Friday Fleeing for the Rogers Flea Market

Oh, you folks told me about it-- you did. You said it was big. You said it was amazing. You said I needed to go.

And you were right.

But the problem for me is, the Rogers Flea Market, located in Rogers, Ohio, about an hour and a half from Pittsburgh is on Fridays only. And unfortunately, this fan of secondhand stuff is usually working on Fridays. Y'know-- that day job that helps pay for my vintage dishware addiction.

But my buddy Josette, who I've been friends with since I was five, was visiting this last week. And as luck would have it, I had a rare Friday off. So Josette and I got into the car covered with about half-a-pound of SPF 30 sunscreen each, and we wended our way through green farms, pretty hamlets and rustic railroad rimmed domiciles...
...To Rogers, Ohio.

The Rogers Flea Market has free parking, which is good because if you're not adverse to walking a bit, you might just want to grab the first shady parking space you see. This place is packed!
Their web site boasts it's the largest flea market in the tri-state area, with over 1,600 vendors-- and I believe that, because you pass simply row after row of wares!...

(aerial photograph of the grounds from RogersOhio.com)

Old stuff, new stuff, big stuff, little stuff... Whatever you were looking for, collected or even reminisced about, you could almost guarantee somebody had it. And dotted here and there in between those booths, were booths of food, drink, whatever tickled your tastebuds. I can see why they did it that way, too--

With such a distance to cover, having refreshment stands in between the flea market booths reduced the possibility of... oh... passing out in the heat. Because wow, friends, last Friday was a scorcher!

Yes, scorch it did, but it wasn't so hot that Josette and I weren't able to procure a few secondhand pretties. Like Josette's Fitz and Floyd Christmas Cat plate...
She was really happy with the detail and colors, and the price was right, too!

For my buddy Scoobie, who was away on vacation and wasn't able to join us, I bought her a little souvenir for her Western decorating collection-- a Buffalo Bill Jim Beam bottle...
I liked the detail, and I think she'll get a kick out of it, too.

And for me, I got a piece of my Anchor Hocking moonstone glassware for... wait for it... $1.
You really can't beat that!

Anyway, for those thinking they might like to make a trip to Rogers Flea Market themselves, I advise--

• Wear good ol' solid walking shoes you know you're comfortable in...
• Make sure you get plenty of fluids
• Wear sunscreen-- that sun beats down and there isn't a ton of shade for reprieve
• Prepare to walk
• Consider bringing a small wheelie cart you can pull along with you to carry larger goodies
• And have a blast!

The address is here:

45625 State Route 154
Rogers, Ohio 44456
Phone: (330) 227-3233

Thanks to Josette for investigating it with me and withstanding some killer blisters on her feet! And thanks to you all for visiting today. Now that I no longer have houseguests, The Thrift Shop Romantic should be back on its normal posting schedule.

Take care, folks! And happy hunting!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Heavenly Finds

And a-one, and a-two, and everybody sing...

Er, no, better not. Let's just talk about our friend the conducting cherub here, and the other found items for this Treasure Box Wednesday.

The elaborate winged fellows are a lamp discovered at Construction Junction architectural salvage. This has already made it's way into my blue room. I would say it probably was the land-speed record for lamp placement in America.

How the lamp managed to survive in that store amid the big chunks of heavy marble mantles, thick wood planks, and masonry, I can't imagine. It does have some issues, certainly. A chipped wing here, a missing bit there...

And this fellow is completely sans-arm. But I think some clever patching will make it less obvious, and just add to the character. Too much was brilliantly intact for me to care very much...
Sometimes I think it's the imperfections in well-made old pieces like this that make them even more worth rescuing to me. Like I have to save them from further damage!

At the Salvation Army yesterday, there was absolutely nothing wrong with this pink hobnail vase...
I've seen this in white milkglass a bazillion times over the years-- in fact my mother had one-- but never, ever in pink! This was quite a surprise to me. I believe I recall it being an Anchor Hocking piece, but don't hold me to that.

I had also picked up this green Depression glass platter...

Funny, I'd been in line, saying to the friend I was shopping with how there were just a few small chips on the bottom, but how no one would see those. And the woman in front of me in line sniffed, "Well, I can tell you're not an antique dealer, then!"

Er, yes. I probably wouldn't expect people to buy from me something that had chips. But given it was for my own use? Well, you all know how I feel about that. Again, it's another pretty item whose beauty isn't ruined by the little flaws.

And my last second-hand venture of the weekend was attending a flea market at a local synagogue. It was set up almost identically to the church rummage sale I went to just a week or two ago. And there, I set my eyes on this great sandwich-glass and lightly-lustered amethyst dish...
(Here you can see an aerial view)...

And this excellent large, old mirror for a whole $2...

So it's been a pretty heavenly week for fun finds! And a nice respite from working on that fireplace.

• Folks who've not yet seen the whole fireplace installation extravaganza can check that out here.

