Bargains found at Summit Flea Market

Buyers and sellers enjoy bartering over treasures

By Steve Metsch

Strong winds on a recent Sunday morning weren’t enough to keep bargain-seeing shoppers home.

Some, in fact, were blown away by the deals they found in the Summit Park District’s Annual Flea Market held in the district’s parking lot at 5700 Archer Road.

“How much are these, a dollar a bottle?” buyer Gloria Morales, of Bridgeview, asked seller Jason Thompson, of Summit.

Thompson said that indeed was the price for the “salon products.”

Morales smiled and bought several bottles. And she was thrilled it was just a buck for 12 foil packets of another hair conditioner.

Why load up on hair-care items?

Hietalahdentori flea market, Helsinki, Finland.

Flea market. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“You don’t know how expensive women’s hair products can be,” Morales explained.

Overall, she was pleased with her first visit to the park district event.

“I don’t come here with anything in mind. I just see what grabs me,” she said, adding that she found a pair of gym shoes for $5.

Plenty of bargains could be found at the flea market. Many vendors were willing to haggle.

John Brown, of Chicago’s Garfield Ridge community, was selling clothing and sporting goods. “It’s $1 each item. Keep it simple,” he said.

Compared to past years, when the flea market was held on a Saturday, there were fewer vendors and shoppers, Brown said. There were 15 vendors at the sale that ran from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“It’s always has been on Saturday. The good thing was it is $10 this year. It’s been a few dollars more (to rent space), so we jumped at paying $10,” Brown said. “There may be fewer (shoppers) because they’re at church on Sunday morning. Luckily, half the people who have come out have bought something.”

Savvy shopper Sergio Viurquez, of Summit, and vendor Joe Pezzette, of Bedford Park, had a blast as they bartered with each other on prices.

Viurquez, claiming he “only had quarters left,” was happy to pay 50 cents for a stack of notepads from a hotel. He agreed to leave one pad with Pezzette, who said he may need one “to jot down notes and phone numbers.”

They two were smiling as they went back and forth on prices for various knick-knacks, clearly having a good time.

“You only have quarters? He does this all the time,” Pezzette said with a laugh. “Go home. Get some money. He’s always trying to get bargains from me.”

Pezzette said prices for everything in his varied collection of items was up for negotiation.

“This stuff? It’s all from garages of family members. I have bedding, towels, houseware stuff, Grandma stuff, a toaster, my nephew’s toys, baseball cards, a car radio, video games, you name it,” Pezzette said.

He has been selling at the Summit Park District flea market for three years. Having melted in the hot sun at past sales in June, he welcomed Sunday’s cooler temperature.

His favorite flea marekt memory is about a bicycle.

“One guy once gave me $30 for pedals off an old Schwinn girls bike. He said the pedals were rare. So, I had to go out, buy new pedals for the bike, and I later sold the bike,” Pezzette said. “You never know who’s going to show up and get your garbage.”

Desplaines Valley News

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Steve Metsch

Steve Metsch is an award winning veteran reporter who previously worked for the Daily Southtown Newspapers, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. Metsch is a writer and editor at the Southwest News Newspaper group based in suburban Chicago, and a freelance writer at the Chicago Tribune.
Email Steve Metsch at sm4610@sbcglobal.net