Wolff's Flea Market Blog

• Hank "Baby" Presswood, 90  - Infielder who played for legendary John "Buck" O'Neil. Hank played two years (1948 & 1949) with the Cleveland Buckeyes, then two with the Kansas City Monarchs - both as a Shortstop & 3B - between 1950 & 1952. Recently Hank was "drafted," by the Chicago White Sox. Topps created a new Ginter card and Hartland created a figurine of him in March of 2009. • Johnny "Lefty" Washington, 81 - Morgan Park High School Grad. Played for Ted "Double Duty" Radclif where he finished the 1949 campaign with the Chicago American Giants. In 1950 he pitched for the Houston / New Orleans Eagles.  Johnny served his country in Korea (Marines) where he earned two Purple Hearts.  In 2009 his high school (Morgan Park, of Beverly, IL) retired baseball his jersey. • Ray "Boo Boy" Knox, 80 - Catcher for the Chicago American Giants (1950). Illinois native. Attended Wheaton High S...

Candy Onions Yep-he did it again-brought home fresh produce in mass from the flea market. This time, it was 2 large bags of onions  However, these were no ordinary onions. They are called "Candy Onions" and it was proclaimed that they would be the best tasting onions in the world. Since they were grown at  Twin Gardens Farms , (who bring us the incredible Mirai Sweetcorn), I was in on this food prep project without hesitation. I was ready to rock! It's getting easier each week to enjoy the bounty of fresh produce at Wolff's. Sweet & Delicious! DAY 1 David just ate them plain--sauteed in olive oil! DAY 2 CHICKEN SOUP Directions : Chicken Soup Combine in large stockpot: water, 4 chicken thighs, 4 chicken breasts, (skin on), celery, onion, carrots, parsley. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low until chicken falls off the bone. This takes a few hours, so just go about your business and keep checking on the soup every now and then. When...

May 21, 2011 - Wolff's Flea Market Palatine WOLFF'S FLEA MARKET- ROSEMONT * Autographs * Personal  stories   *   * Memorabilia * Photo ops * Bios and information provided by Gary Crawford. • Hank "Baby" Presswood, 89 , - Infielder played for legendary John "Buck" O'Neil, 2 years (1948 & 1949) with the Cleveland Buckeyes, 2 with the Kansas City Monarchs (shortstop & 3B 1950-1952),  Recently Hank was "drafted," by the Chicago White Sox. Topps created a new Ginter card and Hartland created a figurine of him in March of 2009. • Johnny "Lefty" Washington, 81 , - Morgan Park High School Grad, played for Ted "Double Duty" Radclif & finished the 1949 campaign with the Chicago American Giants. In 1950 he pitched for the Houston / New Orleans Eagles.  Johnny served his country in Korea (Marines) where he earned two Purple Hearts.  In 2009 his high school (Morgan Park, of Beverly, IL) retired basebal...

Yes, we looked it up. "Cacophony" translated means a loud, confusing, wailing sound . Carrots do not make a loud, confusing or wailing sound, unless you count the crunching they make while you are chewing them. How loud would it be if 30 people ate carrots in the same room at the same time? That could be a cacophony for sure.  I also believe if you substitute "24 pounds" for the word "sound" in the definition you might understand how confusing it is to be in possession of 24 pounds of baby carrots. Wailing is not out of the question either, as I must quickly come up with uses for Daucus Carota  before it's too late and I cry. Well, I won't really cry, but I might whine. Carrots! We all know that carrots are good for us. They are rich in fiber, minerals, antioxidants and vitamin A (which is metabolized from the orange Beta Carotene coloring).   Even though I pawned off 2 pounds to Ann, 2 pounds to Mom 2 pounds to Joseph's friend Steven, and ...

Pineapples from Wolff's Flea Market Remember when I ended up with 52 pounds of potatoes? We hope you enjoyed our creations . The situation has now repeated itself in the way of pineapples. In true Wolff's fashion, one pineapple just wasn't enough, so I ended up with 7 of these ripe, juicy fruits. Not one to shrink from a cooking challenge, I have been busy creating pineapple concoctions all week. Below are the recipes. Tip 1 : Don't even think about buying the pineapple(s), putting it in your car and then going back to shop at the flea market. We won't go into detail, but let's just say that we don't recommend it.  That said, on to the fun. DAY 1 : We just ate pineapple! DAY 1:  FRUIT SALAD Cut & enjoy!                                 Tip 2 : How do you cut a pineapple? Easy! Just follow the directions on this website, coincidentally named howtocutapineapple.com ~~~...

