Appeared in

THE CHESAPEAKE BULLETIN

Volume 46 Nr. 4 April 2006

Flea Market Report

By Tom Young

They say that global warming is occurring at a rapid rate. Possible evidence of global warming is the past mild winter in Maryland. So why should we be surprised that the Club’s 33^rd Annual Antique Auto Parts Flea Market held on Saturday, March 11^th had spectacular weather; maybe one of the ten best days for 2006 – and there’s nine months to go in the year. It dawned clear and by noon it was a balmy day near 70. Perfect for finding needed parts and supplies.

Maybe hobbyists and vendors thought it was mid May because we set records for the number of vendor spots, the number of same day vendors, car corral spaces, and food court activity. And we had spectators parked in areas that we normally don’t have to use. Examples of the activity - the car corral had seventeen vehicles including a nice Ford Model T coupe and Neal Haynie’s baby blue 1965 Ford Thunderbird convertible, plus several interesting restoration projects. After a couple of re-supply runs, our food court staff sold out of the usual sandwiches and soon afterward just about everything else was sold out. Does ferrous oxide in the air make everyone hungry?

The success of the Flea Market depends on volunteer support - members who haul the equipment from storage, help lay out vendor spaces and place the traffic control barricades, set up the food court equipment and utilities, staff the food court, get the vendors situated in their spaces, manage spectator parking, sell 50/50 tickets, make sure that the buildings and grounds are cleaned during and after the flea market, and then return the equipment to our storage locker. And the food court depends on member donations of baked items, chili, soups, and of course, cash to buy supplies and packaged goods.

Members who deserve recognition for their efforts in making the Flea Market successful are: Larry Butcher Dan Materazzi, Franklin Gage, Jim Synodinos, John Shenton, Ed Allen, Jerry Gordon, John Horn, Art Petrucci, and Harry Wilhelm.

The Food Court staff, who worked tirelessly all morning included: Terri Materazzi, Helen Gordon, Anne Kenney, Mary Allen, Florann Sordillo, Vicki Wilmer, John Young, and Al Lawson. Cashier Bob Johannessen tended the cash drawer non-stop.

A big THANK YOU to all these members. If I’ve forgotten any member who helped at the Flea Market, it’s unintentional. This year’s event was such a great success, I know that I’m looking forward to next year.

At Chesapeake Region's successful Flea Market, March 11th, there were crowds of early morning shoppers, and this great restoration project International Panel Truck.

Anne Kenney, Florann Sordillo, Helen Gordon, Vicky Wilmer, Mary Allen & John Young – our food servers

Anne & Tom Kenney at their booth; Jim Synodinos checks a price; Larry Butcher makes a sale