Wolff's Flea Market Blog

WOLFF'S FLEA MARKET 2023 Seasons change They told us so From before To during To after To the sweet anticipation of  Next Time Next Year Missing what passed in a flash Wasn’t it yesterday? When sleepless nights and rushing minds fused with flea market Sundays? Shoppers, Sellers, Staff New faces and wonders merge with the old Heart souls we call family  Your flea market journey blends with ours You are our home, this amazing Rosemont Flashlights, wagons, treasures Eclectic eccentricities Moonlight missions lead to sunrise Each day unique, this year the strongest Missing what’s paused But it’s only for now Time will send us spinning toward next season And we will do it all over again Our words and pictures do not embody the full perspective of Wolff’s Flea Market Your creative contributions complete the vision Sending heartfelt thoughts of gratitude, peace, health and kindness to our flea market community as we say goodbye for now and look to more in 2024! Love,  Wolff’s Fl...

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

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

Old advertising letters By Sharon Wolff People regard Small Business Saturday as a day to honor small and family-owned businesses after mall and big store shopping on Black Friday. But we here at Wolff's Flea Market celebrate small businesses each and every day that we are open, as do other markets worldwide. WOLFF'S FLEA MARKET CHICAGO AREA FLEA MARKETS AND SWAP MEETS ARE COMPRISED OF HUNDREDS OF SMALL BUSINESSES 1970's LOVE Chair What types of sellers might be found at a flea market? Families, individuals, start-up companies, small business entrepreneurs, non-profit groups, inventors, crafters, designers, junkers, senior citizens, charities, veterans, collectors, hoarders, garage salers, downsizers, empty-nesters, students, hobbyists, service providers, business owners. There are surely even more! In no particular order, here are  10 SMALL (BUSINESS) REASONS TO SHOP AT A FLEA MARKET Repurposed window art Personalized attention as vendors...

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...

• 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...

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 ~~~...

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 ...