Why Do They Call It a Flea Market? There Are No Fleas...

Saturday morning, I got up bright and early, which, was actually really easy to accomplish, considering the fact that I had gone to bed at 8:15 the previous night.

8:15.

What the hell, grandma?

In my defense, Queen B did wear me out with all of that biking and shopping, but, still...8:15. Good lord.

And, I digress.

So, Saturday morning, I got up, grabbed a quick cup of coffee and threw my hair into a messy bun  before heading out for breakfast with former co-workers, Kortni and Kristi, and current co-worker, Erin.

Messy hair, don't care! 

We ate at one of our favorite Mom and Pop places in Hooterville, and, I took full advantage of all that exercise I had gotten the day before by ordering the Eggs Benedict.

As an aside, Eggs Benedict is my favorite breakfast dish, just topping biscuits and gravy,  Moons over My Hammy (Helloooo, Denny's!) and breakfast burritos. I'm not much of a sweets person for breakfast; give me allll the fats, and protein.

And, again, I digress.

So, after catching up on all the gossip and happenings in each other's lives, we decided to extend our time together by visiting a flea market being held by the Hooterville Woman's Club.

Ordinarily, Kristi would rather chew her own arm off than attend a flea market, but, her tune changed dramatically when we got inside the building and she heard the siren call of all of the treasures. In fact, she made the first purchase of the day; a vintage metal dollhouse that she planned to use in her therapy practice (she's the best play-therapy provider in the area). We did manage to talk her out of the plan, instead encouraging her to look the dollhouse up online to see what it was really worth (she paid $15, and it's listed on eBay for $150; needless to say, that house isn't going into her playroom).

Kortni and Erin also made small purchases at the market, and I picked up this flower arrangement for a song ($10!)...

...before finding the best deal of the day; a vintage punch bowl set, including a large crystal platter (22 inches in diameter!), a crystal pedestal (that can also be used alone, as a candy dish), the punch bowl, a glass ladle, and ten cups. The set was marked  "$125, but make us an offer", and, while I was in love with it, I sure as shit wasn't a hundred and twenty-five dollars in love with it, but, I am notoriously poor at haggling, so I was reluctant to even make an offer.

So, I sent Kristi and Erin over to low-ball the couple selling the set, just to see where they were willing to land, which, as it turned out, was $80, firm.

So, I dithered and fretted and stewed and debated. On the one hand, I loved it! On the other hand, where the hell was I going to put it? How often would I actually use it?

I'm guessing you know where this is going...

I bought it.

Not all of the pieces are pictured, because I was too lazy to unwrap them

But, not before going online, searching for something similar in order to get an idea of the true value. My search yielded not just something similar, but, the actual pattern, which, it turned out, is the Daisy and Button pattern, manufactured by the LE Smith Glass Company, circa 1962-1972, and, the punch bowl, ladle, cups and platter were listed at $500.

Five hundred dollars.

Once I got it home, I went onto Replacements.com, where I learned that the ladle itself sells for $140. Just the ladle!

So, when all is said and done, the full set, (I believe I may be missing two cups), parted out, is worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $800. That's ten times what I paid for it. So, if I ever decide to sell it, I'll make bank. In the meantime, I'm going to use it, enjoy it, and love it.

Except for the glass ladle. $140! Ain't no way I'm using it!

Flea market for the win!!