Wolff's Flea Market Blog

Love at First Vend By Guest Blogger Candice Lee Conner You can find anything at the Flea. And as Carol and Rich found out, you can also find true love.  Back on Memorial Day 2006, Carol was selling during her first year at Wolff's Flea Market, Rosemont. Rich, a vendor of 15 years, started talking to Carol to find out her "selling secrets". According to Carol, she was doing great and selling a ton of items. Rich...not so much. From this predicament, a romance quickly flourished!  "He would leave a rose on the left side of my van every (sale) day," Says Carol. And they've been together ever since. Today, Rich and Carol still sell at Wolff's Flea Market...and still in separate spaces.  Rich says it's so that Carol won't shop and leave Rich behind with all her merchandise, but I think it's because this lovely couple likes to compete with each other. Rich and Carol - Love at First Vend (PHOTO: Candice Lee Conner)

By Candice Lee Conner Today's blog post is written by Guest Blogger Candice Lee Conner. As part of her Social Media Assistant position at Wolff's Flea Market, Candice takes the time to personally meet our vendors and really get to know them and their life stories. Here is Candice's interview with Hercules the Ice Cream Man. Enjoy delicious ice cream at Wolff's Flea Market Allstate Arena. Say hello to Maria and Hercules! (Photo: Candice Lee Conner) Some know him as Nick (for some reason he lets folks call him that). Some know him as Hercules. Everyone knows him as that really awesome guy who runs the ice cream trucks at Wolff's Flea Market in Rosemont. And they would all be correct.  Hercules - his real name - has been selling ice cream treats at Wolff's for 15 years. Along with his daughter Maria, Hercules sells from two trucks at the market.  One of the first food vendors to join Wolff's, he was able to sell because of his diligence. Accor...

So what really happens when you cast off your unwanted stuff? Shame shame if you don't find a home for potentially reusable items. Do you sell, donate or toss in the garbage? Fortunately for a few lucky landfill-fated items, crafty pickers are continually scouting for this Golden Garbage. Here is one story of a rescued curbside find. David of  Home Details at Wolff's Flea Market  is an eclectic vendor who embraces this concept like it is a daily natural phenomenon. His eye for potential in found objects lends to an eclectic, eccentric and dynamic booth display. We never know what will appear or be uncovered. I am telling you the truth when I state that his presentation alone elevates former trash into flea market finds bound for decorating greatness. This key element is what attracts a flock of repeat customers seeking to decorate their homes with specifically repurposed and reclaimed finds. All one of a kind and sometimes modified or repaired by David himself. ...

This post is taken straight from our Monday facebook post: Monday May 2: Wolff's Flea Market: Have a super Monday  ‪#‎ chicago‬ ! Wait a minute. What! Yup.  ‪#‎ counterfeit‬ ‪#‎ lego‬   ‪#‎ minifigs‬  Not. Allowed. -Sharon Facebook follower:  What should I look for in a fake? Wolff's Flea Market   Thanks for asking! We were initially freaked out when this came about, but it is easier than you think. First of all, the platform this little guy is standing on indicates the wrong manufacturer. Only Lego is authorized/licensed to make Superman minifigures. Grab your magnifying glass and take him apart to look for the Lego imprint in various places. If missing in certain key areas-it is fake. Side by side comparisons of real/fake will indicate further quality differences. 

A few pictures of creations we have recycled, repurposed, reinvented and reclaimed! Shoe storage made from leftover tile and cast-off TV shelf Tree stump planter made from wood craftsman's castoff. In the background recycled pop can flower, reclaimed pallet rack with insulator LED candle holder Wall of Rust made from old door hardware Boy's bathroom painted shelf decorated in a baseball theme Curbside to flea market to repurposed beverage cart Tire planter