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Sunday, September 24, 2000
Flea markets
From piñatas to palm readings, a bargain hunters' delight
By Andrea Jares
Caller-Times
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| George Gongora/Caller-Times |
| People stop to view vendors selling airbrushed items at the Trade Center on South Padre Island Drive. The Trade Center is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Casa Linda is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday. |
There probably aren't too many places where a shopper can sort through person-sized piñatas, indulge in a lime-and-chile saturated fruit cup and get a palm read, all under one roof.
Corpus Christi Trade Center, a maze of bargains and quirky items, attracts shoppers looking for more than savings.
"I love it here," said Ramona Rodriguez, 59, of Corpus Christi. "You're going to find a lot of people out here enjoying themselves."
She and her mother, Rebecca Martinez, 80, come to hunt for bargains each Friday. Recently, Rodriguez snapped up a pair of Austrian crystal earrings for $4.50 and a giraffe brooch for $2.50 that she planned to wear to work.
Shoppers mill through market booth at the popular Trade Center at 2833 S. Padre Island Drive, but also the more low-profile Casa Linda Flea Market at 1551 Baldwin Blvd. The Trade Center tends to sell mainly new items such as Mexican imports, while Casa Linda has many used items looking for a new role.
Some flea market hunters are in it for the adventure of finding a good deal. Others are on the prowl for something specific, like a piece for a collection. But whatever they're looking for, what they are likely to find is a stroll down memory lane - such as sellable fashions that are aged long enough to be called retro.
At Casa Linda you'll find dishes left over from a more formal time in dining history, knick knacks that adorned shelves during the Eisenhower administration, drawers full of costume jewelry or art that could use some appreciation.
Variety gives spice to the Trade Center, which sells everything from couches to grave markers to tattoos. Slip on cowboy boots, get low-cost vaccinations for your pet, browse through Tejano music or shop for vegetables indigenous to Mexican dishes.
The allure of the Trade Center probably comes from the casual nature of the shopping experience, said Steve Martin, owner of The Hat Trick, who has been selling ball caps and collectible Zippo lighters there for more than a decade.
"It's kind of a pleasant atmosphere," he said. "They can order a beer and walk around with it if they want."
Johnny Moncada, 58, spends his Fridays at the Trade Center when he can get away from the nursing home where he lives. For him, the allure of the Trade Center is talking to the shopkeepers who sometimes cut him a deal.
"Everyone at the Trade Center, they are all so friendly," he said. "Sometimes they make me feel better than at the regular stores."
Business writer Andrea Jares can be reached at 886-3678 or by e-mail at jaresa@caller.com
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