Wolff's Flea Market Blog

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...

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...

Don and I are often asked this question: How did Wolff’s Flea Market begin?   Over the years I have heard different versions of the answer from many people, but they are usually wrong.  Following is the official answer.  Believe it or not, it all started in the early 1960’s!!  Our parents, Lawrence and Katherine Wolff were diehard flea market fans.  As kids, Don and I, along with our sister Eileen (who most of you know as our most loyal employee and ambassador) and brother Jeff (who can be found shopping at our market almost every Sunday morning) would be willingly dragged along on their weekly sojourn to one of the area’s local flea markets.  Back then there were many quality flea markets to choose from; Harlem & Irving (Chicago), 79 th & Harlem (Bridgeview), Twin Drive In (Wheeling), and 7 Mile Fair (Southern Wisconsin).  We went to all of them and there were few Sundays in which we did not visit a flea market.  Even on vacati...