On May 21 st and 22 nd T.O. Productions hosted a Sports Card, Memorabilia and Autograph Signing Show at Wolff’s Flea Market in Palatine.  The b ig attractions at the show were three 1985 Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bear players: Emery Moorehead, Mike Richardson and Shaun Gayle.  It was really cool to meet the Bears as I am a big fan and vividly remember the glory of the 1985 championship season.  While the Bears appearance was the big draw, for me, a special highlight of the day was the appearance of 4 former Negro Baseball League Legends: Hank “Baby” Presswood, Johnny “Lefty” Washington, Louis “The Grey Cat” Clarizio Jr. and Ray “Boo Boy” Knox.  As a huge baseball fan who enjoys the history of the game, it was a great honor for me to meet these amazing gentlemen.  I spent two hours listening to stories about Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and many other stars of their era.  I heard how Johnny Was...

What To Do With Your Unwanted Electronics E-Waste: A serious worldwide environmental issue By Sharon Wolff Fact : Computers are used on average for less than three years and cell phones are replaced every 2 years. “Electronics waste is growing exponentially” (http://www.ecyclingcentral.com/). In this day of quickly evolving technology and seemingly planned obsolescence, consumers are compelled to possess the most updated electronic devices. For those of us who own even minimal gadgets and accessories, the collection most likely includes a television, cell phone, PDA, computer, printer, monitor, scanner, keyboard, modem, back-up technology, laptop, stereo, copier and fax machine. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, Americans own approximately 25 electronics per household. True, you paid good money for your electronic items, but when they become obsolete or unfixable, you may not be able to resell them.   So what do you do with your unusable electroni...

I have 52 pounds of potatoes in my home. Put another way, I have over 100 spuds (not studs) in my house. Why? It's  long story. It all began when I purchased an ordinary 10 pound bag of Russet potatoes on sale at Jewel for $1.99. Independently, dear husband realized he had a taste for the yellow version of these tasty tubers, and brought home a 10 pound bag of Yukon Gold Potatoes before I even peeled the first Russet.  That same evening, I starting humming the old Harry Chapin song,  30 Thousand Pounds of Bananas . Please stay with me as we will soon tabulate some serious potato poundage. The following day, my 92 year-old mom asked me to buy her a "few" baking potatoes at the Marketplace on Oakton. Well, the "fruit store" as she calls it, offered 5 and 10 pound bags for the same low price! Such a deal! What would you do? What would Harry Chapin (may he rest in peace) do? So, instead of 3 potatoes, I bought in on a $1.49 - 10 pound bag. After all, if ...

Finding bargains at Wolff's Flea Markets On Sunday April 24, David was interviewed by Stacey Baca and Ben Bradley at the flea market at the Allstate Arena. Thanks ABC for the great story!

SHOPPER TIPS MAILING LIST - Keep informed of the latest news, get updates and even coupons. If you follow us on facebook and twitter, you will get timely updates, especially on days when the weather is questionable. Follow the links at the top of this blog page. Arrive Early - By arriving early you can take advantage of the first offerings and larger selections available at garage sale, antiques / collectibles and new merchandise booths. Also, you will have more time to browse and compare prices and merchandise. Wear the Right Clothes (Watch the Weather) - Comfortable clothing and walking shoes are a must when shopping the seemingly endless rows of bargains at Wolff's. You should also consider wearing a hat as protection from the sun and apply sunscreen. Light clothing on warm days and sweatshirts or windbreakers on cool days will also make your shopping experience more pleasant. Bring Cash - Some vendors may also accept digital payments. Small bills will be helpful pa...

Donald Wolff's Perspective The first annual Small Business Saturday Event occurred the day after Black Friday in November 2010. Nationwide, awareness of small businesses was brought to the forefront and consumers were encouraged to shop at local, neighborhood shops.  Here are three interesting facts about small businesses:  F irst, f or every $100 spent a t a small business, $68 returns to the local economy. O ver the last decade, 60% to 80% of new jobs were generated by small businesses.   Third, s mall businesses employ half of all private sector employee s .  Now take a step back and look a Flea Market.  It is the ultimate small business.  It is where anybody can start his or her own business – true entrepreneurship.   For centuries worldwide,  flea markets and other forms of outdoor markets have been and continue to be  commonplace and the main av enue of doing business.  Wolff’s takes great pride in being abl...