BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE JUNK BONANZA

I’ve shopped hundreds of flea markets and antiques shows in my time without ever considering the effort it takes to pull off such an event. Owners and promoters have a colossal task in producing a well-run, clean, and exciting event. It is not as easy as it looks! I now know from experience!

The antiques, collectibles, junk, and—yes—the important “flea food” are the stars of the show. What happens behind the scenes typically goes unnoticed. That’s a good thing. Entering a porta-potty on a miserably hot day to find inhaling nauseating… dumpsters overflowing with garbage and swarming with flies… or arriving mid-morning only to discover vendors have packed up their wares and gone home are bad things. Really bad.

A perfectly orchestrated flea market is much like a well-synchronized water ballet with its graceful school of swimmers executing complex formations without the audience ever noticing a ripple in the water’s surface.

The 3rd annual Junk Bonanza will host 100 juried antiques and junk vendors from the upper Midwest at the Medina Entertainment center just west of Minneapolis, September 11–13. For details, check out www.junkbonanza.com.

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To guarantee there are no detectible ripples, the Bonanza Posse is skilled, hardworking, reliable, and committed to junk perfection. Planning begins one year prior to the event. The first step is to analyze what we did right, what we did wrong, and what we can do better for the upcoming year’s event. 

Personal note: This year we will rent generators that hold more gas and we will use bigger gas cans for transporting fuel from the local gas station. I became good friends with the young man behind the counter during my regular visits last year. My hands and clothes reeked of gasoline and I’m sure people wondered, but were polite not to mention it, during my book signings. I think this year I will pass this job off to a Posse member-in-training.

During the year, we meet monthly, secure the venue, rent a giant circus-style tent, order porta-potties and dumpsters, hire a PR company to get the word out, design and print postcards, facilitate vendor applications, update our Web site, search out sponsors, organize activities, determine signage, print Bonanza t-shirts, hire security and staff, and— most importantly—find the best vendors in the Midwest to participate! Today I visited a man who owns a 1948 International all-white fire truck…what fun! (The fire truck will be on display at the Junk Bonanza.)  

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The tent-raising is spectacular! I suspect it is similar to a barn-raising. A vacant parking lot becomes an impressive home to an eclectic assortment of antiques, magnificent architectural salvage, unusual one-of-a-kind items, and miscellaneous debris collectively referred to as “junk.”

Set-up day starts before sunrise. Before vendors arrive, we measure and mark off more than 200 booth spaces. It is a race against the clock. Last year, we found that the initial measurements were a titch off…actually, more than a titch. Yikes! Thank goodness for understanding dealers. This year it has been suggested I keep some free beer coupons in my pocket, just in case I need to say, “Oops…sorry.”

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In 2007, dealers graciously volunteered to direct traffic when they saw I was overwhelmed with the sea of vehicles flooding the loading area. I have enlisted my husband this year to manage loading and unloading. I should probably give him a few coupons to stick in his pocket, just in case.

The most difficult thing about set-up day is not being able to shop! I salivate while eyeing the dollies piled with the coolest-looking junk roll by. If I could just take a quick peek…The day is a whirlwind! 

Late in the evening, when everyone has gone home and security has dimmed the lights, I take a last satisfied look at the Junk Bonanza with its booths beautifully displayed, abundantly stocked, and waiting. It reminds me of Christmas Eve inspecting the presents under the tree after the kids have gone to bed… each booth represents a tree overflowing with presents!

After a few hours of no sleep, I can’t stop wondering what opening day will be like and praying the weather cooperates. (I wonder if there is a coupon I can put in my pocket for that.)

With lots of coffee and butterflies in my stomach, I say good morning to the Junk Bonanza Posse and anxiously wait for the line of customers to form. (This year we are offering an Early Bird ticket that includes a Country Home gift bag filled with good junk.)

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After 3 days exhausting but intoxicating days of friends, fun, and junk, the Bonanza is over for the year. Within just a few hours, like magic, it all disappears. I collapse in bed dreaming of junk, of course.

When attending your next flea market or antiques show, don’t be shy. Let management know you appreciate what they did to make sure you didn’t notice any ripples.

Visit www.junkbonanza.com for details or www.junkcamp.blogspot.com for more behind-the-scenes chatter.

Take care,

Ki