I don’t know why this is making me so sad, but the Milton Flea Market burned to the ground today. It apparently was a horrific fire. The walls of the buildings were metal, but the joists and roof was wood, so the fire spread very fast, but the metal walls made it difficult for firefighters to get water into the buildings.
I loved going to the Milton Flea Market. There was a lot of what you’d expect to find at a flea market – cheap Chinese tools, toys, jewelry, and those creepy animal figurines covered with real fur. You could buy just about anything you can imagine emblazoned with the Confederate flag, the phrase “Git 'er done,” or both.
There were some real oddities, like a vendor who had, among other things, old Masonic costumes and regalia. And there were some gems, like the cute little old man, a retired Union Carbide chemist, who made soy candles in jars. If you brought your empty jar candle back to him, he’d refill it for free. There was a man that had fabulous vintage glassware. My sisters and I went there every single time we went and lusted over a pitcher that was identical to the one that graced our dining room table when we were growing up.
But the greatest gem of all, and the one my heart breaks for, was Inge. Inge and her goods seemed totally out of place at the flea market. I think she must have fallen on hard times. She was an elderly German woman, svelte, with an air of faded elegance and an alarming smoker’s cough. She had an eye-popping collection of estate jewelry and vintage clothing. My sisters and I were regular customers.
Inge knew her stuff, and she loved it when her customers appreciated what she had. From the way she talked about her inventory, it was obvious that she was always acquiring new pieces. She was not just liquidating stuff she’d had forever. Buying and selling was her livelihood.
Because the flea market was only open on weekends, no vendors were there when the fire started, so there were no injuries. Thank Og for that.
Compared to Katrina or 9/11 or the Crandall Canyon mine disaster or the Midwest flooding this year, this is so insignificant that I feel stupid even posting about it.
