Flea Market Finds #34: Three Trips in Four Days

Ahhh... Spring Break.  An opportunity for me to catch up on organizing my collection, relax, and possibly travel a little.

Unfortunately, I didn't accomplish any of these things last week during my week off.

Instead I stuck around the Bay Area, hung out with friends, went to a Giants' game, and walked around several flea markets.

Here's a recap of my purchases:


When:  Thursday, April 4th
Where:  Capitol Flea Market
What:  Non-Sports Collectibles
How Much?:  $8.50

Purchase #1:  G.I. Joe Comic Books  $4

I grew up watching G.I. Joe cartoons, so there was no way I could walk away from these #1 issues.


 Purchase #2:  Rolling Stone "Elvis Presley Tribute" 9/22/77  $1

Elvis Presley was a little before my time, but there's a reason he's called The King of Rock and Roll.  He's an American icon and for a dollar, I now own a piece of history.


Purchase #3:  Bruce Springsteen "Born in the U.S.A." Album  $.50

It's been awhile since I have added an LP to the collection, but it's hard to walk away from a 50¢ copy of Born In The U.S.A.


Purchase #4:  WWF Toys R Us Photo Promos  $3

I wouldn't necessarily call myself a wrestling fan these days.  But back in the late 80's and early 90's, one of my favorite things to watch was WWF's Saturday Night's Main Event.

This is a promotional set produced for Toys R' Us back in 1990.  The vendor had a small stack that included eight of these 8.5" x 11" photos: Legion of Doom (x3), Hulk Hogan (x2), and the Ultimate Warrior (x3).  He originally wanted a buck for each photo, but eventually accepted my $3 offer to take all of them off his hands.

When:  Saturday, April 6th

Where:  De Anza Flea Market

What:  Stamps, SLU's, and a Wax Box

How Much?:  $32

Purchase #1:  Two Kenner SLU's and a box of 1996 Topps Gilt Edge $15

A guy had a huge $5 table with hundreds of figures and other collectible knick-knacks.  I understand that Starting Line-Ups have lost their luster in the eyes of many collectors, but there was no way I was walking away from 1988 figures of James Worthy and Charles Barkley.

 Purchase #2:  Japanese Stamp Collection  $17

I'm not really a stamp collector, but I stumbled across this book full of Japanese stamps.  The main thing that caught my attention were several sheets that commemorates the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo.  I have no clue on their value, but regardless... they're pretty cool.  

When:  Sunday, April 7th

Where:  Capitol Flea Market

What:  Two Binders Full of Cardboard

How Much?:  $15

Purchase #1:  90's Marvel Skybox Collection and Magic The Gathering Collection  $15

Do you ever buy something... just to buy something?  Anytime I see binders with pages, I'll stop to take a peek.  Just as I was about to leave empty handed, I noticed these two binders on a guy's table.

Neither contained sports cards.  But the Skybox Marvel cards caught my attention.  The guy wanted $10/binder or $15/both.  At $7.50/binder, I couldn't pass it up.

I don't collect or play Magic The Gathering, but I figure these will be an easy flip the next time I set up at the flea market myself.

As for the Marvel binder... it contained partial series 1, 2, and 3 sets... along with a complete series 4 set.  There were also hundreds of doubles, so if by chance you have any singles for these sets, I'd love to trade for the ones I need.  Here's a link to my 1990 to 1993 Skybox Marvel Wantlist.

Well... that's about it.  Nothing exceptionally exciting... but at least these purchases didn't make too huge of a dent in my bank account either.

Happy Sunday and sayonara!