Alabama Flea Markets

Princess Kennedy: I Heart Flea Markets

There is nothing I love more than the sensation I get walking down a row of a flea market. From the smell of mothballs to the sound of “I’ll give you a good deal,” what is there not to love? I mean, you had me at “good deal.” I get that it’s someone’s old junk and at the risk of sounding like a hoarder, I need it! Whenever I travel somewhere new, there are a few things I like do: Find the gay club, search out the thrift stores and find out if the city hosts a flea market. I have been to some of the best. Hell’s Kitchen Market in N.Y., Rose Bowl Market in L.A., Alameny Market in S.F., Albert Culp in Amsterdam, the Porte de Clignancourt or ‘Les Puces’ in Paris and of course the one that spans four states from Kentucky to Alabama and is called the world’s longest yard sale. I have a design aesthetic that my friends tease is “old French whorehouse.” So, as you can imagine, these swap meets really work for that and I have found some awesome stuff. Here’s some stuff I’ve scored: An amazing “China Town” restaurant light, a huge black flokati rug for $20, a 1920s all-rhinestone crochet barrette, a taxidermy chimp, a globe bar, Rococo-period cherub wall sconces, a working 1930s radio (that picks up KRCL just fine, thank you) and the list goes on and on. As you can tell, I’m a little obsessed. A couple of years back when I had a business in Sugar House, I was hellbent on trying to figure a way to get the city to make the guy who tore down Blue Boutique to put a flea market on that corner instead of the pit of despair — alas, it was more work than I was willing to do. He is an ... well, we all know how I feel about him. I, along with 20 other business owners, closed our door and I never thought about it again, although it was never far from my mind. Sure, we have the Redwood swap meet, but quite frankly, it sucks. How much do I really want bear pepper spray? And unless I can figure out how to wear a Chinese star in my hair, I’m not interested. Plus it’s in a part of town that, I’m sorry to say, I will never venture to. Why don’t they have one at the fairgrounds or something? With our downtown urban mentality, why hasn’t someone less lazy than me taken this concept by the proverbial reins? A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about karma and mentioned Kate Wheadon, my friend who helped me save the baby quail I found.

Alabama flea market rebounds despite murder, budget cuts ...

Despite a recent tragedy and a funding controversy, one community of vendors has rallied to support a popular local flea market in Montgomery, Ala.

“The Flea Market At The Farmers’ Market” in Montgomery takes place once a month at the fairgrounds site of a daily farm market run by the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries. The coordinator of the flea market, Ralph “Critterman” McNeil, was stabbed to death this past January in what police allege was a contract murder and part of a child custody dispute . That death left the market community in shock, and the fate of the flea market uncertain.

“It was really tragic, what happened to the Critterman” says market manager Nick Zorn. McNeil got his nickname from the pest control business he also operated. “That’s what we called him,” Zorn explains. “He got rid of critters. Squirrels in the attic. Snakes. He had a good reputation around town.”

Zorn says that McNeil was the one who founded the flea market. “The Critterman started this six or eight years ago. He was really well thought of in the community. He did a good job promoting this flea market.”

Meanwhile, in late February, the Alabama Department of Agriculture announced it was canceling the Farmers’ Market to help close a budget gap. An outcry went up from the community , and a solution was found, in the form of a partnership with a university, to keep the market open . The bad publicity this generated, however, also hurt market attendance.

With two different challenges facing the market, a couple vendors stepped forward to keep The Flea Market At The Farmers’ Market going , as the Montgomery Advertiser reports. “Larry Cauthen, a vendor, came to us and said he would like the opportunity to revive it,” says Zorn. “He got busy with other vendors around, and they put it all together. We’re proud of that. It’s worked out really well.”

The flea market has made two changes in an effort to bring people back. First, the market has moved from the first weekend of the month to the third weekend of the month to avoid competition from other yard sales and informal flea markets. Second, the market now features special rental rates: $25 per weekend, and $20 for one day.

Zorn hopes that news will get out that the markets are bouncing back. “We’ve been here 30 years, and people were pretty upset about it. But we finally got everything straightened out. We’re up and going, and everything is fine.” He hopes to bring market attendance back to its usual 3,000 to 4,000 shoppers per weekend. At the most recent flea market, there were 18 vendors, in a roofed space that has accommodated 50.

Warman's Flea Market Price Guide

U.S. Flea Market Directory, 3rd Edition, A Guide to the Best Flea Markets in All 50 States

Appendix: Brief Listings Alabama Attalla: Mountain Top Flea Market. Every Sunday . At 11301 US Highway 278 West, six miles west of Attalla. ...

Official Directory to U.S. Flea Markets

ALABAMA ATTALLA Mountain Top Flea Market DATES: Every Sunday, year round. Rain or shine. TIMES: 5:00 am until whenever. ADMISSION: Free. Parking is free. ...

Weekend Getaways in Alabama

Yard sales and flea markets flourish in the Gadsden area. ... home to the first hydroelectric generator in the world and the birthplace of Alabama Power. ...

Alabama's state & local governments

This does not exist in Alabama, which means counties and cities must go to the state ... "to permit flea markets to remain open on Sunday in Cullman County. ...