20 for one. I am sure I am missing out on some great buys of the bubble frames that I do find for $30, $40, and $50. But, I know that I can find these frames for $20 and under... it's just a matter of waiting it out... like when I found one of a 1920s/1930s man. This was a much smaller frame than my $10 find, but the lady wanted only $5. Sold!

So, today at the indoor flea market, I stumbled upon a bubble frame of a man. The man was rugged looking, dressed in what appeared to be a cloth shirt, holding a piece of paper, and there was a faint glimpse of the chair he was sitting on. The frame reminded me of a frame that I purchased of a WWI soldier. It was the "tiger" wood... dark brown with black slivers through it. As a side note, the WWI soldier in the original pre-1920s frame put me back a mere $20. The condition of the rugged man photo was okay... there were 2 slight slits on both sides of the photograph paper, but not so much that it detracted from the portrait. The frame was chipped in the lower corner and it appeared that someone tried to cover the chip by using a black magic marker to hide it... obviously that attempt wasn't successful.

The owner of the booth wandered over and quoted me a price of $25. I replied that it was a nice piece, but no thanks. He then asked me what I would consider paying for it.... ugh. Being a beginner, I hate this because I know that I do NOT want to insult the vendor. I politely said that it was okay, but he kept insisting for me to name a price. So, I said $15. Looking back now, maybe that was too low. I assume I should have went for $20, but I just didn't feel like I wanted the piece bad enough for that price. For $15 yes, for $20 no. The man took a few seconds and replied that he do the price I quoted, but he would have to call the person that sells with him to make sure.

I walked to the booth across the way and waited... and waited... and waited... Walking back, another vendor was now with the owner of the booth. This was the man that had the booth filled with salad dressing, cereal boxes, and canned goods - this market was not strictly just for antique dealers. And that's when I heard him, loud & clear: "$15?!? That's highway robbery. That's ridiculous, absurd. Highway robbery asking to pay $15 for that piece." Well, that was it... the owner looked across the aisle at me as he was putting the frame back on the shelf and I just walked away.

I could have went back and offered $20 and probably would have gotten the piece, however it just wasn't in me. The salad dressing seller had ruined it for me. Will the picture be sold for $25? Most likely. How long will it sit there before it sells? No telling. Since this past May, I've seen the same pieces at this market sit without budging.

So what did I learn? I should have stayed there while the man called the shared vendor (if there really was even one). There probably was no shared vendor - he simply went to the salad dressing seller next door to ask for his opinion. I also continued practicing something I've learned in the past months: if I have to think about whether or not I want something, question it back & forth in my mind, I don't need it. Yes, it was a great piece. It would have looked great on my wall & I would have added to my collection. There was a hesitation there though... the extra $5 to make my offer more appealing would have set me back about 3 cups of tea from Dunkin Donuts during the week (I'm a tea drinker - no coffee). It wasn't in me to offer the extra five bucks, so then the decision was easy - I didn't "need" this piece.

On a side note, I'm pretty sure a man that bought a pile of stuff from me at a garage sale this past summer sells at this indoor flea market. I recognized him as he is hard to forget -long gray hair, a Harley Davidson bandana, riding boots, and his basketball player-ish height. I also recognized the James Dean cardboard cutout that I sold to him. My price? I think I sold it for $8. His price? $39. I'm sure when I visit the indoor market a couple months from now, James Dean will still be there, wearing the sombrero hat that was placed on his head... oh my.

~ Flea Fact ~

If you have to question yourself on whether or not you really need an item, you don't need it. Collecting relies heavily on emotions that we put towards what we collect... if you can walk away from a booth or a table at a flea market & not have that item interfere in your thoughts for the rest of the market, you don't need it.

Walk away and keep that cash in your pocket. The better find might be just around the corner...