Chicagoland Fleas: The Lowdown

When Jen and I started fleaing around Chicago we found precious little info on any of the area markets and even fewer photos so we could judge for ourselves. I think at one time we dug up a Reader article from the pleistocene era, but other than that, we couldn't find much advance info.

We're a little wary of giving away the store as it were, but we're hoping there's enough junk out there for everyone. Here they are, roughly in order of excellence, although Jen and I will argue about which is first, Elkhorn or Sandwich. Anyone has info on other markets please comment!

Elkhorn, WI
http://www.nlpromotionsllc.com/

• Distance: It's a schlep
• Tube Sock Quotient: Medium-Low
• Prices: Generally dreamy
• Amenities: Indoor-ish bathrooms; food better than most and best of all--the whole thing is paved
• When to Get Your Flea On: Only when it's warm, baby. May - Sept, usually 3rd or 4th Sunday
• Who's Peddling: About 500 vendors, says NL Promotions, which seems about right

I will resist the urge to wax on about the paved aisles--so easy to maneuver one's old lady cart--the more or less civilized bathroom situation and the brats (sausages, not children) sold by lovely gentlemen from the Elks Club (I think it's Elks, apologies if it's another wilderness animal) and say this: Elkhorn ranks as my favorite because of quantity and overall great bargains. Apparently I'm not alone, as it seems most of Southern Wisconsin comes out for this flea, all ages and types. There's a decent amount of furniture, mostly chairs, stools, tables from the 40s, 50s, 60s, more common household furniture than fine antiques.  A good amount of housewares--glass, bowls, cups, crockery, etc. and a good amount of toys. Some, not much, vintage clothing if I recall, and the requisite vintage (or maybe just gently worn) jewelry. Odds and ends--signs, jars, bottles, books/magazines, music, instruments, boxes and such are certainly there as well.  You'll have to do some hunting and pecking, here amidst the scores of old corner bar paraphenelia.  Bring layers and sunblock. I have been alternately freezing and the beneficiary of a wicked suntan only on the backs of my legs at this flea market. More than once the trip home has been painful due to seat belt proximity to neck sunburn. Word to the wise: beware the guy who looks like Santa Claus. He is neither jolly nor generous. He once informed Jen that her cart "don't hold shit"  while grimacing at her menancingly.

Sandwich, IL
http://www.antiquemarkets.com/

• Distance: not bad, especially when fueled by country ham and biscuits on the way
• Tube Sock Quotient: Nada. Zilch. Zippo.
• Prices: on the higher end
• Amenities: Port-O-Potties (LepreCans, HoneyBuckets); a couple standouts on the food, but bring snacks; located  in a field with trees
• When to Get Your Flea on: April - Oct, usually 4th Sunday, but this year May 16 and September 26 there's an Elkhorn/Sandwich showdown.
• Who's Peddling: For reasons I cannot understand, I have never been able to access this website. I estimate there's around 150-200 vendors, smaller, but higher quality.

By far Jen's favorite, a trip to Sandwich (feel free to call it SAHND-WEESH, that's my gift to you) makes for a fantastic day in the country. First of all, there's corn. Growing. All around you!  And over the course of the summer you can watch the progress from wee little buds to giant corridors of stalks you or Homer Simpson could get lost in. Little red schoolhouses and white, weathered barns abound as do gorgeous, fluffy clouds dotting a azure blue sky. Caution though, as picturesque as this all is it comes at a price. Your nearest food options apres flea include Subway and ... Subway. Jen loves this flea especially because there's "no junk." You'll find a good deal of furniture here, much of it in the nicer antique vein (late 19th c. and 20th c. American mostly, not Louis XIV), lots of housewares, signs, linens and clothing, crates, bottles, cases and such from food production (mostly beer and cheese, natch), some good vintage advertising and soft drink memorabilia. Fewer vendors, but Jen, her sister Laura and I managed to fill up a Honda Odessey in a matter of hours, leaving almost enough room to sit inside the vehicle for the trip home. Also you will often see an order of french nuns selling absolutely divine pastries, pies and bread. How they manage the sun in their habits I do not know. I practically have to Daisy Duke it to make it through in July and August.

Kane County, IL
http://www.kanecountyfleamarket.com/

• Distance: Close
• Tube Sock Quotient: High
• Prices: Good
• Amenities: Close to civilization, new indoor buildings, indoor restrooms, ok food
• When to Get Your Flea on: newly expanded schedule! March - October, the first Sat and Sun of the month
• Who's Peddling: Got a card table? You're in.

I'm actually a big fan of the Kane County Flea, despite the tube socks. the knock-off purses, scented candles, crap made of hemp and cartons of $1 plastic items. It's close to the city and there are always enough good vendors to make the trip worthwhile. You'll have to hunt a little harder here, but Kane County is your classic flea market. Vendors set up outside, in the barns (Swine barn being my favorite, for the name alone), and in the out buildings. As of March, the fairgrounds have even more new large buildings and the first flea of 2010 had new indoor vendors. Kane County is the longest running of all the area fleas and this year expanded their schedule even longer, although the number of (outside) vendors grows in the warmer months. You'll find just about anything and everything at KC, from housewares to furniture (especially when it gets warm). Not everything is vintage, there's both a good amount of repros here as well as newly made items. Probably due to its proximity to the city, Kane County is pretty popular--you'll see vintage hounds, families, soccer moms, alterna-teens and lookie-loos. Can be irritiating, especially in some of the narrow aisles.

"Pec Thing" Pecatonia, IL
 http://www.winnebagocountyfair.com/pecthing.asp

• Distance: Far, far away. 'Bout the same as Elkhorn.
• Tube Sock Quotient: Medium
• Prices: Good
• Amenities: Can't really remember.
• When to Get Your Flea On: Elusive. The site has published only the next date--May 15-16
• Who's Peddling: A large number (site says 400); the whole range of vintage, cheap stuff, random objets that are neither cheap nor vintage, some antiques

Pecatonica is a mixture of indoor and outdoor vendors, about 2 hours northwest of the city, past Rockford. Pretty similar to Kane County, but with different vendors. We have only been to this flea market once, when I was jonesing for some flea marketing and had time to troll the web for additional options. We got some good finds for sure, so I would say it is worth it to make the trek at least once a year. The shoppers themselves can edge toward the eyebrow-raising end of the spectrum. Expect to see morbidly obese women squeezed into logo-emblazed sweatpants over clearly visible men's boxers and spaghetti strapped half-shirts showing off a muffin top that has more to do with a barrel than baked goods.  You will not recover quickly from this sight, I can tell you that from experience. It will ever so slightly taint the Manhattan glass decanter you buy immediately afterwards. Just a little bit. And, appropros of nothing, there's a high concentration of ice cream vendors here.

--And now for something completely different--
We include one market we heard great things about but left in abject horror, not long after arriving.

Wheaton All-Night Flea Market
We were busting with excitement, high expectations and caffeine the day of the once-a-year all-night flea market in Wheaton. We were promised amiable vendors, breakfast cooked late into the night, and an embarassment of vintage riches.


What we found instead was

• Shampoo
• Cheap cosmetics (unclear if used)
• Gew-gaws and Gimcracks
• Tube socks
• Tube socks
• Tube socks
• Laundry detergent
• A shocking lack of breakfast food

Actually, I can't say for sure about that last one, since we beat a path out of there pretty quickly. I tried to get my money back. It didn't work. We should have known by the harbinger of doom (a dead goose [swan? duck?] lying face down in a puddle in the parking area as we entered. Sad but true.


I hate to end on such a bad note. We'll continue to add info, and perhaps create a page about area stores as well.