http://www.stlsymphony.org/gypsycaravan/
(There is a natural crescendo to these things, you know! I have to make a couple rounds before I actually get this thing off the ground.)
When my body will allow me to do so, I occasionally ride a tour bicycle. Specifically, it is a 2007 REI Novara Randonee:
I put almost 4,000 miles on this bicycle, which includes crossing the state of Missouri back-and-forth via the Katy Trail, all or in part, 3 times. Each trip is 511 miles, and I did a Century ride (100 miles) every weekend. With the exception of normal maintenance, I have never had a break down. The moral of this seemingly expensive, extravagant saga is this: You will NEVER regret buying an item of considerable quality, even if it means spending more money than on the the economy version. I guarantee you that you will be cursing like a well seasoned sailor when your economy equipment poops out, and you have to either pay more $$ yo have it repaired, or better yet, pay more $$ to buy better quality once the poor quality item gives up the ghost. If you would allow yourself to do so, please think of it as this simple math equation:
The Price of the inexpensive item
+ The Price of the more expensive, higher quality item that you should have purchased in the first place = More money than if you would have just purchased the better quality item FIRST!
My point? I will very happily spend more money for a better opportunity, a better experience, or a better item. I'm worth it, plain and simple.
Back to my loot at the Gypsy Caravan Flea Market.
If you go to this Flea Market (held only on Memorial Day in the St. Louis area!), you have 2 choices to get in the door.
1) Pay the $20 fee and enter two hours before the tidal wave of shoppers - many thousands of people, actually! The advantage is that you get to shop from 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM, and even though there are an increasingly higher number of individuals taking advantage of this opportunity each year, there is a really good chance that you will be the only person in a vendor's booth at that particular time.
2) Pay $5 for "General admission" after 9:00 AM. Even though parking is abundant, equally abundant are the number of shoppers. You will FIGHT for a parking space anywhere on the premises of UMSL, the college campus where this event is held. If you didn't being along a 'little old lady shopping cart', anything that you purchase will become a heavy burden before you spend at least 2 hours walking through this event, and lugging your treasures back to your vehicle. Also attached to this option is the added privilege of fighting 50 - 75,000 people to squeeze into the vendor's booths to do your bargain hunting.
Thank you, but "No, thank you!" Each year, I am sitting in the parking lot in the best possible parking space of the entire venue at 6:30 AM. I have my little granny shopping cart with me as I stand in line at 6:45 AM, waiting for the gates to open at 7:00 AM for the $20 "Early Bird Shopping Special". My strategy is to do a quick, but thorough shopping spree, and to be through all $500 vendor booths before General Admission is allowed in the gates at 9:00 AM. Only by a margin of a couple minutes each year, I have accomplished this task.
I also have utilize the "Let It Ride" principle, as follows: "If I see an item on my 'first pass' that I absolutely cannot life without, I will buy it on the spot. Since I have a readily identifiable look, the vendors will happily mark an item as sold, and put it in the back of their booth if it is too heavy for you to carry around. You can then come back and pick it up on your way out, or you can put it in your little cart and take it with you. **IF** you find an item that you are interested in, but you can 'live without it', you can "Let It Ride". You can finish your shopping speed round, and come back to see if the item is still there on your second, slower, more deliberate shopping pass. If the item is there, it was meant to be - buy it! IF it wasn't meant to be, somebody snatched it up before you returned to the vendor. The major rule of this little game is that you gamble only with what you can afford to lose. If the item is something that you have been looking forever, and the deal is great - GET IT NOW. If not, "Let it Ride!" I played this little game with several items that I had my eye on at this past Gypsy Caravan (and any and all other Flea Markets that I attend).
I noted a Fender Amplifier for $24:
This little amp would be perfect for my vintage 1966 Wurlitzer electric (not electronic!) piano. I saw this amp at the FIRST booth - out of 500! I decided to 'Let It Ride'. I shopped two more booths, and lo and behold, the 'vintage lady' was there! She sells mid-Century (1950's - 1970's) decor. I am looking for another lamp for my vintage house - a hanging spaghetti lamp for $40:
I decided to "Let It Ride", and come back for it later.
Because I hate suspense, I must tell you that when I returned for the amp, the lady in the booth whispered to me, "A gentleman was just looking at that amp, and he said he would be back in a couple minutes for it, but since you were here at 7:00 AM, and 'first come, first serve', I will sell it to you!" Two seconds later, I learned that the older gentleman that also held an interest in this amp was standing right behind me! I beat him to it by 2 seconds!
The lamp: Somebody had beat me BACK to the lamp by just a couple minutes! See how it works? If you play "Let It Ride", you will win some, and you will lose some. Never gamble with items that you do not want to lose!
H O W E V E R . . . .
I found yet another Hammond clock at a vendor's booth. The motor turned easily when cranked with the the fly wheel knob on the back, but it had no electrical cord, and would need to be rewired. The gentleman had $8 on the clock, and I already had 2 of these models (The Chronmaster from Hammond):
Because I couldn't help myself, I told the shopkeep the story of how the Hammond clock was the predecessor of the Hammond organ, and the Hammond organ was invented from the principle of the clock, and that they (Hammond clocks) were made from 1928 - 1941. They are collectible, but on average, they are not very valuable. The only exception to this rule is the "Gergory Clock", which is an art deco calendar clock from Hammond:
Designer / Decorator Christopher Lowell once redecorated a room, and placed this particular model of Hammond clock on the mantel of the fireplace in the room he redecorated. Within 15 minutes of that show running, this clock shot up to $600 on eBay! Since that time, the price has fallen back down to $30 - 60, depending on the day and the market.
