Fleeing to the Flea Market: In Tarentum, the show and shopping fill up the third Sunday each month
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Stephen Razdik showing off his vintage Hawaiian shirts at Tour-Ed Mine Flea Market. -
Tiger sells a lot of costume jewelry among other things. -
Art of an alien nature on sale at the Tour-Ed Mine Flea Market. -
A rag doll for sale at the Tour-Ed Mine flea market. -
Open for business with a lot of glassware at the Tour-Ed Mine Flea Market -
Vintage tins for sale at Tour-Ed Mine Flea Market in Tarentum. -
Shoppers looking over a toy U-Haul Truck. -
A rusting red caboose adds to the ambiance at the flea market. -
Civil War letters and old Pennsylvania license plates. -
Grenades for sale at flea market,inert, of course!
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With jobs disappearing out of workplaces faster than a Guinness on St. Patrick's Day, some people are fleeing the economic doldrums and heading to the flea markets.
Celebrating its 30th season, the flea market at Tour-Ed Mine in Tarentum broke records last month.
"We had 224 vendors and over 1,300 vehicles enter the grounds, the biggest market yet," said Dolly Mistrik.
She is a board president of the Allegheny-Kiski Valley Historical Society, which operates the all volunteer-run Flea-Tique. Last month she volunteered at the gate collecting a $3 entrance fee per car. The money supports the historical society and Tour-Ed Mine (an underground coal mining museum).
Allegheny-Kiski Valley Historical Society
Heritage Museum
224 E. 7th Avenue, Tarentum, Pa.
Flea-Tique hours on Aug. 20-21
Saturday noon-5 p.m.
Sunday daybreak until 2 p.m.
$3 entrance fee (free to members of the historical society)
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Tour-Ed Coal Mine and Museum
748 Bull Creek Road
Tarentum, Pa
"When people complain about the entrance fee, I tell them, 'You are supporting two museums.' "
Allegheny-Kiski Historical Society Flea-Tique is the official name of the market, which is open officially on the third Sunday of every month (some vendors are selling there on Saturday) from May through October. But most people just call it the Tour-Ed Mine flea market because the society uses the mine's land.
From grenades to grannies' castaways, this flea market offers an abundance of booty for browsers and buyers. Working from the conceit that one man's clutter is another's cache, the board members of the historical society have turned treasure hunting into funding for the heritage museum in Tarentum.
"It is our main source of income, and without the Flea-Tique we would probably have to close the museum," she noted.
Vendors come from all over the area and out of state.
"We have one couple from Florida who plan their vacation around our schedule," said Ms. Mistrik.
"I have been retired for the past five years and for me, flea marketing is basically a pastime and hobby," explained vendor Stephen Razdik, a former art teacher and advertising executive from Pittsburgh.
First Published August 16, 2011 12:00 am
