First Monday Trade Days in Canton, Texas.....

First Monday Trade Days, originally known as Trades Day, began in Canton, Texas, in the mid 1850's.  One version of how the event started tells how this was the time each month when the circuit judge in VanZant County would come into town and hold court. People would come at this time and trade goods, buy a horse or a dog, visit with friends, and eat. It gradually became a bigger and bigger event.  First Monday Trade Days has continued from that time until now....over 150 years has passed since the first Trade Days. And.......it is now the world's largest flea market expanding over 100 acres with about 3000 dealers from all over the United States. On the Thursday through Sunday before the first Monday of each month, approximately 200,000 people descend upon little Canton, Texas, a town of only 5,400 people. This is where Tim and I were this past Saturday.

Our family has been going to First Monday Trade Days or Canton Trade Days as we call it for over twenty years. When the kids were little we would  go often. I would take three or four of them with me. I'd give each of them $10.00 to spend. They would "wheel and deal" with their $10.00 buying little cars, pictures, jewelry.....all kinds of stuff. When Isaac was about five or six years old, he was down to his last two bucks.The item he wanted was five dollars. He told the vendor only had two dollars.......take it or not. The vendor was so impressed at his gumption that he sold it to Isaac for the two dollars.

Tim and I hadn't been to Canton Trade Days in about three or four years.  Tim, especially, was looking forward to today. He collects those airplane collector banks. Some of them are quite pricey. He has one that cost $200.00 that I bought for him for a birthday from a Canton Trade Days dealer many years ago!! Anyway.....I don't know if Canton has really changed the past few years or maybe we have changed, but it all seemed different today. There just didn't seem to be as many antiques.......the whole place seem more commercialized.  For an antiques person like me, there just seemed to be too much new stuff.........There weren't many antiques "deals" to be had. Tim and I only stayed a couple of hours. I bought a iron dress form and Tim bought a model car.......Then, we took one last look at the "field" vendors and left. I felt a little sad. Maybe I've outgrown Canton just a bit, but walking around "shopping" in 100 degree weather minus my kids just doesn't appeal to me much anymore.......

Field Vendors

An example of the new merchandise........just like you would find in a regular store.

                                                                    My Sweetheart!