RSW? WTF is that? Fort Myers. Makes total sense.
So, to continue my shopping logs, today was a day to go to Ft. Myers, because I had found out there is a large flea market there. In preparation, as I did with JAX, I went into google Maps and pinned all the thrift stores in the immediate area. It’s been a little while since I’ve gone down that far, so I didn’t remember much of what was there.
I got on the road at around 8:30 and with a 2.5 hr drive time, I got into the area around 11:00. As I got off the interstate, I saw a billboard for "huge flea market" at the next light. It was not where my GPS was leading me, but I turned anyway. The road took me to a different flea market. Very interesting. But it was not the market for me. Not meaning any derision, this was a Hispanic flea market. I was like the only white guy there. There was only one booth that had CDs and they were all Latino artists. So, while it was a huge flea market and if I needed produce or cowboy boots I would have been all set, there was nothing for me to buy there.
Back on track to the real flea market, FleaMasters. It’s supposedly a very long-running market, so yay? I arrive and park and make my way into the first building. Within a few minutes, I find the "media" place. It was a bookseller, but like many people who honor media, there were tapes, records, and CDs.
First off, everything was pretty disgusting, with a layer of dirt on it. I can deal. After maybe 50% review, I found one target CD. The owner comes over to chat me up, says I must have an amazing collection if I’ve only found one CD so far. He’s right. We get talking about CDs and that’s pretty much the only thing he was right about. Trying to tell me the target CD I had was a 2nd or 3rd pressing, probably from 1990. Whatever. He can be wrong, I’m just here to buy. And everything is priced, so it’s not like he’s going to change the prices because I know what I’m finding. In the end, I walked out with 6 CDs, only a couple of them dupes. Probably about $5 each on average.
Sadly though, that was it for the entire day.
I wandered around the sprawling market halls and got lost over and over. It was beyond infuriating that they didn’t have a directory of vendors. Even worse, they didn’t even have a map posted anywhere! About 45 minutes later, I got back to my car with only the one shop to show for my effort. Oh well, off to the thrifts.
Along with maybe half a dozen thrift stores, I also stopped at two record stores. One had a sizable, but poor selection of CDs, and the other didn’t keep CDs at his store – he had a booth at FleaMasters. Really, now. I guess I’ll have to try harder next time.
I didn’t mention the sweating. The market was HOT and the sweat was pouring down my back and filling my underwear. Almost to the point I wondered if it looked like I was shitting myself. And at one Goodwill, I found no CDs, but had to get a bottle of water ($2.50) and it was down in a flash. That gave me a little more energy to go on. But I think my body was in survival mode, because I wasn’t hungry, thirsty, tired, or angry. I didn’t have a pressing need to go to the bathroom either. That condition is probably dangerous for me.
I did stop soon after at Carrabbas and got soup and salad. Downed a few glasses of liquid and got back on the road. But still, by now, it’s after 2:00, my time is running short.
I made three more stops. The Habitat ReStore was closed for the day, so really only two stops. I tried to set the GPS for two more shops nearby and I was warned they would be closed before I got there. Ok. That’s the end of the day.
Set my course for home, hit a RaceTrac along the way, and cruised on back, with some rain showers along the way. Arrived back home right at 6:00. With the amount of gas I burnt today at the current gas prices, this trip was not worth the money. Total outlay was about $30 and gas was probably about $50. And a $20 lunch, yeah, definitely not worth the trip.
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