Wolff's Flea Market Blog

A few of our 2015 Holiday Crafts at Wolff's Flea Market Palatine MATERIALS: Reclaimed wood, Modge Podge, glitter, glue-ons, printable images, pipe cleaners Made with love by Wolff's Craft Kids Tree made by Impatient Pallets from recycled fencing and pallets. Decorated by Wolff's Crafty Kids. MATERIALS: Foam, hole punch, star stickers, pipe cleaners Made with love by Wolff's Crafty Kids

Although it's December and we are in Chicago, we can still dream and plan for our future flea market garden. Check back as we continue to find awesome gardening ideas and links by the original creators! Number 1: FLEA MARKET FAIRY GARDEN This adorable flea market fairy garden was made by Wolff's Crafty Kids at Wolff's Flea Market Palatine . About 12 vendor and customer children 11 years old and under added their own personal touches. They had so many ideas! I just put out miscellaneous found supplies and let them have at it. I spy. What do you see? On display HERE . HOW CUTE IS THIS! Number 2: TREE LOG PLANTER For 2 weeks I noticed 3 partially carved log bowls. I thinks they were rejects from a wood carver. A vendor won the at an auction and sold me this one for $5. I shoulda bought the others. This easy project involved just a few steps: Drill a couple holes for drainage Line with gardening cloth Fill with compost or your favorite soil blend Since this w...

This old, tired "curbside" butcher block ended up at the flea market. A little TLC transformed it into this serving cart. First I removed the yucky loose and useless shelf  A good sanding removed most of the dark stain, but I left some to show through the final finish Bottom half of cart was painted with 2 coats of dilutes Barn Red paint. Dark blue, forest green and creamy beige were also blotted on and then wiped off to add a slight weathered look. Top and painted areas were covered in 2 coats of Varathane Golden Oak semi-gloss Stain & Poly (water based). Hardware: shut off valve knob (front left), bottle opener (front right), craft fair stone hook (side right), 4 caster wheels. Shelf: I added a sanded plank of recycled cedar fencing as a removable bottom shelf Accessories: Handmade wine caddy on top and wineglass box on bottom shelf are made from recycled fencing and pallets by me (Impatient Pallets)

BY SHARON WOLFF (Photos Sharon Wolff You found your cool vintage drawer pull, but it's covered in nasty, chipping paint. Here is an easy, safe, chemical free way to remove the paint and bring out the beautiful patina of your old hardware. I COLLECT RUSTY HARDWARE. DON'T ASK ME WHY. THIS $1 FLEA MARKET FIND HAD  SEVERAL COATS OF PAINT RESIDUE. NOT THE MOST, BUT ENOUGH TO REQUIRE THIS   EASY PAINT REMOVAL METHOD. Y OU NEED: OLD POT, 1/4 C BAKING SODA, TONGS AND A  SCREWDRIVER OR OLD TOOTHBRUSH Place your item in boiling water & baking soda. Boil for 20-30 minutes, depending upon how much paint is on the item.  USE TONGS IF PAINT PEELS OF EASILY, YOU ARE DONE, OTHERWISE RETURN TO POT CAREFULLY USE A SMALL TOOL OR  TOOTHBRUSH TO GENTLY REMOVE RESIDUE BEAUTIFUL! BOTTOM LEFT, ON THE RUSTY HARDWARE WALL

Our Bottom Line:  Counterfeits are Illegal and  Banned at our Markets.  Even if they are cheap, used, cute, etc. Over the years, I have had many discussions about counterfeit purses with both vendors and customers. REAL QUOTES: "I like the purse because it is cute" "I would never buy the real thing" "I can't afford the real thing" "I don't care if it falls apart in a month" "It was so cheap" "It's not hurting anyone" "I want to wear that brand, but won't buy a real one" "Everyone knows it's not real, so it's ok" "It might be real" "No one will notice that it is fake" "It looks really good for a fake" "I know it is real and I got it at a great price" I can argue each point, but for now will focus on the "Cute Factor". Over the years I have amassed a large selection of new and used counterfeit items. Many wer...

One of the cheapest ways to make a counterfeit purse is to simply take a no-name "blank" purse and add a designer sticker or metal emblem. So obvious, so fake, so illegal. We don't allow counterfeit purses of any level at Wolff's Flea Market, and this educational post should not be construed as instructions on how to make a counterfeit purse. Don't do it. Images and links shown for purposes of discussion and education. People are arrested and imprisoned for this crime! This happened at flea markets and supports our policy of not allowing certain brands of merchandise at our markets F ive Busted for Selling Counterfeit Merchandise at Flea Market : http://wreg.com/2015/03/22/five-busted-for-selling-counterfeit-merchandise-at-flea-market/ Prosecutors Say Pagedale Flea market Owner Trafficked in Counterfeit Goods : "Purses were delivered either with counterfeit labels attached or with a generic label that a vendor replaced, again in the market’s ope...

When purchasing new name brand items, look for appropriate and proper packaging that indicate that the item is authentic. Note the differences between authentic retail packaging and improper/counterfeit or blank packaging on the right of each section.  Authentic packaging includes at least: Licensing information Company address/contact info Company website Company logo Company font  Product and model information UPC Codes Beware of items that are priced cheaply and come in generic cello or blank packaging. The contents of such packaging is usually counterfeit. Images used for purposes of discussion and education. Photos: SW

Why do we stroll by your booth, grab a few items, turn them inside out, nod and walk away? We are inspecting certain name-brand and licensed merchandise to make sure it is legit. While we are not trademark attorneys, we study authentic products with proper labels and tags.  We can often (but not always-that would make our job too easy) discern legitimacy by merely looking at sewn labels. Brands identify their products with their names, logos and other details on well-sewn or applied tags. They do not use generic sewn tags. Period. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: NEW ERA HAT, NORTH FACE DENALI JACKET, ADIDAS MEXICO HOME SOCCER JERSEY Of course, some counterfeiters attempt to replicate the real labels, but they usually don't seem to get it right.

First Published on fleamarketzone.com and Merchandiser Magazine http://fleamarketzone.com/2015/01/buy-safely-sell-safely-avoiding-counterfeit-merchandise/ Buy Safely, Sell Safely: Avoiding Counterfeit Merchandise January 26, 2015  by  publisher Filed under  Featured ,  How-To Zone Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on pinterest_share Share on linkedin By Sharon Wolff, Media and Merchandise Consultant to Wolff’s Flea Market Note : We recognize the  Merchandiser Magazines  commitment as a reliable source for wholesaler connections. Information in this article reflects experiences, conclusions, logic, hunches and opinions of Wolff’s Flea Market. It is not intended to be legal advice. We are not lawyers or trademark experts. Ongoing research is collected from a variety of sources. Trademarks and brand names mentioned in this article are depicted for purposes of education, example and discussion and belong to individual holders. The s...