Twice a year The Woodlands Texas has a "Flea market" where residents can rent a booth and sell their unneeded stuff. People outside of The Woodlands are also allowed to participate in selling their goods. This market is sponsored and run by residents of Panther Creek Village. Each year there is a new batch of volunteer recruits to add to those residents who enthusiastically volunteer their time to make the event successful. Success is determined by the customer, the shopper and the volunteers. All should go home happy after one of these events.
It all begins months before the event when the committee convenes and starts planning for the next event. By the time the event comes, new recruits are trained in preparation for their first job working among those seasoned dedicated volunteers who come year after year to socialize and put this amazing event into action. On the day of the sale, some folks get to the location at 2:30AM to set up! At 4:30AM volunteers arrive and get their job duties from the administrative team. Among those pictured is Rich Jakovac, feeling those heavy eyelids from getting up so darn early! Each village has a chief to coordinate the activities of the teams. The village chief may have responsibility for a floor in the parking garage. Team leads might have the responsibility for a ramp on the floor assigned to the village chief.
Larry Faith (right) is the master mind of the event. He has led this event for as along as I can remember. He has a strong and energetic leadership team to help. Our community is thankful for his continuing efforts to help make The Woodlands a nice place to live.
At about 5:30 AM, shoppers have lined up outside, anticipating the bargains they will find when the "gates" are opened. Many have wagons or carts where they can store their discoveries after they have bought them. Some vendors will hold larger items for people who cannot carry them, especially furniture. Vendors will rent two parking spaces as one unit or four parking spaces as two units. Some families chip in together and rent one or two units as a group and have a "street sale" together. Typically one will find a car in one space and tables covered with good in the other parking spot. Sometimes, both parking spaces will be full of goods. The car can be parked elsewhere during the sale.
Interact students help unload the vendors cars or trucks. They will get credit hours for community work by their participation. They work hard and fast to help get the cars unloaded quickly and enable the automobiles to leave so that space is made available for other automobiles and vendors. One person asked, "how do I tip these kids?" One young lady answered, "we do this voluntarily. No tip is necessary." The lady told me, "I love these kids. I got to know several on a first name basis." This is The Woodlands folks! We have many fine young people here.
Eventually, 7AM rolls around. 9,8,7,6,5,
4,3,2,1,
.ZERO!!!!! Who let the dawgs out? As the wagons rumble on the concrete , some things are sold within the first 3 minutes! I saw a guitar and a night stand go right before my eyes, before I could put my camera away.
Compressors, cars, trucks, vans, furniture, telescopes, toys, .... there was everything for sale at very reasonable prices.
Bicycles, tricycles, boats, jewelry, .....
How cool is this?! "I want this spider for Halloween! Look what it can do!!"
Clothes, sports equipment including racket ball rackets, tennis rackets, baseball gloves, golf clubs. Fishing equipment - cane pole, spinning reel, fishing poles, ... on and on. It was all there.
Participate next time. Empty your garage here. Buy some cool stuff here. It is fun at both ends of the sale, as well as producing the event.
