My annual Hillsville thread Labor day week end 2019!

shilowar

Hillsville Flea Market this week end...weather looks to be perfect for it...over 700,000 people anticipated over the holiday weekend. I've been going most every year for the past 20 or so. It's not quite the gun selling paradise it once was since the ATF put a quash on it a few years ago, but it's still quite a huge flea market event. I attend mostly for nostalgia, it's amazing how so many of the same vendors/sellers are in the same spots every year, year after year selling much of the same stuff!!

I guess I'll be custom knife hunting as I just blew my piggy bank on a Zenith Z5RS the other night.



Anyone else planning to attend?

jimdeere

Be sure to stop at all the yard sales if you go down Route 100 from 81 to Hillsville.

shilowar

jimdeere wrote:

Be sure to stop at all the yard sales if you go down Route 100 from 81 to Hillsville.

I skip those...usually too early getting to Hillsville and coming home 81 from Galax as we'll go to the farmer's market when we leave. I typically go first thing in the morning and leave around noon when the crowds start getting bad.

jimdeere

Nice gun, by the way.

shilowar

jimdeere wrote:

Nice gun, by the way.

Yeah thanks!!! We have select-fire MP5A2s at work...so I've always wanted one of my own.

bustedknee

I live 11 miles north of Hillsville off of rt 100 and avoid the flea market like the plague!

Drivers are in a daze, sellers are in a greedy funk, buyers are in a giddy panic and I'm looking for cover like a cockaroach when the light comes on....

Wave as you drive by.

shilowar

bustedknee wrote:

I live 11 miles north of Hillsville off of rt 100 and avoid the flea market like the plague!

Drivers are in a daze, sellers are in a greedy funk, buyers are in a giddy panic and I'm looking for cover like a cockaroach when the light comes on....

Wave as you drive by.

I shall...100 gets ugly in the afternoon with all the cars parked at the side show yard sales....I leave as it's getting ripe.

Edspdog1

Just got home from Hillsville. Been going for 25 plus years.
Found a few goodies.
VFW lot down about 1/3 third of it vendors, crowd way down. Most junk I have ever seen. 3 tables on Gun Hill and not many more than that in the area outside the VFW building. Had to do a lot of walking past empty booths just to check out the ones that did show up.
Taking it's last breath unless something changes. Vendors seemed to have been willing to haggle a bit.
Space rentals going up every year, discouraging vendors and quality of "stuff" down so not many coming to buy.
Oh and be sure you ask before you order what the cost of the food is or you will get robbed.

shilowar

The VFW area seemed about a 1/3 empty last year aswell....do you go over the hill to the west? There is an entire field that I've never even been too. I don't go really in search of anything, it's more of an annual trek...I could stay home and just do chores like I do every Sat, so it's a nice lil change. My expectations are low. It always falls a month before we have our beach vacation so I don't typically have much fun money to waste anyways.

Brookwood

I lived in Woodlawn (half way between Galax & Hillsville) for a couple of years. Never made it to the big Labor Day flea market, but did enjoy several yard sales in the area that go on just about every weekend during the summer months. I found a lot of very musically talented folks living there, as some of these yard sales featured musical entertainment! Blue Grass and Gospel mostly and it was GREAT!

Sunday & Wednesday Church services were also the best spirit lifting experiences through the music!

I left the area because of some shoulder problems which hindered my ability to wave to everyone I passed while driving by.

Southwest Virginia is the FRIENDLIEST PLACE ON EARTH!

jimdeere

Thanks, Brookwood, and bless your little heart.

KenK/84Bravo

jimdeere wrote:

Thanks, Brookwood, and bless your little heart.

That is too funny.


I locked myself out of my car one time. (Had opened the car door, thought I had hit the "unlock" button in order to open the rear hatch, threw the keys in the drivers seat, shut the door.) Yep - I hit the "lock" button.

Had a huge cartload of groceries. Nice, very nice.

Spent a lot of time trying to break in. Passed my multitudes of Women headed in or out to shop. "Why Sweetheart, are you locked out." (No Ma'am, I'm just practicing in case I ever really do need to get in. :roll: ) Sigh. "Why Bless your Heart."

Edspdog1

Didn't go to the "hill' this year, Usually do if we stay for Saturday, came home Friday evening.
Too much walking to cover the VFW and lot across the street and have enough left for the "hill" in one day.
We do the Memorial day flea market, stop at the hill first them make our way down to the valley. Memorial day Friday is a good one day trip, VFW lot has been having more every year.
I reckon you can say any thing about anyone in the south as long as you end it with "bless their heart"

Ricci Wright

Last time I was up that way I rented a cabin for the night in Fancy Gap. That was two years ago and I was dating a young lady from California who had never seen the Smokey's. She also told me she had never seen a deer in the wild. We had a great time and I woke her at 5 am cause I needed to get back home early. On the way out on the wooded road we saw a couple of deer and even a racoon. The city girl was delighted.

shilowar

Went this morning, didn't stay very long..two hours or so. Pretty much the same stuff as every year other than not many private gun sellers. Most of the guns are over priced. I tweaked my back yesterday so two hours of standing and walking around was enough, and the crowds grew earlier this year than last. Picked up a couple small items and we each got a corn dog, and bought her a smoked ear of corn from WV Mountain Ears....she loved that!!

My sister will come visit next year so we'll spend longer. I need to go up on the west side and explore that area, haven't ever gone up there, other than to drive by.