Fun is in the hunt at flea market
Magnetic Hill Flea Market runs throughout the weekend
Brian Smith calls antique tool collecting a disease, but Ken Weatherby disagrees.
Weatherby's been accumulating old, weather-beaten wooden planes, knives and axe handles for more than 40 years and he describes his condition as much worse than a disease.
"Let me tell you this, it's bad. I've got so much stuff I don't know what to do with it all. But it's all beautiful. These are wonderful tools and they don't make them like this anymore."
Smith, of Fredericton, is one of hundreds of unique vendors at the Magnetic Hill Flea Market which is running over the weekend.
Weatherby, who operates Ken's Custom Woodworking and the North Shore Military Museum in Miramichi, was captivated by Smith's impressive display of antique tools.
"A lot of people tell me I should be charging museum entrance fees to my tables," Smith joked.
"I get a lot of enjoyment out of this, seeing other people interested in antique tools as much as I am," he said.
"There's a growing market for these items. Guys see them and they tell me they remember their father or grandfather working with tools like this and they'd like to recapture some of those days from their past. You know what? These old tools still work great, too."
In fact, despite the lack of electrical power, most of the wooden tools work better than the modern ones, Weatherby said.
"You can't beat the craftsmanship," the easy-talking Miramichier said. "The wooden ones are solid and we can't make steel as well as the old fellows did years ago. They really knew what they were doing. They built their tools to last."
Smith proudly showed off his collection of planes, which are his most sought-after items. Any plane with the Stanley or Bailey name is quickly scooped up by collectors.
Most wooden planes were built earlier than 1930 and then the steel ones came on the market. Most collectable planes will sell for between $30-75, but some can creep up into the hundreds of dollars.
"The collectors are always looking for something different," Smith said. "They are looking for something they've never seen before to add to their collection. Other guys are just starting their collections."
Smith also had pocket knives, draw knives, axe handles, handmade wooden sleds and even blueberry rakes from the 1920s.
"The fun is in the hunt -- for the seller and the buyer," he said. "I try to keep one of everything for my own collection, but when I get extras, I sell them to other collectors."
The Magnetic Hill Flea Market is marking its 10 anniversary this year and organizers are anticipating crowds of 14,000 or so for the weekend. Business was brisk yesterday morning.
"We come every year and it's fun for the family because they get to see all kinds of different products in one place," said vendor Annapolis Valley vendor Susan Johnson, who was kept busy selling books, video games, compact discs and toys.
"There's a lot of work to it, but we have a lot of fun meeting new people and everyone's got a story to tell."
The flea market is open today from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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