Community Stories

A day at the world's largest outdoor flea market - Round Top, TX

redpcar
Posts
4,014
Likes
9,040
Spent the day in Round Top, Tx, once again. So many treasures, so little time.
upload_2021-3-18_18-42-29.png

A nice De Ville with a 3D cushion dial. Cool Hallmark triple date. Vulcain, Stowa, 100 NOS Elgin dials, but do you know the best of it?
Check out the screwdriver sharpener on top. Patented 1941. Ever seen one? I hadn't
upload_2021-3-18_18-44-50.png


Oh, and the crown from a compressor. Hard to find.
upload_2021-3-18_18-46-3.png
 
kip595
Posts
870
Likes
1,573
My grand-dad who was an Army Air Core mechanic in WWII and a mechanical guru all his life had one of those sharpeners - to this day I have no idea why he had it, aside from his love of all things tools. I haven't seen one (or thought of one, to be fair) in years.

Nice finds!
 
Wryfox
Posts
2,874
Likes
13,088
Largest outdoor market is in Daytona Beach, FL. 1,100 booths for vendors every weekend.
 
gatorcpa
Posts
12,810
Likes
17,452
redpcar redpcar
...but do you know the best of it?

Yes, I do!

upload_2021-3-19_7-47-41.png


A little more detail, please?
gatorcpa
 
redpcar
Posts
4,014
Likes
9,040
The Round Top flea market is only twice a year. It goes for miles. I used to think the huge flea market in Canton, Tx (called First Monday) was the biggest. Held once a month. Surprisingly, nobody was there twice a year when the Round Top flea market was going on.

Waaaay better than the UK's "car boot" sales. "Wanna buy some junk in my trunk?"
 
Walrus
Posts
10,127
Likes
48,690
Really cool I rarely find much interesting but I don’t have a lot of time to devote to those types of things, maybe this summer I’ll have better luck. How were the prices? I see a few interesting goodies in that pile of watches.
 
redpcar
Posts
4,014
Likes
9,040
I stepped up and paid full price on the Omega because I loved the dial. The Hallmark set me back $40. Everything else was sub $10 each.
 
JwRosenthal
Posts
16,307
Likes
44,939
redpcar redpcar
I stepped up and paid full price on the Omega because I loved the dial. The Hallmark set me back $40. Everything else was sub $10 each.
Is it 1973 in Texas (actually- outside of Austin....)?!?!
How on earth, in 2021, where everyone has access to some device that connects to the interwebs, that a seller at a flea market didn’t look up a watch that said omega on it to see what it would should going for? It baffles my mind, but glad there are still some out there.
 
Larry S
Posts
13,168
Likes
52,308
JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
Is it 1973 in Texas (actually- outside of Austin....)?!?!
How on earth, in 2021, where everyone has access to some device that connects to the interwebs, that a seller at a flea market didn’t look up a watch that said omega on it to see what it would should going for? It baffles my mind, but glad there are still some out there.
Believe it or not, there is still a digital divide out there. Mrs S and I spent a day at the Paris Flea market a few years back. There were no bargains, seems everyone knew how to price.
 
redpcar
Posts
4,014
Likes
9,040
I focus my efforts on piles of crap. I like to dig for my treasures. Picture fields full of everything out in the middle of the country. I focus on sellers with loads that were purchased for next to nothing so they don't bother to look most things up, except precious metals. I simply ask: "any watches"?
Yes, most have flip phones 😉
 
Sign up or log in to reply...

Similar threads

redpcar

Flea Market Finds! Yesterday at Round Top TX

redpcar Open Discussion
Albe100
Albe100
Posts
10
Views
2K