Friday Fleeing for the Rogers Flea Market

Oh, you folks told me about it-- you did. You said it was big. You said it was amazing. You said I needed to go.

And you were right.

But the problem for me is, the Rogers Flea Market, located in Rogers, Ohio, about an hour and a half from Pittsburgh is on Fridays only. And unfortunately, this fan of secondhand stuff is usually working on Fridays. Y'know-- that day job that helps pay for my vintage dishware addiction.

But my buddy Josette, who I've been friends with since I was five, was visiting this last week. And as luck would have it, I had a rare Friday off. So Josette and I got into the car covered with about half-a-pound of SPF 30 sunscreen each, and we wended our way through green farms, pretty hamlets and rustic railroad rimmed domiciles...
...To Rogers, Ohio.

The Rogers Flea Market has free parking, which is good because if you're not adverse to walking a bit, you might just want to grab the first shady parking space you see. This place is packed!
Their web site boasts it's the largest flea market in the tri-state area, with over 1,600 vendors-- and I believe that, because you pass simply row after row of wares!...

(aerial photograph of the grounds from RogersOhio.com)

Old stuff, new stuff, big stuff, little stuff... Whatever you were looking for, collected or even reminisced about, you could almost guarantee somebody had it. And dotted here and there in between those booths, were booths of food, drink, whatever tickled your tastebuds. I can see why they did it that way, too--

With such a distance to cover, having refreshment stands in between the flea market booths reduced the possibility of... oh... passing out in the heat. Because wow, friends, last Friday was a scorcher!

Yes, scorch it did, but it wasn't so hot that Josette and I weren't able to procure a few secondhand pretties. Like Josette's Fitz and Floyd Christmas Cat plate...
She was really happy with the detail and colors, and the price was right, too!

For my buddy Scoobie, who was away on vacation and wasn't able to join us, I bought her a little souvenir for her Western decorating collection-- a Buffalo Bill Jim Beam bottle...
I liked the detail, and I think she'll get a kick out of it, too.

And for me, I got a piece of my Anchor Hocking moonstone glassware for... wait for it... $1.
You really can't beat that!

Anyway, for those thinking they might like to make a trip to Rogers Flea Market themselves, I advise--

• Wear good ol' solid walking shoes you know you're comfortable in...
• Make sure you get plenty of fluids
• Wear sunscreen-- that sun beats down and there isn't a ton of shade for reprieve
• Prepare to walk
• Consider bringing a small wheelie cart you can pull along with you to carry larger goodies
• And have a blast!

The address is here:

45625 State Route 154
Rogers, Ohio 44456
Phone: (330) 227-3233

Thanks to Josette for investigating it with me and withstanding some killer blisters on her feet! And thanks to you all for visiting today. Now that I no longer have houseguests, The Thrift Shop Romantic should be back on its normal posting schedule.

Take care, folks! And happy hunting!