Anywho.... I told the shopkeep the story of THIS particular model of Hammond clock, and I continued down the row of vendor's booths. I was out of this man's booth by about 30 seconds when I ran into THIS clock at a booth. The price: $5 ! I already have one of these models, but for $5, I had to have TWO! SOLD! No "Let It Ride." I bought it immediately. Of course, I took the clock back to guy #1 to show him the clock that I had just spun the Christopher Lowell story about. He said, "What are the chances of you telling me that story, and 30 seconds later, finding that same clock in the next booth?" What a quinkie dink!
My next purchase:
A bundle of socks for $5 from the "Sock Lady". Everybody that goes regularly to the Wentzville (MO) Flea Market on Sunday morning - EARLY - and everybody that goes to the Gypsy Caravan Flea Market knows the 'sock lady'. She's an icon.
I also bought some gardening tools - a trowel, a weed puller and a small rake. They are all metal, and I paid $1 for the package. I use these little tools all season long.
I also bought a Steve Winwood CD ("Roll With It") and a David Bowie CD - $4 each. That was a bit steep for CDs at a flea market, but I wanted the songs on the CDs, and I didn't feel like low balling the guy.
Unless I believe that an item is seriously over priced, I don't talk the vendor's down, or low ball them. I paid $350 for a Hammond E-100 / Leslie 122 combo that is worth $3,500. I know people that would try to talk them down to $250, and if they couldn't get the set for $250, they would walk away from the deal! I quickly handed the lady the $350, and told her "Have a nice day!" For many shoppers, the fun is all in the deal, and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the item in question. As I have stated many times in the past, "People are not my hobby! I have other hobbies, and none of them relies on people to function." I do not gain status, prestige or a higher position by taking advantage of another person, and the sauce for the goose is as good as sauce for the gander. People who try to take advantage of me are in for a rude awakening after having attempted such a fiasco!
I paid $5 for a memory! I can't say that I have a lot of happy memories from my childhood. If you know where I came from, and you are honest with me and yourself, you would agree. The retro "melted popcorn decorations" were a memory from my childhood that I cherish. I got the "Raggedy Ann and Andy" melted popcorn decorations for $5! They're going on the wall in my office:
My last purchase was an item that I have been waiting 6 months for! I don't often eat 'fair food', but there are a couple guilty pleasures that I allow myself. I love the forearm-sized corn dogs from "Elvis' Place". These people are a huge food vendor that set up at the Gypsy Caravan Flea Market and the Great Forest Park Balloon Race, and a couple other local venues. ONE corn dog is all you need!
To paraphrase: "One man's junk is his loss!"
- Michael
Anywho.... I told the shopkeep the story of THIS particular model of Hammond clock, and I continued down the row of vendor's booths. I was out of this man's booth by about 30 seconds when I ran into THIS clock at a booth. The price: $5 ! I already have one of these models, but for $5, I had to have TWO! SOLD! No "Let It Ride." I bought it immediately. Of course, I took the clock back to guy #1 to show him the clock that I had just spun the Christopher Lowell story about. He said, "What are the chances of you telling me that story, and 30 seconds later, finding that same clock in the next booth?" What a quinkie dink!
My next purchase:
A bundle of socks for $5 from the "Sock Lady". Everybody that goes regularly to the Wentzville (MO) Flea Market on Sunday morning - EARLY - and everybody that goes to the Gypsy Caravan Flea Market knows the 'sock lady'. She's an icon.
I also bought some gardening tools - a trowel, a weed puller and a small rake. They are all metal, and I paid $1 for the package. I use these little tools all season long.
I also bought a Steve Winwood CD ("Roll With It") and a David Bowie CD - $4 each. That was a bit steep for CDs at a flea market, but I wanted the songs on the CDs, and I didn't feel like low balling the guy.
Unless I believe that an item is seriously over priced, I don't talk the vendor's down, or low ball them. I paid $350 for a Hammond E-100 / Leslie 122 combo that is worth $3,500. I know people that would try to talk them down to $250, and if they couldn't get the set for $250, they would walk away from the deal! I quickly handed the lady the $350, and told her "Have a nice day!" For many shoppers, the fun is all in the deal, and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the item in question. As I have stated many times in the past, "People are not my hobby! I have other hobbies, and none of them relies on people to function." I do not gain status, prestige or a higher position by taking advantage of another person, and the sauce for the goose is as good as sauce for the gander. People who try to take advantage of me are in for a rude awakening after having attempted such a fiasco!
I paid $5 for a memory! I can't say that I have a lot of happy memories from my childhood. If you know where I came from, and you are honest with me and yourself, you would agree. The retro "melted popcorn decorations" were a memory from my childhood that I cherish. I got the "Raggedy Ann and Andy" melted popcorn decorations for $5! They're going on the wall in my office:
My last purchase was an item that I have been waiting 6 months for! I don't often eat 'fair food', but there are a couple guilty pleasures that I allow myself. I love the forearm-sized corn dogs from "Elvis' Place". These people are a huge food vendor that set up at the Gypsy Caravan Flea Market and the Great Forest Park Balloon Race, and a couple other local venues. ONE corn dog is all you need!
To paraphrase: "One man's junk is his loss!"
- Michael
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