Ashland Swap-O-Rama
Walk in, greeted by red and white striped ticket booth, with an older white lady selling admission, $2 adults, the tickets are dispensed by an old school box office machine. She pushes it and a red ticket comes out of the slot. Then a young man asks for my ticket as I walk in. He’s an ex-student of mine, Rolando. We chat for a minutes. I pass the booths where people are eating and the food counter to start at the farthest row. A familiar aisle and beckoning me is the smell of leather from a booth of cowboy hats and boots. A girl of like 7 sits in front eating hot chips. Waiting for me? Her mom? Her next task? Rounding the corner are 4 arcade games. Classics – Cruisin’ USA and a claw machine among them.
Barber shop
Pet supplies
Car speakers
Cleaning supplies
Fake ipods
Birds
Puppies, kittens
Bunnies (Cermak Pets, 2417 W. 51st St)
Eyeglasses
CD’s
Remnants
Plain t-shirts
Playing video games (rock band, old NES)
Gold jewelry
Imitation bags
People are ?
Haircuts
Watching the birds
Wireless/prepaid – tons of people – cell phone accessories
Blue and silver tarps on closed stands
Photographer
Herbal remedies
Framed pics
Make up
2 silver pots, overflowing w/nacho cheese
Base covered in foil, drippings of cheese
Women dousing cups of fries in cheese
Long lines for cheesy fries
5 “barbers” – one has doors like a room
Bras
Tarot card reader
Surveillance equipment
Key maker – young girl, late teens, early 20s
and so on…and so on….
More than anything, I can’t get over the feeling of being an outsider. Never have I before, which was part of why I wanted to work with the flea market. I want other people who do not go to them to understand that there is something extremely unique and special about them. But is there? Or is it just a weird, quirky place in Chicago’s economic world. I am worried that I won’t be able to do the research project because I don’t know how to approach people there, nor do I have the confidence. We’ll have to figure that out. Good thing there is Aunt JoAnn.
What did I see on day one? What did I get out of it? Other than feeling like a complete outsider. I was reminded of some important things that will connect to the concept of the flea market as a communal space. Let’s go through those.
There is a deep connection between the vendors. A day at the flea market is long. And very rarely are you swamped with customers. Also, you sit beside the same person usually every weekend. Relationships emerge. Not always positive ones. But most seem to have their fellow comrades that make the days go smoothly and quickly. Even I, whose memory is slight, can remember certain other vendors from my days as a child there. The lady who sold the perfume and Avon stuff just down from us. She always spoke to me, was very nice, etc. There was the Middle Eastern man who sold gold jewelry down at the west end of the aisles. I was entranced by him. He was super nice to me, he wore a turban, and he always smelled of a musk oil or cologne or incense or something. On this first visit, I was reminded of this by the strolling of vendors down a stand or two to visit with a neighbor. One was extremely flirtatious, and almost strange. The woman kind of slapped the man, playfully, but he didn’t seem too comfortable regardless. Vendors always stay in eyesight of their stand though. It is when they need to run to the restroom or for food, etc., that they take turns watching each other’s stands.
The flea market was Wal-Mart before there was Wal-Mart. I always tried to explain this to people when I would take them there for the first time. That this serves the economic need for those who do not make/have a lot of money. That a lot of essential things are purchased there. Such as the socks and t-shirts galore. More recently, with the increase in both vendors and Chicagoans with Mexican roots, things like produce and boots have become more popular too. Observing what people are actually buying the most of, things like bedding, coats, socks, tools, cleaning supplies, make up, etc., I am further convinced of the role of flea markets being similar economically to Wal-Mart.
Socially too. In rural Indiana, where I lived for many years, we would spend an hour or so of a Friday night running around a Wal-Mart. Not necessarily to purchase anything, but more so because we could go look at clothes and cd’s, play some video games, run rampant through toy aisles (yes, we were teenagers), and mostly, people watch. It is a center of the community because it provides some essential goods and services for the community. With that role, there will always be people to see, visit with, just observe. The flea market is much the same thing. It is very typical to see a family in their Sunday best at the market. Not too many black bags in hands, maybe one of two. And guessing from what is usually in my two bags, they are probably holding batteries, mop detergent, or a six pair of socks. At my day one visit, I was overwhelmed by how much people watching going on. I guess I knew it was present and a major inspiration for the project, but when looking for it, it still surprised me to see the extent I did. At the booths next to the concession stand, most tables were full of people, not eating, but just resting and watching the parade of visitors strolling along. At the picnic tables outside, there was a number of people sitting and watching, such as the older men who I guessed were waiting for their wives. The vendors too, are actively engaged in people watching as it is rare for most of them to have customers occupying their time and attention.
So day one, a beautifully warm Saturday in November. And Saturday is so different then Sunday. Sunday is the busy day, as most in the “industry” would agree, which accounts for the number of tarped stalls last Saturday. So, let’s venture now to another market on Sunday. And get another picture of the space created as a flea market.
