PHOTOS: Super Flea Market Happening This Weekend in Casper
Nostalgia. It's a powerful feeling. It's seeing a commercial for the first time in years, and immediately remembering where you were the first time you saw it. It's hearing a song and thinking about the girl (or guy) who first told you about it. It's a toy, or a book, or a blanket.
It's a memory, really. And if you're looking for memories, you'll find them at the Super Flea Market, happening this Saturday and Sunday at the Industrial Building of the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds.
The Super Flea Market is put on by The Casper Antique and Collectors Club and it's been a staple of Casper for years.
"Well, a long time ago in the 1980's or so, some people started the Antiques Club," said Laura Pickle who, along with her husband Bob, is the the Co-Show Chairman for the Super Flea Market. "And then they started doing antique shows, and we used to do two antique shows a year and two super fleas a year. Now, we've changed it, so we have three shows a year and they're all super flea."
The events themselves are gigantic. Every four months or so, the Industrial Building of the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds is completely overtaken by dozens of vendors; each of whom are selling parts of themselves, chapters of their stories.
The vendors make money off these memories, but the Club makes a profit as well. And that profit goes towards helping finance various museums throughout Wyoming.
"We're a non-profit organization," Pickle stated. "And at the end of the year, we benefit about 35 museums, giving them monetary donations. So all the money that we clear from here goes straight back into the museums."
Pickle said that every year they give about $20,000 to these museums, and much of that money comes from these Super Flea Markets.
And that's because of the community turnout. This two-day event yields hundreds of visitors. Pickle said that, on Saturday alone, nearly 2,000 people came to the event. She said she expects at least half of that on Sunday, meaning that about 3,000 people will have stopped by the Super Flea Market over the weekend.
It's a popular event for shoppers, but it's also popular for vendors. In fact, there's a waiting list that vendors are on; so popular is the flea market.
"This is a wonderful community event, because a lot of people come out here just to socialize," Pickle said. "You haven't seen each other all winter long, and you want to chat. It's very busy, but it benefits all the museums in the state, and it's a good way to buy inexpensive things. And, in this environment, with the way the economy is, it's a good way to find good deals."
The Super Flea Market is happening Sunday from 9am-4pm at the Industrial Building of the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds.
Photos of just some of what's being offered can be seen below: