Piles and Boxes
Posted by Sam at 11:49 PM

For the record, I am fully aware that flea markets are not, nor have they ever been or will be, known for their quality merchandise. No one goes to a flea market expecting high-end wares. Yet, when I see a pile of trash such as this one being auctioned off, I have to wonder who deemed it appropriate to display this junkyard refuse as purchasable product. Come on! It's a pile of trash! A freakin' pile! It was probably in that identical configuration at the dump when it was picked up too.

And furthermore, garbage in a box is still garbage. Despite the fact that its purveyor has chosen to house the crud in a fancy-shmancy cardboard bin that prevents his trash from bleeding into the neighboring junk-peddler's trash, it's still grade-A, 100%, ain't-no-foolin' garbage. Nothing more. Nothing less. It's not magically transformed into a treasure trove of trinkets or a rockin' receptacle of randomness. Nope. It's trash... in a box.

The rest of the flea market was great though. I mean, check out these happy customers! (Sorry Mike)

Wow. How can I post about my low-brow love of drinking beer in the shower, followed immediately by a post condemning the sale of trash in boxes? I'm a walking, talking, blogging contradiction. Boy-howdy!

Comments: 3 | Post a Comment | Permalink

hmm... while i did not get to go to this particular flea market i have been to them in the past and we seem to see differnt things. maybe the patch is making me a sensitive but im a little sad that you cant appreciate the magic in a box of nothing special.

Comment By manuel noriega on July 25, 2005 12:44 AM

i am still trying to figure out if the guy was selling two boxes of trash for a dollar; or two items of trash from the box for a dollar.

Comment By TheDarkLordDerfla on July 25, 2005 10:45 AM

That looks entirely like junk, but they say one man's junk is another...hey...that quote doesn't sound so good.

We picked up a chest o' drawers for Ian at a flea market. There was lotsa crap there, too. It's kinda what a flea market is for.

I've even heard eBay is blighted by junk. I've heard rumor of someone putting up some kinda knife with a bone handle, or something, up for auction. ;)

Comment By Blackwatch on July 25, 2005 11:31 AM