(You’re gonna be shakin’ your hiney to this while you listen to it, I’m sure. And, then you’ll be singing it to yourself for the rest of the day whilst cursing me under your breath!)
So, my friend, Kandi Koski, the flea market entrepreneur, didn’t evolve out of just anywhere. As you know, her name was lifted from someone who worked at a mall jewelry store and the rest of her life is based on my love for vintage clothes and, err, um, the Lancaster flea market.
Believe it or not, I actually went so far as to create a myspace page for her, um, along with one for Kandi’s cat, Stanley (who is played by a picture of Liam), and a seagull named Frank. Okay, enough about my fantasy world. Here’s Kandi, who is played by me.
Kandi lives in Minnesota, well, for myspace purposes, Minneapolis to be exact (because that’s where another goddess lives, Mary Tyler Moore). Minnesota must be a tough place to meet women, because several Minnesota men contacted Kandi, though Kandi didn’t respond. “Kandi” was more thrilled that these Minnesota men thought she was 28, her posted age, than that they thought she was great!
Anyway, today Iz and I spent a few hours at the flea market. I shouldn’t have told her that we were going until 5 minutes before. Because she pestered me to no end. As I was sitting in office chair, she came up behind me, and asked, “Moooooooooooooooooooooooooom, when are we going?” I answered, “Five minutes.”
She then started hugging me from behind, and I felt this rubbing sensation on my back. I asked, “Are you wiping your nose on me, Isabelle Georges?!” She said, “No. You smell good!” My daughter not only has good taste in fun endeavors (flea market), she has good taste in scents.
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P148417&categoryId=B70
And, I was really relieved that I was not her Kleenex, too!
We were going to the flea market with a mission. It was time to find a desk for Iz. She loved to play school, and the papers and pens in her room badly needed a home. I remember when I was her age, my Mom came home with two old school desks for me and my sister, Julie. They were wooden with lift up tops, and the chairs were attached via a metal bar. The tops of the desks were carved with the names of student occupants past. We loved those desks, and that’s what I wanted to find for Iz.
I really had no idea if we’d find what we were looking for. In the three years that I had been going to the flea market, I had found a lot of great things. I had bought a beautiful pink crocheted dress from the 30s for $16, many embroidered table cloths, lovely rhinestone pins (I have a collection of them and it’s so not an addiction!), vintage aprons, and err, I still can’t explain why I bought these, but I love them.
I know; they are totally tacky, but yet appealing, yes? Okay, don’t answer that!
After a 15 minute car ride, Iz and I arrived at the Lancaster Flea Market.
When we pulled in, Iz exclaimed like a flea market old-timer, “I haven’t been here in years!” Before entering, we were assaulted by the Agway wares. I’ve always had a dog, but my dog has never had a house. Nah, Monty wasn’t getting one, though we wished he had his own zip code due to his barking!
Upon entering, we paid the admittance fee of $2 and picked up our FREE raffle ticket. Times are tough when you get a free raffle ticket. Iz took the ticket from me and said, “Mommy, I’ll hold this. I’m good with numbers.”
The landscape of the flea market had changed a lot since we had last been there. There were a lot of open spaces, probably due to the economy. Mrs. Nelson’s candy booth was gone. Yes, it’s a real place, and I so wanted a wintergreen patty!
Iz was, like Neil Armstrong, a person unleashed for a walk on terrain that had never been explored before. Well, it was terrain that we had explored before; however, each time, it seemed the flea market became a different planet.
We wandered by the Stephen King 2009 Desk Calendar. I guess you’d buy that if you were a collector of such things. Then, we saw a table filled to the brim with plastic wrestling figurines. And, finally, there were the Health and Beauty Aids that were “Slightly out of code or damaged.”
We walked by one of Iz’s favorite vendors. Rubber duckies galore. “Mum, look at this one. Isn’t it cute?” Fortunately, we left the flea market without a duck; we only have about 20 of them, who live in the tub, that I have to sidestep whenever I shower!
Did you know you can buy art, at great discounts, at the flea market?
And, what flea market is complete without the alcohol-themed mirrors?!
When we went by this, Iz asked me to read this sign.
I did. She then asked, “Mom, can we get a lobster?”
And did you ever wonder if there was an LP retirement home? There is! It’s here at the flea market.
I found an LP by Disco Tex and the Sex-o-lettes Review. Um, who?! Believe it or not, they were big back in the disco day. And, I didn’t feel so badly that my “Meet the Beatles” LP was lost in a basement flood. I saw it there, and it was only worth $10.
One thing hadn’t changed. I saw my favorite vintage jewelry booth. And, when Iz and I approached, the woman tending the booth said, “Oh, hello!” She remembered me from previous visits. Iz and I spent about 40 minutes there pawing over fake gems and trying on rings and other baubles.
Her name was Jean, too, and when I saw something I liked she'd say the price the owner had on it, and then she’d tell me I could have it for 50% below that price. I got a Cloisonné necklace and five cloisonné bracelets, a faux diamond necklace with a matching bracelet, and a pair of funky clip-on earrings. The rhinestone replacement guy (seehttp://goddessofallthingslovely.blogspot.com/2009/07/thank-you-and-belated-thank-you.html) can make them pierced for me. I can wear them as is, but then I'll feel like my grandmother if I did. The clip-on earrings are tolerable, but really, I don’t know how any woman did the screw-on earrings.
I told Jean that we were in the market for a desk, and she told us to head down another aisle and we would find what we were seeking. She told us we should look for a blonde woman; however, we ended in the booth of a brown-haired, Patriots shirt-wearing guy.
We found two desks, and I asked the owner of the booth if he could remove the stuff on top, so we could pull the desk out and Iz could sit on it. Once she sat on it, I knew it was her desk.
It’s funny, but I first learned how to barter at the flea market. You go to Macy’s, and you have to pay what they tell you. But, at the flea market, you never have to pay what they tell you.
I looked at the desk, and I saw the $75 price tag. Iz sat down, and it was a perfect fit. The desk was too high; however, it was adjustable. I said out loud, “I don’t know.” The booth owner said, “It’s a great desk!” I asked, “Can you do a little better than that?” He thought for 5 seconds and said, “$65.” I said, “Okay.” And, he even loaded the desk and chair into the trunk of the car 20 minutes later.
As Iz and I left to fetch the car in order to get our desk, I said out loud, as I passed lots of vintage clothing and linens, “I’ll come back next Sunday.” Iz asked, “What? Aren’t you going to take me back with you? I want to come!!!” I said, “Yes. You can come back.” I heard a voice ask, "Can you do a little better than that?" I then realized I could do no better in life than having a daughter who loved everything I loved and then some. ♥
End blog soundtrack:
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