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On the Hunt for Nostalgia

Nichole Dupont

 

Being the gorgeous weekend that it is, I had big plans. B-I-G plans, most of which involved driving north. Now, north for me is Great Barrington. It dawned on me, about three seconds from the Sheffield/GB line that “town” as we Southerners call it, was going to be a jam-packed traffic cluster that would most likely cause my heart to palpitate and as a result, my kids to learn new vocabulary from their vantage point in the backseat.
We stopped at Bob’s Flea Market on the flats, that’s as far as we went. I rediscovered the oddities of my childhood; a giant glass Budweiser chandelier in which there were miniature Clydesdales drawing a red wagon, flat-sided oval casserole dishes in plain white, an unadorned Leatherman complete with toothpick and bottle opener.
It was heaven. We ended up combing the whole of Sheffield for tag sales (there were plenty) and while our purchases were minimal (typewriter, tackle box, old lures, a magnifying glass, three stoneware dishes, and some old Hot Wheels), our experiences were unforgettable.
In fact, we actually saw a live raccoon in a cat carrier. The story goes that his mother was hit by a car and a kind woman (albeit a little strange) found the baby raccoon in the road next to the body. He isn’t a baby anymore.
And he isn’t for sale.
In these final weeks of summer, do some exploring. While you may not need a Budweiser chandelier (it was really cool, though) or antique glass lures, there will be something out there for you. 
As we speak my 9-year-old daughter is typing her first novel with the $5 typewriter…
Tags: Tag Sales, South County      

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