School Days

Seems like since midsummer, all we’ve seen in stores is “Back To School.”

Those stacks of fresh notebooks and number-two pencils got us thinking about the good old days in grammar school. And it wasn’t long before we were at the flea market looking for old-school goodies from our past and beyond.

Like eager students, we made it to the flea market early and studied our shopping lists. Kitty pledged to find a big American flag, and Jennifer was determined to get a map––the huge kind the teacher would pull down in front of the chalkboard. We were off to a great start when we spotted Old Glory flying over a card catalog! The card catalog was too spendy at $500, but Kitty got the flag for a song (only $40), and we carefully folded it up.

A little ways on, after thumbing through a box of hilarious yearbook photos, we stopped at a table of flashcards. We flipped through words, numbers, and pictures to feature in craft projects, before turning to a collection of children’s books, $5 each.

Jennifer picked up Fun With Dick And Jane and read a page aloud in her best teacher’s voice. We chose a few titles for old-time’s sake and threw them in with our flashcards for $22.

After our own version of recess, we marched down the main aisle to a busy furniture booth. Kitty sat at a child’s study desk with a matching chair marked $110. She thought its small footprint would work well in her kitchen. It had cubbies for sorting bills and other “homework,” and a roll-top to keep messy papers out of sight. We did the math, haggled with the vendor, and bought the set for $90. It helps to know those negotiating ABC’s!

Another dealer had an antique spelling board branded “Richmond School Furniture Company” and dated 1940. He showed us how it worked by sliding the wooden letters around in the channel to spell out words. We said it would make a great piece of art for a kid’s room, and he pointed behind us to a big rack of maps.

Jennifer could hardly contain herself. Right on the front was a classroom map of France. Ooh la la! And for only $125, that map gets an A+!