Road Trip: Flea Market Finds

"DCCARGEEK" (dccargeek)
08/11/2013 at 09:30 • Filed to: Toys, road Trip, junk

While visiting family in the rural and serene riverside town of Aberdeen, Ohio I had a chance to check out the local flea market in search of cool automotive things.

The flea market, located In Ripley, Ohio, home of the famous Underground Railroad stop Rankin House and the states annual tobacco festival, is located along State Route 52, the Ohio Scenic Byway. The flea market appears to be the outcome of not knowing what to do with a large warehouse that was constructed in the center of town to hold that ONE annual tobacco festival.

The flea market wasn’t so much a market with vendors, but rather a dumping ground for evicted hoarders. Areas were sectioned off for vendors to peddle their goods or in many cases piled their belongings. Most of the sections were piled with very random stuff (read: junk) with no caretaker around to give money.

One woman asked a vendor who was guarding his treasures if he knew where she could find the person was responsible for the goods near the entrance. The vendor replied, “Ma’am, I do reckon that’s Tommy’s stuff. I know he’s a retired boatman, but I ain’t seen him in a few weeks.”

Then I came across this interesting little knife laying next to a Zippo and a TMNT game. Yeeeeaaaaah...

For anyone into nostalgia (sans racism), especially anything from 1980-1995, to include food (i.e. box of Little Debbie foodcakes expired in 1989) and clothes; this place was a goldmine.

Stacked on a shelf right in front of me were three of my favorite cassette tapes: Hammer, Vanilla Ice and Corey Hart.

Next to those tapes was a BRAND NEW VHS copy of Top Gun and just 10 feet away I would come across a collection of original Atari games to include F1 Pole Position.

Out of the corner of my eye something gold grabbed my attention - a Nintendo Game Genie. Flashbacks of code books and cheating my way through a slew of NES games came rushing back. I felt 12 years-old. Again.

All of this was exciting, the digging, the reminiscing, but none of it had me reaching for my wallet.

Then I came to a large bin filled with die cast cars - JACKPOT !

I picked out all the ones that I thought were interesting. The vendor, who had an Obama-Hitler photo up in his booth, was nice enough to toss in two extra for free for my little boy who was tugging at my shirt saying “up, up, up!”

I got home and put the little guy to bed who was worn out from all the sweating and exploring during our father-and-son junk dive. After putting him down I snapped a few photos of the cars I purchased using my iPhone and two sheets of white printer paper.

It’s 7:00 as I write this. In an hour we are getting back on the road for our journey back to Washington D.C. Ohio is a great place to visit, filled with flea market treasures, fried everything foods and very nice people…minus the ones using heroin.

Below are the die cast treasures I found in the flea market.

DISCUSSION (21)

Matt Hardigree > DCCARGEEK
08/11/2013 at 09:32

That Cosworth is fantastic. Total hardibrobait

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > DCCARGEEK
08/11/2013 at 09:40

I actually have the Monte Carlo (I remember it being kinda heavy) the 959, and the Police car, somewhere.

Mike Irwin > Matt Hardigree
08/11/2013 at 09:40

Nice... that's one of my favorite things to look for at the flea markets and yard sales.

carcrasher88 > DCCARGEEK
08/11/2013 at 09:47

I used to have the Monte Carlo, Panel Cruiser, the Crunch Camaro, and the Aurora police car.

oldirtybootz > DCCARGEEK
08/11/2013 at 09:49

Nice find on the Cossie. That's been one of my favorites since I was little. Are those Cyclones HW?

Edit: I love that Butterfingers 96 Mustang too. My favorite candy combined with one of my favorite castings!

CPT Speedbump > DCCARGEEK
08/11/2013 at 10:01

I have the Monte Carlo, pretty sure I have a Escort somewhere, I have the Jeep, the Porsche, the Pikes Peak Tacoma, and 2 of the 959

CPT Speedbump > CPT Speedbump
08/11/2013 at 10:02

#90'skid ? lol

Gtuned > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis
08/11/2013 at 10:19

Oh god that Monte Carlo was ridiculously heavy. Thing was basically useless on the track between the weight and ground clearance.

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > Gtuned
08/11/2013 at 10:23

I guess its being authentic to its real life counter part.

FEC > DCCARGEEK
08/11/2013 at 10:31

So how on earth does a Matchbox Ford Sierra end up in Ohio?

master85D > DCCARGEEK
08/11/2013 at 10:41

Its amazing what Hot wheels has made over the years.

I was looking through my old box of cars from late 80s-early 90s and I found a lot of GT cars, some group C cars, and even a group 5 car. I knew my cars as a kid were awesome, but not THAT awesome!

TheHondaBro > DCCARGEEK
08/11/2013 at 11:07

I actually have that Hershey's Dragster. Mine, however, is in bad condition. THe front axle is bent up and the body is all scratched up and paint almost gone

EL_ULY > DCCARGEEK
08/11/2013 at 11:10

i found a 250 GTO just the other day, hella worn but rad as hell :)

The Biebster's got a P71 (Formerly not Justin Bieber) > DCCARGEEK
08/11/2013 at 11:22

I have so many of these, including the full Candy set. When I was younger my grandparents would always pick up a couple hot wheels or matchbox when they went garage sailing and hid them around the house when we came up to visit. Looking for those kept me occupied for a long time.

Glucklich21- master of the cones > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis
08/11/2013 at 11:32

OtisHoyt > DCCARGEEK
08/11/2013 at 12:33

Rural type flea markets are the best. You can find the most off the wall stuff for a usually very reasonable price. But steer clear of the ones in larger cities and "Historic tourist towns" as they will take every last penny you have for one of those Hot Wheels.

Ntovorni > DCCARGEEK
08/11/2013 at 13:00

Definitely had that Crunch Camaro.

Also: Dat stance on the Porsche.

tricky. > DCCARGEEK
08/11/2013 at 14:52

Wow, childhood memories revisited!

I used to have two of those Escort matchbox cars as a kid - one which I thought was stolen (and later found at wasn't) and the other its worthy replacement. Now I may be mixing my memories here, but I'm pretty sure it also used to come with a plastic rear spoiler too, just like the real thing.

lumberpile > DCCARGEEK
08/11/2013 at 23:27

Got that exact Escort Cosworth sitting in my Matchbox collection back at my folks place.

atfsgeoff > DCCARGEEK
08/11/2013 at 23:59

Been scouring local flea markets for a hot wheels BMW 840i, they're harder to find than you might think!

Bary Granville > DCCARGEEK
08/12/2013 at 10:43

The Sugar Rush Series! One of the first series I completed when I collected. Still have them in the blister pack...somewhere...I think...