It's going well, by the way. I installed the rest of the trim last night. It still needs a few coats of paint, and then I have some other touches to add. Oh-- and the mantle shelf. But the mantle shelf issue is one I'll share with you later. I think you'll laugh.

Take care, and I hope you'll pop back on Sunday for our next post!

The Route 30 Antiquing Trail

Take Route 30 Eastbound through Forest Hills right outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and you embark on a thrifting and antiquing odyssey. This single road winds its way from the bustle of Pittsburgh, and rambles for miles through the pretty, rural landscape of Ligonier, Latrobe, and beyond. It’s along this route that an adventurous shopper can discover bargains and beloved treasures.

Thrift stores? During your time on the road you’ll encounter the Good Samaritan Thrift Store, the Price is Right Thrift Store, two Goodwills, and several Salvation Armys.

Maybe flea markets are more your style? How about the indoor Super Flea, the L&L Fleatique (pictured at left)? Or, if outdoor flea-ing is a particular favorite, far down the route in Latrobe, the Hi-Way Drive-in Flea Market is open seasonally on weekends.


But well-before you hit Latrobe, take a minor detour off 30, into downtown Jeannette, a city once renowned for its manufacture of beautiful glass items. Here you’ll encounter everything from the higher-end antiques of the Jeannette Antique Mall and Antique Oddities (pictured below), to the unique mix of antiques and fun fixer-uppers in Junk for Joy...


You’ll even find thrifting at the large St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store right on Clay Street.
Weary from all that shopping? Take a break at one of Jeannette’s restaurants with your choice of sandwiches, Chinese, pizza, and in evenings, The Nest for seafood... (For lunch, Rick’s Hometown Diner is a favorite haunt of mine when the hungries hit, with homemade soups, pies and other diner favorites.)

Head back up the road from Jeannette to join Route 30 again, and consider a minor stop in Greensburg. Who knows what you might find at the U. F. O., an indoor antique/thrift store/used furniture mecca? Then, back to good ol’ 30 and head off to Ligonier. Right near Idlewild Amusement Park, you’ll find the Flea Tique, another indoor flea market/antique mall (not to be confused with the L&L Fleatique of earlier in the journey!). Here you’ll find a mixture of antiques and collectibles, all jumbled together in several large rooms of booths.

Leave the Flea Tique parking lot, get back onto 30 East for just about 500 yards, then u-turn onto Route 30 Westbound, and there you’ll find Graham’s Antique Mall, with even more booths filled with antiques and collectibles.

It’s usually at this point, that I’m bleary from scanning and weary from walking the aisles. And, spoils of the day packed in the trunk, I make Graham’s Antique Mall my final destination before I head on home. But if you still have energy, I understand the Route 30 antiquing adventure continues eastward even beyond Ligonier along to Gettysburg. Perhaps you’ll discover some antiquing and thrifting locations along it that you’d like to share. (I’d love to hear about them!)

But just to get you started, below are the places I pick and choose from on my own well-traveled path (and if you like, you can also read a summary of each place in the Resources section):

Good Samaritan Thrift Store
500 Lincoln Hwy North Versailles, PA, (412) 829-1898

“Super Flea” Flea Market
833 E Pittsburgh Mckeesport Blvd, North Versailles, PA

Price is Right Thrift Store
1930 Lincoln Highway, North Versailles, PA

Salvation Army Thrift Store
12751 Route 30, North Huntingdon, PA, (724) 863-6116

Goodwill
8755 Norwin Ave, North Huntingdon, PA (724) 864-2980

L&L Fleatique I and II
Adamsburg Edna Rd., Jeannette, PA (724) 523-0595—visible from Route 30

Antique Oddities
316 Clay Ave, Jeannette, PA (724) 523-7767

Jeannette Antique Mall
500 Clay Ave, Jeannette, PA (724) 527-1555

Junk for Joy
209 Clay Ave, Jeannette, PA (724) 523-6221

St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store
631 Clay Ave, Jeannette, PA (724) 527-5776

Jen & Ed’s U.F.O. (Used Furniture Outlet)
320 S Pennsylvania Ave, Greensburg, PA (724) 834-9070

Salvation Army
3780 Route 30 Latrobe, PA (724) 539-2080

Flea Tique
230 Route 30 W, Ligonier PA 15658-8777, 724-238-9198

Graham's Antique Mall
Route 30 W, Ligonier PA 15658, 724-238-8611

Thrifty Places to Go!

On The Thrift Shop Romantic project site, you'll find a whole list of thrift stores, flea markets, antique malls, and architectural salvage yards you can explore in the Western Pennsylvania/Eastern Ohio region. Each one listed there has been included because it's one I've tended to go to more than once.

So click a link to learn more!:

• Thrift Stores
• Flea Markets
• Antique Shops
  
• Architectural Salvage
• Chain Retailers
• Online Resources