Flea Market Experience

I don’t need my alarm on the first Saturday of the month, but I set one just in case. When it goes off, I am already halfway out the door.

At the monthly De Anza Flea Market on Nov. 7, I am surrounded by hundreds of vendors and buyers eager to explore what the market has to offer.

One of the vendors, John Tomson, sells hats. Over his long peppered hair, he wears a cowboy hat.

Tomson says he sells custom hats because they are cheap, fun and make people happy.

He said he fell hard for the flea market as a child in the ‘70s. His father dropped him off every Saturday to explore on his own.

Tompson grins from ear to ear as he describes his first profit of $20, which he spent on ice cream. I buy a giant tiger hat to support his ice-cream fund.

Tompson does not have to work at the flea market, but says he does it to make people happy.

Sharon Alter, 46, a teacher at a local high school, fumbles with a cat hat and says she always goes to the De Anza Flea Market.

“I don’t attend [the market] with a specific purpose,” she says. “But because I love seeing how creative all the vendors are, and I love to support them.”

Alter places the hat back on the table and goes to the cosmetic counter to play with some colorful makeup.

My palm gets blue and sticky after I shake hands with Cameron Smith, 23, a Denver University graduate and Bay Area local. Has his face buried in a blue, mouth-watering, snow cone.

He apologizes and I can’t help but laugh. He says he begins every flea market trip with a blue snow cone that he has “still not managed to learn how to eat”.

Smith says he attends the market to see the coin collections.

“I think it is so cool how each coin represents a moment in history,” he says. “My goal is to buy a coin that represents every person in my family. I like to learn about their lives through research of the coins”.

We walk together, and I decide to grab a snow cone as my journey through the exciting market continues.

I meet Meital Factor, 17, a high school student, we both place a handful of clips on our heads trying to decide which we would like to buy. Factor attends the De Anza flea market to get inspiration for her own art.

“Whenever I have a creative block, I come to the market to get ideas and inspiration,” she says.

The De Anza flea market has everything and everyone. I have officially become a De Anza Flea Market goer and I think you should too.