Flea Market finds?

[GrayGhost]

Do you guys ever get lucky with flea markets? Im not speaking co op antique shops, but standard flea markets, indoor or outdoor? We have one IN Mansfield at the drive in near Uconn, where I will be setting up this Sunday morning (cheap plug..haha), where I have seen folks find Ted Williams Root beer cases and Mel Ott model gloves for five bucks, as best deals I think I've seen. No super fabulous finds.

What are some of you guys best flea market finds?

[baseball tourist]

Love flea markets! I find most of my items at various fleas and junk/second hand stores or vintage clothing stores. There is a flea here in town that I visit every Sunday and have landed several interesting things (nothing very valuable, but some quite collectable) including a First year Calgary Cannons AAA game jersey (Mariners minor league affiliate at the time); a few pacific coast league game bats and balls; CFL football items etc. The thrill is in the hunt and prices can't be beat!

[sicollector1954]

My find of the summer came from a flea market....1957 Tony Kubek Adirondack game used bat for $20.00. It was at the last booth that I passed by.....you just never know!

[khkco4bls]

Flea market upstate ny years ago. Black red stitched ball M.Ott hits no.29 30 home runs 1929 on the ball. Not signed, double header etc. 20 bucks , sold for 4 , 000. Another time which I still have . Signed Jackie Robinson, signed best wishes Jackie Robinson on the tape. On a clemente model. 75.00. Definitely real. Some of my best buys. I am one who searches high and low for things. And it pays off sometimes.

[Ray Van]

Chris W,
Is that the Hillhurst Sunnyside flea market? I used to go to that and even set up the odd time. It was great and you never knew what you were going to find. Also funny to see many of the Saturday morning "garage-salers" setting up at the market to sell their Saturday morning finds. Good times!

Ray V

[sycks22]

I've found a couple smaller things: Kansas City Athletics pennant, '82 Topps traded set with the Ripken for dirt cheap. It's always fun searching for the next big find.

[baseball tourist]

Originally Posted by Ray Van

Chris W,
Is that the Hillhurst Sunnyside flea market? I used to go to that and even set up the odd time. It was great and you never knew what you were going to find. Also funny to see many of the Saturday morning "garage-salers" setting up at the market to sell their Saturday morning finds. Good times!

Ray V

Small world! That's the one Ray.

[Michael B]

In sports my best find was at Brimfield. It was in the early 1990's. I remember stopping at this table where this older gentleman had a table filled with paper items. A large pile was envelopes all addressed to a Confederate General and at the time I was buying and selling a lot of Civil War signatures. I bought those from him just to give away to my customers and as he was getting them ready I looked at his pile of first day covers (FDC's). Sitting right on the top was a 1939 Baseball FDC signed in beautiful fountain pen by Johnny Evers. It took me a few seconds to realize who it was as he has an interesting signature of 'John J. Evers'. I asked him the price and he said $10.00. There are times when you just pay and don't try to bargain and this was one of them. I remember walking away with it and hearing his wife say 'He ripped you off!', even though I paid exactly what he asked. I got home a few hours later and sold it over the phone to a collector. That is my best sports flea market find, Civil War autographs is another story.......

[daves_resale_shop]

I frequent the local flea markets here in CT... The thrill of the hunt is what does if for me... there is nothing better than buying an item for a couple of bucks, selling it for a nice profit & then reinvestingin something you really want...

Yard sales & Flea markets have helped me build my collection on a shoestring!

Here are a few that I can remember in the last few years
1-Ken Boyer single signed ball: was going back and forth with the seller over a Bobby Brown Dated 1980 home run ball for $20 when I picked up this one in the pile.... I want to say he told me $5 and a gladly paid up.

2-Comiskey brick: got this one at the old Holyoke MA Flea market for a buck... tured out to be worth its weight in cement!

