Beach Boulevard Flea Market: Jacksonville, FL 10-9-11

So obviously, House of Fleas was not the gold mine I hoped it to be. 

After my little mishap with the trash I thought of to be a friend in Jacksonville, I was encouraged by my father to stay with his friends (and tax clients) in Orange Park.

They were absolutely wonderful in helping me decide which flea markets to go to. I really would like to extend my gratitude to the their family.

On to my second flea market in one day: Beach Boulevard Flea Market.

This market was filled with everything... but mostly new things, which I am not interested in.

But it wasn't something new that caught my eye. It was a someone.

Ryan N.: Jacksonville, FL

Ryan is ten years old. A little ironic since my little brothers are Ryan: 13, & Hunter, 10. Kind of cute to me.

Ryan is a hardcore entrupenure. He shares a booth every weekend with his grandpa, Bob.

Bob Powell & Ryan N: Jacksonville, FL

I was so excited to see someone young really into flea marketing/making money! When I asked him what he planned on doing with all the money he was making, he seemed bashful when he answered "go buy more stuff to sell!" Ryan gets all of his stuff from yard & estate sales. He is so intense about his selling. He told me that he hates missing yard sales (just like I hate missing flea marketing!) so much so that his family gave him an option weather or not he wanted to go to his older sibilings college graduation in order to go to yard sales. I'm glad he picked the graduation, and he was glad too, he admited!

I was so impressed with this 10 year old. He really knew his stuff. He only buys what he knows is good quality and will sell easily. If he doesn't know a brand, he will research it a lot before he puts anything on his table. He is truly an honest, hard working, ethical little man!

His grandpa's fishing buddy, Louie (27), got the guys into selling at the flea market. Louie's booth is right next to theirs.

"I want to be like Louie when I grow up." -Ryan N.

He really has a lot of great people to look up to in his life. In addition to his grandpa, & Louie, his dad is also a major life influence. His plan is to become a CEO of a "big company" Ryan told me. He wants to open up grocery stores, and such with his dad. What a crazy dream at ten years old, to want to open a grocery store...

At ten, all I could think about was marrying Ashton Kutcher, or being a cosmetologist!

On the oposite end of the specturm is Dot.

Dot Anderson: Jacksonville, FL

For the past 65 years, Dot has been known as the Lace Lady. She has been restoring lace, repurposing lace, and having fun with it since as long as she can remember. She showed me a scrapbook of the numerous articles written about her the newspapers. She was just beaming when she spoke about her lace work.

"The name of the game is: LOVE WHAT YOU DO." -Dot Anderson.

Dot had such a youth to her that my portrait of her does no justice, but this thumbnail may.

Dot Anderson's hair

Dot was just such a delightful lady. She loves being active and the perks of wonderful people passing by, is her favorite thing about this.

"I'd be dead in six months if I wasn't doing this. Seriously." -Dot Anderson

Sounds a lot like Nana.




Away from the flea market blog I would like to give special recognition to Nana right now.

Nana is my hero for obvious reasons. She has always done everything for me. She handles my life even 1,000 miles away at 78 years young.

Nana was about to have her hip replaced when the doctors found breast cancer. Not able to proceed with the hip until other matters were fully taken care of, she recently just finished her 5 weeks of radiation.

I am so proud of her.

I am sure she does not want all of this sad attention drawn to her, and I'm sure she is going to call me, yell at me and tell me to take this off IMMEDIATLY, that nobody needs to know about this.

But Nan, I'm not going to.

You are my hero. I am so thankful to have you, and I am so happy that I am meeting so many old people that can't compare to you. You are such an amazing lady.

Your constant support by reading this (on the iPad I got you!) and talking to me about it means the world to me.

I want all of my readers to know that Nana is absolutly fine. There is nothing to worry about, other than her dirty jokes. Oh, but for the love of Flea Markets, will someone get that lady a new hip!!!


My parents have been such a great help in this project too. I literally could not do it without them. They deserve a lot of credit as to why I am able to do this project.

xoxoxo