The Virgin Mary to Care Bears: the St. Teresa Flea Market Has it All

A more than 40 year old tradition of the Perrysville community, the St. Teresa Parish flea market is serious business for some residents. 

Dedicated shoppers are expected to line up at 6 a.m. Saturday morning for the flea market in the North Hills, though the doors won't open officially until 9 a.m.

In the past the line has wrapped around the building, across the parking lot and down to the road, according to festival committee member Connie Stewart.

Stewart said sometimes people are so excited that they ask to go to the bathroom just to get a quick peek at the merchandise on the walk to the toilet. 

"Some people have been coming for years and make a beeline straight for what they want," Stewart said. 

With the flea market almost here, hours of work are coming to fruition for members of the St. Teresa of Avila Parish.

Hundreds of volunteers have been working on gathering, sorting and pricing the thousands of items in St. Teresa Parish's Schoppol Hall all week long and late into the night. 

But many of the volunteers are content to bag up merchandise and put on price stickers all night long, according to Stewart.

"Some of these ladies just live for this," Stewart said. 

Some volunteers have been helping make the festival happen for years. Like Dolly Blasko from Ross Township who remembers when the flea market first started as just four tables.

"That's what started it all and this is what it turned into," Blasko said gesturing to the room jam packed full of donations.  

The process started eight weeks ago when an overwhelming amount of donations flowed in from around the community. 

There were so many donations being left outside even after the cutoff date that the committee had to put up a sign outside that reads,"No longer accepting donations. Do not leave anything. God is watching."  

There is a dedication among the volunteers. They take pride in displaying the merchandise– going so far as to polish silver, wash donated linens at home and sort, pair and individually bag pairs of earrings, Stewart said. 

"People like it to be nice and not just a room full of junk," Stewart said. 

The flea market fare is sorted into sections including: Baskets, sports, books and records, notions and crafts, toys, candles and flower vases, tupperware, decorations, pets, hardware, jewelry, furniture and more. 

Everything from a Care Bear lamp to a Ethan Allen entertainment system— you name it and you'll find it somewhere in Schoppol Hall. 

There is even a statue of the Virgin Mary outside with a sign around its neck that says, "Take me home," because as one volunteer remarked, "How can you put a price on the holy mother?"

"If it's made," Blasko said, "honest to God we have it."

Are you going to line up at 6 a.m. for the market? See anything you like? Tell us in the comments.