A Groovy Flea Market Find

This weekend I went to a flea market.

While we were at a family dinner, some of my family members started discussing plans to go for lunch the following day and then visit the Mulvey Flea Market. It sounded like such a lovely afternoon, and before I knew it I was filling with a longing to be invited to join them. Please family… please let me come along!

After sitting in silence, biting my lip apprehensively for several minutes, I got the invitation. So I decided I would put off all my homework and go along.

My uncle, dad, brother, and I grabbed lunch and headed to the Mulvey Flea Market, a stone’s throw beside the new rapid transit station on Osborne, in a huge, seemingly uninhabitable warehouse. Once you get through the service doors, you enter into a magical world of used and ancient unpredictability.

(Click on the pictures to see them bigger)

Through the piles of randomness, I hunted for great deals on original Nintendos and weird art. In the process, I discovered an amazing product that I didn’t even really know existed, and definitely didn’t think I was into.

Gorgeous craftsmanship, anyone?

 We noticed this little beauty right away, an unassuming cabinet, but upon further inspection it had a lot more going on. We opened one of the drawers, and there was a record player going! I was blown away.

Where's that music coming from? Oh, right here in this drawer!

This cabinet has a working record player in it, a not-working radio, and drawers packed with prehistoric records. When I confirmed that the $25 price tag was accurate, I said sold. I didn’t know who was getting it, who was paying for it, how we were getting it to their house, but someone I came with was taking this home. TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS. You don’t walk away from that.

So after we checked out the rest of the market, it was time to load up. The cabinet was very heavy but thankfully most of the weight turned out to be the records inside, so it became light as a rare, finely carved, wooden feather. Our main man Morris, the 80-year old flea market kingpin, helped us put the cabinet in the back of the truck, and my brother and I rode along in the back with it down Osborne, which is always fun.

So the record cabinet ended up in my brother’s apartment, which means I am still in the market for a record player within a cabinet. Do you have one? Let me know. Very old? Great- I want to play jazz and big band to set the mood for standing around at home. One of those newer ones from the 70’s? That’s good too- I need to set the mood for a key party I’m throwing. Basically there’s a lot of mood setting going on. Sell me your record cabinet.

Anyways, what can you learn? The market is a pretty interesting way to spend an afternoon on the weekend- check it out! If you want to see what else is at the market in a long, poorly shot home video, click on the word here.