3-A pair of seat from the old new haven coliseum... sure, they were soaked with cheap beer and I'm sure much more, but for $10 a nice piece of ct memorablia & a great cheap gift that meant the world to my neighbor (they are now sitting in his game room)

4-Quinnipiac game used hockey jersey- Grabbed this one at the wallingford flea market for a $10 spot... in a heap of mens clothes... It was as if the players girlfriend threw him out of the house and tossed everything in trash bags (literally)... Come to find out it is one of the toughest game used College hockey gamers to get... I think I sold it for around $250...

[GrayGhost]

Great finds. Ive always been shoe strung by funds, but have found a 1973 complete w all the card Stratomatic game for 10 bucks, flea bayed it for 144 plus. there always seem to be small finds here and there.

a paper show once. box of old mets yearbooks, there was a Sherry Magee L1 Leather. not mint, but got it for 20 bucks. sold it for 300, wish I had it, they go for several hundred in VG now.

Its just so fun to walk around and see all the stuff too. Mansfield will be hopping tomorrow. hoping to sell enough to close up by 1130 so I can do a quick walk around to look

[sports-rings]

A year or two ago, I guy found the Spalding Cather's Trophy is excellent condition and paid around $20.00 for it.

Not knowing what he had, he found this board, came on and showed pictures. I believe he sold the trophy to a member here for a few thousand dollars. Other members had made significant offers and he went with the best one.

[slidekellyslide]

I've made lots of great finds at flea markets...my first ever T206 cards were from a flea market in the late 70s...found a Victor Sporting Goods 19th century bat...a very early Portland PCL baseball team cabinet photo...Dogs Head cigarettes package...1896 Cameo Pepsin pins in near mint to mint condition. Way too many great finds to remember.

[batsballsbases]

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

I've made lots of great finds at flea markets...my first ever T206 cards were from a flea market in the late 70s...found a Victor Sporting Goods 19th century bat...a very early Portland PCL baseball team cabinet photo...Dogs Head cigarettes package...1896 Cameo Pepsin pins in near mint to mint condition. Way too many great finds to remember.

Dan,
I remember those cameo pepsin pins. A team pin in there I do believe. You asked me some prices and I believe sold them to another board member. They were in GREAT SHAPE!

[slidekellyslide]

Yep...Rhett got the baseball pins....There was a previously unknown boxing pinback in that Cameo lot I picked up that went to Toby.



Went to the antique show today and found two Cedar Rapids Knot Hole Club pins.

[aelefson]

I love flea markets! To me, it feels like a treasure hunt every Sunday morning. I picked up this rookie game program from 1965 between the Jets and the Patriots at this Sunday's flea market. The quarterback for the Jets was Joe Namath, in what might be his first professional game (technically). I did not go there wanting this item, but now I am glad it sits in my football hall of fame collection. Of course, paying 2.00 for it did not hurt.

Alan

[Wildfireschulte]

Tough picking at flea markets since the Bay came into existence, but nonetheless still fun to rummage around. I had two productive mornings in November this year - at Rose Bowl and Long Beach fleas - bought all of the pennants for $25 including 1961 USC Nat Champs photo pennant, George Kell decal bat for $16. Probably over-paid for the Harry Hielmann glove at $60. I'm a sucker for hockey gloves, too. My brother and I set up at Elkhorn WS a few times each summer and unload a bunch of bats, gloves, pubs, cards… A lot better looking woman at a hot summer flea market than at any card show, just saying.

[4scuda]

I always frequent flea markets and antique sales. I have stayed away from the main stream dealers, basically because I am cheap. Some really good Midwest flea markets have turned to basically new stuff, namely what cheer IA and Kane County. I have found great things at both in years past. Now I go primarily to 3rd Sunday Market in Bloomington, IL. I didn't find a quantity of good things this year but did pick up a Cy Young glove for $15. I usually set up there and always have some decent sports stuff. The promoter of the show Don Raycraft is an avid autograph collector and has an amazing memory for baseball facts.

Bought a 1937 Phil A's Program vs the Yankees un scored and in nice shape
and a 1975 St Louis Cardinals team autographs on KMOX radio station baseball