ELKHORN ANTIQUE FLEA MARKET

TREASURE HUNTING WITH EMMY

We are suckers for an antique store or better yet a multi-dealer mall, a vintage shop, a country auction or the ultimate: an antique flea market. On our weekly jaunts back to Wisconsin we always seem to reserve one day during the week when we hit the road with a planned route dotted with researched stops along the way at least at one of the afore mentioned shopping venues.

One of our current favorite stops is the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market held four times during the summer. It's not Brimfield or Madison-Boukville but it draws five hundred plus vendors scattered out over the fields and in the animal barns of the Walworth County Fairgrounds.

Now here's where my lack of paying attention to the details comes in. Since Rick was back in New York and our friend and traveling companion, Jim, was at a wedding it was left to Emmy and me to do the dirty work of going to the August edition of the Elkorn flea market. I, of course, love any opportunity I can get to spend time with my daughter. I was really looking forward to this trip. We'd instilled the antique hunting bug in Emmy early.  At the age of three she could sniff out a Breyer horse dealer a mile away. She amassed quite a collection by the time she was twelve.

Now that the horses are mostly packed up and put away her focus has drifted into the clothing and jewelry area with a new category of vintage LP album covers. She's not an early riser but she acquiesced to accompany me in the car at the early hour of eight in the morning on Saturday, her day off.
The fair opens for early-birds at seven but over the years I've learned about how much I can push her before I've gone too far and she begs off so I had to settle for not being the first one through the gate laying down the five dollar entrance fee.

The drive from Madison to Elkhorn takes about an hour and fifteen to an hour and a half depending on the route. Saturday morning usually means lite to moderate traffic so I felt we'd arrive at a reasonable time. We did, but things just didn't look right as we pulled up to the fairgrounds. There was a woman stationed at the gate looking as if she was ready to collect tickets so I did a u-turn and pulled into the gate.
"Are you a vendor?' came the first question and then the addendum, "Setup can't start until one"
I was stumped but Emmy wasn't. The market wasn't on Saturday. It would be the following day on Sunday. This is not the first time I've misplaced a day. Fortunately, at this point Emmy was very forgiving and understanding of my inability to look at a calendar date and line it up with an actual day of the week. The day wasn't ruined.

We trekked on to Lake Geneva and then ambled back through Delavan and Milton hitting a slew of antiquing opportunities. The down side: I wasn't going to get her to give me two days and come back the following day for the flea. I'd be on my own.

Since I was now on my own I got up at six on Sunday and headed back out to Elkhorn without a copilot. I couldn't not go and that says a lot about my obsession with collecting things I clearly don't need.

There's free parking but I felt my dedication and diligence deserved the five-dollar fee for parking on a neighbor's lawn in an area canopied with shade trees. I was determined. Even at nine in the morning the sun was blazing and since a good portion of the fairgrounds wasn't going to provide much cover I thought at least my car should have the benefit of a little relief from the heat.

Right off the bat I knew I was going to be in trouble. I was going to have to be very judicious in any purchasing. Like a gambling addict in recovery I had allotted myself a spending limit and by god I was going to stick to it. I had to pass up a vintage pinball machine with super cool graphics. The realization that it wouldn't have fit in the car or in our house promptly hit me before I could spend my entire spending budget.

I then fell in love with this adorable metal dog bed but I didn't want our two dogs to have to fight over who would get to claim this little gem once I tricked it out with luxury bedding so I left it behind as well.

There was a lot to choose from like these marble and bronze sculptures.

I found these hysterical children's chairs with the rosemaling seats and Barbie and Ken back slats.

Toys held a big presence at many booths including these vintage transportation miniature replicas more collectable by adults than children

and this adorable tattered Teddy Bear propped up by a window taking in the sun.

The ubiquitous Fiestaware was sprinkled throughout the fair but it seems most sellers knew what they had and the prices reflected that taking away their desirability.

The north woods appeal of the area held its sway in many booths with tramp art, quilts and cabin accessories.

Repurposing was also shown by a bit too many vendors for my taste but I did like these metal tub chairs.

My better judgment finally dissipated. Perhaps it was the heat that got to me but I started giving in to my desires as I scoured each aisle and horse stall for something I'm sure I didn't need. So this is what came home with me: a pair of marble horse head bookends ($40), a $20 framed ad for MunsingWear union suits (that will be a Christmas present for my daughter), a portrait of a WWI Soldier in uniform ($20), four wood frames all for $15, a Bauer bowl for $8, several old photos ($10), a $10 doctor's bag and a great sign with "WE ARE IN THE HOUSE " on one side and "SOLD OUT" on the other (fifty bucks). I thought I did pretty well, a little restraint and a little extravagance. That's the way life should be.
THE GALLERY

Efflorescence, 2015
Sally Gall, photographer
Represented by Julie Saul Gallery