Holy Grail Flea Market Finds: Volume One

As a certified creature of habit, I don’t venture out of Springfield very often to go thrifting. Why? I tend to have surprisingly good luck at the two places I frequent, which I won’t reveal here. This is top-secret, confidential information.

Did I also mention I'm a creature of habit?

Last month, a friend told me about some flea market gold mines in Joplin, Missouri. And if there’s one thing you know about me, it's that I love day trips and flea markets. So, we went!

This post is heavily (one hundred percent, actually) inspired by our trip to Joplin. I found a plethora of cool things that I don't usually see at my frequent haunts. And just for fun, I've included Etsy and eBay links under most items in case you don't want to search for them "in the wild" like I did.

So, let's start with my favorite find of all time (I made that up, but it's pretty close), which I didn't find in Joplin (lol) but is very worthy of this list.

Vintage Y2K Acrylic Tulip Lamp: First of all, the term "Y2K" annoys me, but ... that's the best way to describe this INCREDIBLE lamp. To my surprise, I found this and a matching glitter butterfly lamp in the same booth at the flea market.

They were both covered in a thick layer of dirt and dead bugs, but I saw the glowing potential within them. Did I mention they worked?

I brought them home and meticulously cleaned them with Q-tips, and the butterfly lamp shorted out. Cool. Nevertheless, the tulip lamp is proudly displayed in my dining room and will be forever. F-O-R-E-V-E-R.

A few weeks before I found these, a delightful memory popped up on Instagram:

Girlfriends LA catalog

*Insert loud squealing sound here*

Vintage Light-Up Jack-O-Lantern Blow Mold: I have an ever-growing and everlasting love for my vintage Halloween collection. I add a few things to it every year, so it's impossible to predict how much I'll have by the time I'm 80. An entire house of Halloween decorations, probably.

Blowmolds are the ultimate Halloween novelty item, and if I find a good deal on one, I will buy it. Every time. It's hard to tell from the photo, but this one lights up—and it's in perfect condition! I can't wait to plug it in and bask in the orange glow.

Here's the Halloween candy bucket version.

LA Times Magazine, Christmas 1974: My vintage Christmas collection has also grown like crazy over the years, and I couldn't resist adding the Christmas edition of LA Times Magazine to it.

Here's a peek inside.

Art Foam Sculpture Book, 1973: Okay, how could I say no to THIS cover? I knew I needed it for something, but I wasn't sure what for. It didn't take me long to realize it should be framed and proudly displayed on my dining room wall.

Vintage Glass Owl Jar Candle: This is the quintessential candle of the 1970s. Not only is it in perfect condition, but there's still wax inside.

It now lives on my mantel, but it truly belongs in a shag-carpeted stoner basement.

Smiley Face Deck of Cards: Two things. Well, maybe three. I made a loud, audible sound when I found this deck of cards.

Not only is the smiley face design the epitome of COOL, but the cards are packaged in a gold glitter case. Eeeeee.

Vintage Colorama Drip Candles: If you thought I made a loud, gasping sound when I saw the deck of cards, imagine what everyone in the flea market heard when I found these.

As an avid collector of vintage packaging, I would have been perfectly content with the box alone. But wait. The unused candles were still inside. Get. Out. Of. Here. Right now.

Porcelain Lard Container: What a hilarious thing to type.

This lard container can be used for many things, but it didn't take me long to fill it with potting soil!

Vintage Honeycomb Jack-O-Lantern: Here's another Halloween decoration I couldn't pass up— an unopened Hallmark honeycomb jack-o-lantern from the 1960s.

There's something very special about opening a 60-year-old package and assembling the contents. *Sigh*

I still can't believe I found everything (minus the lamp) in one trip— all for under $100. Flea market dreams do come true.

xoxo, Jacki