Shopping: Tour de Flea Market
Joe Paling, Associate Staff Writer
The Vancouver Flea Market is located at 703 Terminal Ave. You can try calling for directions: (604) 685 0666.
Hidden away between Clark Drive and the Main Street SkyTrain station on Terminal Avenue — near Home Depot — is the Vancouver Flea Market. You have to pay 75 cents to take advantage of all the great deals, and walking around you’ll notice that they offer as many services and tabletop “shops” as most malls.
Because of the hobby nature of the businesses, they are only open Saturday, Sunday, and some holiday Mondays. Almost everything is second-hand, but you’ll also find brand new underwear and padded bras, guitars, DVDs, aviator sunglasses, and watch battery replacements.
Much of what these second hand tables specialise in is collectibles, everything from wind-up watches, stamps, and war memorabilia, to older videogame systems and games.
Some of the war memorabilia proved controversial. My friend Pierre and I walked by one of the booths, and knowing of my immense international shot glass collection, he says something to me.
“Hey, why don’t you buy one of these Nazi-Germany shot glasses?” he suggests in his Québecois accent, the th sounding like a soft d.
Looking over I notice that they are in immaculate condition, probably not authentic, manufactured to be the real thing.
“I don’t think I’d feel comfortable with one of those in my house,” I say.
Pierre responds with his usual grimace at my unwillingness to add to my collection, just because most people would find the swastikas offensive. Looking down, something else catches my eye.
“How much for this Confederate Civil War currency?” I ask the bald-headed, moustached man.
Much of the less controversial collectibles — toys from the ‘80s and video game systems from the ‘90s — would easily remind most of us of our childhood. Sure, you might not remember the Colecovision or Jem dolls, but Felix the Cat, Garfield, GI Joe, and Nintendo Entertainment System games are something that most of us dorks have no problem striving to throw into our homes.
Being reminded of Intellivision and My Little Pony (albeit a little effeminate for me) brought back memories that were lost long ago in the rave craze of the ‘90s, and the drug-induced haze it brought. And this is one of the main attractions of the flea market; with so many business owners and collectors involved, you can bathe in nostalgia until your ears bleed.
Now, being fairly young, I’m missing out on a lot of the whole nostalgia thing — well, maybe Spanish coins with Francisco Franco don’t recall the same good memories for children of that era. Regardless, Grace Kelly stamps and old vinyl records definitely have some universal appeal.
Plus, if you’re hungry, the flea market has a cafeteria, serving stuff like hot dogs and Coca-Cola. Even the food is nostalgic.