Interest is at a peak in antiques and vintage these days, as evident from the Wheaton All-Night Flea Market! This annual market brings around a hundred vendors, dealers, and purveyors of objects rare and fine. The collectors that arrive in droves to this event hunger for the thrill of the hunt. The main attraction is that you never know what you’ll find, whether it’s a piece of your childhood that brings warm memories, the grail of collecting that you dreamt of, or something you never knew existed and immediately know that it’s a part of you.
The Wheaton All-Night Market lives up to its name–vendors had to offer their wares for ten hours, from 3 o’clock in the afternoon till an hour past midnight. Daytimers seemed to adore looking, commenting on many items that weren’t to be seen elsewhere. Nighthawks were keen on the market and some people arrived in costumes that they wanted to show. There was a carnivalesque atmosphere and there was something for everyone, making it a fair that drew immense crowds and all sorts of lovers of nostalgia. Marketgoers had a fervent fondness for the events, items, and pop culture of the 20th century. Perhaps this meet represented a chance to be in the 20th century and that was why it was so favored.
Part of the fascination that antiques and “mantiques” have is that they were built to last, combined with the opportunity of having something tangible that is connected to history. Vintage items look like they are from another world, something pulled from the past and in a way become a form of pleasant escape and relaxation that breaches the mundane. The Wheaton All-Night Market is essentially a “buyable museum” where artifacts of previous times are arranged on exhibit, yet you have the option of bringing them home.
Collecting areas of antiques include Art Deco, mid-century modern, glass, ceramics, coins, collectible cards, comic books, militaria, tools, toys, wristwatches, silverware, jewelry, books and manuscripts, art, VHS tapes, cameras, vinyl records, posters, barware, and much more. All sorts of vintage hunters of every age bracket were enjoying themselves at the market. It was a joy to see someone find their treasures at the show. Finding a treasure can be viewed as an accomplishment and also a relief for the seeker. There is a sliding definition of what an antique or vintage item would officially be, yet the consensus is that it just has to be from a previous era. Sometimes antiques can be seen as wise investments. There is also a chance that an item found at a vintage market may turn out to be extremely valuable after doing some research.
Hollywood talent that were there at the market included the actor that played Bozo the Clown, a local Chicago children’s television icon. Joey D’Auria followed the first actor to play Bozo and fulfilled the role from 1984 to 2001. He was in a jovial mood, all the while greeting fans, taking photos, granting interviews, and signing autographs. D’Auria’s voice was as good humored as his famous clown persona is and he was the most visited of all celebrities there. Nearby was also the “Bozeum,” a museum showing props used in the run of the WGN Bozo show, including one of the Bozo suits, which gathered many spectators.
Count Gregula’s Crypt was there to promote some local events, such as the weekly hosting of movies Thursday nights at Sideshow Gelato in the city and an upcoming independent film festival. The vampiric Count and Countess Gregula appeared in full garb, which was astonishing because of the daytime sweltering heat. It takes sacrifice to be undead, sigh!
Also on site were Julie Dawn Cole (“Veruca Salt”) and Paris Themmen (“Mike Teevee”) from the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory 1971 film. Both were amused as Willy Wonka cosplayers showed their appreciation. Mr. Themmen was tabling directly across from Count Gregula’s Crypt and we were delighted to hear, when talking to him, that he is an avid backpacker and has visited sixty countries on six continents and has appeared on the television game show Jeopardy. We also heard that Julie Dawn Cole, during the filming of the movie, snuck out some of the Willy Wonka film-used props, including an “everlasting gobstopper” and a “golden ticket.” Though both played bratty children who received their comeuppance in the Roald Dahl-based movie, the former child actors are today friendly and not at all maladjusted.
Next to the Crypt was the table of Rick Goldschmidt, the biographer of the Rankin/Bass Productions. Rankin/Bass is known for its Christmas specials such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, and The Year Without Santa Claus. The stop motion wizardry of the Rankin/Bass shows are magnificently timeless, bringing many fans to his booth since he documented in a series of publications the world of Rankin/Bass enchantingly.
The crowd did not lessen as time went on. As night arrived, the shoppers looking at the goods of vendors pulled out flashlights, whether on their phones or handheld ones. Everyone seemed to be detective bloodhounds searching for that refined treasure in mind. It was dreamlike to see the hundreds of rays of light in the market. It was a vision that looked like a moving constellation, a contrast between light and shadow. Tremendously intriguing to see such a sight.
The next market of this kind will be at the same fairgrounds, the DuPage County Fairgrounds, on the Saturday before Halloween this year. It will be the Haunted Halloween Flea Market and will happen on October 28, 2023, from 3 p.m. to midnight, and costumes are naturally welcome! The Crypt and other children of the night will make an appearance again. We hope to see you there!
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