Wolff's Flea Market Blog

Sharon Wolff OUR HOLIDAY MOVIES 2012: 12 Days of Flea Market Bliss 8 Days of Flea Market Hanukkah You've Got 10 Gifts $10 and Under Over the next few months you will be spending extra money on gifts, food, decorations, seasonal clothing and more. Here a few ways to save a little as you go. Wouldn't it be interesting to keep a tally of how much money you save? Photos depict items that have been for sale at Wolff's Flea Market, They may no longer be available. But you will surely find something! 1.  New Seasonal Decorations : if you didn't purchase clearance priced holiday decorations at the end of last season, don't despair! You can easily find new packaged holiday decor - lights, lawn decorations, trees -  at flea markets at less than current retail prices. 2.  Used Seasonal Decorations : Recycle, reuse, repurpose! Items are destined to have a second or third life after the original buyer no longer wants them. They often end up at a resale venue lik...

Mystery boxes appear at Wolff's Flea Market I really did it this time. Perhaps I was sentimental, as it was October 28, the last day of the outdoor season. Perhaps I was jealous of the overflowing shopping carts being pushed and pulled by customers while I walked around taking notes on my clipboard. So when I happened upon an unassuming young man seated and partially hidden by a wall of closed boxes, I was intrigued. How could someone just sit there with sealed boxes of merchandise? I took the bait. "What's in here?" I asked. "Eggplants", replied the polite gentleman. "$4 a box." He proceeded to tell me how he came to possess this extraordinary amount of eggplants. For those of you in the flea market business, surplus items are acquired in many ways. These eggplants came by this vendor legitimately, and because they were perishable, they needed to be sold asap or they would need to be disposed of. I thought to myself that if I was able to...

This post is first in a series of articles depicting the diverse vendors and customers who attend our markets. Since I love books and am never without a current read plus several others lined up for the next read, I decided to start with our own celebrity author, Jeannie Brown. Jeannie Brown is a Palatine resident and long-time customer at Wolff's.  She is a lovely gal with a positive outlook and friendly personality. Jeannie has written two books, and I have thoroughly enjoyed both volumes from start to finish! Time Release : a "Conspiracy/Romance/Thriller"- the first in the Sara Parkins/Jason Forest Series The Catwalk   second book in the series  Jeannie is currently working on her third book Need a good read? Books are available in paperback and kindle versions on amazon.com If you would like to meet Jeannie or have her autograph your copy of her book, she is a frequent visitor at our Palatine market and usually carries a few copies with her. ...

Sharon Wolff Two pallets were used for this project. I used the existing frame of a smaller HT (heat treated) pallet and added extra slats from a larger HT pallet for two extra shelves and the backing. Pallet measures approximately 21.5" x 31.5"  I removed a center slat from the front to open up the shelf and attached to the back. Slats removed from a larger HT pallet. Use a mallet to gently loosen boards, and a hammer to pry out the twisty screws. It's not that hard to remove the slats, just be patient and they will eventually loosen. Cut slats to size for shelves and back. I used a hacksaw. A Sawzall is definitely on my birthday list. Rough design before assembly. I added two shelves. The lower one is permanently screwed in and the upper one (on an angle) is removable. After sanding out the slivers and spots. I used my Mouse electric sander with 60 grit paper. Close-up of permanent shelf with support block This idea evolved. I had a nice ...

Really, what legitimate flea market gardener doesn't possess 1 or more of the following assortment of  items in their yard: cinder blocks - check pallets - check railroad ties - I can only hope old tires - check old bowling balls - check lots of rocks - check garbage picked furniture - check over-grown patches of pure gardening joy - check lots of ideas - check David was on guard when I came home with more pallets. Joseph told me "ok, that's enough" as we loaded two small pallets into the trunk from behind a manufacturing plant (Always ask first before taking). I find that if you just tell the guys at the dock that you need a couple of pallets they are happy to offer them to a middle-aged mom accompanied by her robust son. After the easy assembly of my first pallet project, the coffee table, it was time to make its companion, and I chose to create a pallet bench. Please know that while many wonderful items can be made from recycled pall...

Sharon Wolff In order to create an inverted tire planter, it is necessary to obtain a soft, pliable tire. Found these two old cart tires at the flea market last week for $6 and couldn't wait to get to work. STEP 1 :   2 worn, soft tires. About 14" diameter STEP 2 :  Outline the petals with chalk or contrasting marker STEP 3 : Use a utility knife or box cutter and follow along the outlines. This tire was so soft, it took only 10 minutes to do the cutting. STEP 4 : Turn tire inside out. Not too hard, since tire was soft and pliable. When inverted, the rim becomes a pedestal! STEP 5 : Spray paint top portion. Be sure to paint inside the petals as they will be visible. Priming is not necessary and you can use any type of outdoor spray paint. STEP 6 : Spray paint bottom portion and rim The center of the rim has a hole for built-in drainage. I recommend lining tire with garden cloth. Can't wait to fill it! *Please note that tire plan...

Founded 2011 Have you noticed a few extra high school kids (and occasional college students) spinning around Wolff's Flea Market Palatine on our special event days? They are part of our community outreach program that benefits local children, their families and all other children who attend our market. High School Kids 4 Kids has amassed a solid footing at the market and we couldn't sponsor our fun events without them. Our special events are family friendly and attract parents with small children, many from Spanish speaking families. Additionally, our sellers bring their own children to the market week after week and these events led by older kids are just the diversion they need during the long work day. High School Kids 4 Kids volunteers work together as a team and shine naturally as they communicate in English and Spanish and also enjoy themselves as the kids they still are. To date, we have welcomed 20 high school and college volunteers to our events. 2011 Events ...

Sharon Wolff When I announced my search for old tires, wooden pallets and chipped bowling balls, I immediately sensed worry from my family. I overheard phrases like  "...the backyard... Sanford & Sons...", "...not bringing a dirty tire all the way home from West Virginia...",  "...please don't tell her about that pallet...". People outside the family were even bold enough to shake their heads. One person actually called me crazy.  Chris, I suspect you possess footage of me explaining myself to the hooting Wolff's Flea Market staff as a big old tire was loaded into my van. To others, this new mission seemed quite out of the realm of normalcy.  Although we are a flea market, picker family, it appeared that no one had ever shown interest in collecting such large, heavy cast-offs, commonly found near Dumpsters or bowling alleys. They were especially confused about the bowling ball, because the few select people who are privy to a certain secr...