Book Board Chat

Hi back, aegbooks!

Sam, I'm always interested in what sells in different parts of the country.The Rosemont Flea Market is usually pretty big. If it's "full," you walk 3 miles up and down the rows. The buyers are typically Hispanic, Polish, Russian and Serbian-speakers, with a smattering of "the rest of us." Dealers come early to scout things. The market opens at 6:30. The table space costs $38. We've found that the dealers who sell at Rosemont rarely appear at the other flea markets around. Rosemont is every Sunday thru October.

The ones who sell at the Kane County Flea Market tend to go there one weekend and then to Greyslake another, then Wheaton one week, and maybe Pecatonica another. These are one weekend per month markets around the west and northwestern suburbs. Then there's the Sandwich Antique Fair once per month (way out west from us), which has expanded, out of necessity, I think, to include one side of the fairgrounds as a "regular" flea market. Sandwich has a requirement that stuff that must date from 1940 or older, and typically has lots of furniture and architectural pieces. My friend and I hit all of them. Can we say we're "addicted"? When there are no flea markets, we hit the estate sales.

As for the mid-Century modern craze, last fall, we noted it "phasing out" a bit. This may be due to the buyers who go to the Rosemont flea market and the estate sales. Personally, I never liked it. What we noted selling was "functional," but unexceptional pieces, like china cabinets and bedroom sets, but only if priced right. Kitchen stuff, except for copper-bottom Revereware, simply sits around. Even the old cast iron frying pans were not selling, but then, it might be that people who needed/wanted a frying pan wanted a cheap, serviceable one as opposed to a "collectible" with a high price for the name. Dunno

Remember when press-back oak (?) chairs were "in"? Well, we saw press-back rockers, press-back kitchen chairs, press-back dining chairs today used for display because they weren't selling anymore.

Went to an antiwue mall after the flea market and saw lots of 1940's era peek-a-boo shoes, vintage men's hats, aprons, and printed kitchen table cloths. Many, many salt and pepper shakers in shapes like garlic, corn, animals, etc. But, I think there are regular collectors for those kinds of things. Did see a small creamer made by Shawnee pottery in Corn Queen (white corn color) for $12, which was a very good price, from what I've seen it commanding elsewhere. The seller either didn't know what it was or priced it to move.
Only reason I knew what it was was because I had purchased a funky Corn King (yellow corn), 1946 covered tureen a while back for $9 at a consignment store and had to research it and the Shawnee pottery company.

Sorry I've been so long-winded, but I do like to pass along info. about what's selling and what's not to you who still list on various sites, and who scout for collectibles.