Sandy C. — My Big Sister

Sandy C. is my sister, and I’ve had her for as long as I can remember — she’s just over two years older than me. This photo was taken on November 6, 2005, at our flea market booth, where she was selling glass pipes for tobacco use only (as we had to label them back then). These days, it seems like those same items are sold legally in many states. That’s “progress,” I suppose.

Sandy’s always had a strong spirit and a sharp sense of humor, but she’s not too keen on having current photos taken — so I respect that. As of March 2023, she’s living about 2,100 miles away in Southern California. In late 2022, she lost her significant other to cancer after a very short illness. It hit hard.

She had considered coming out to Indiana for a few weeks in the summer of 2023 to unwind and reconnect, but that trip never happened. Still, she’s never far from my thoughts, and I’m grateful for the bond we share — even across the miles.

Below was a quicker setup than the ones on the Gil's Pics page.  We concentrated more on the glassware and accessories than on the incense and oils at this point, since it was what brought people in.  That pipe sign faced straight down the first isle that people going to the main part of the flea market walked on. Most of my job was repairing scooters, designing the setup and making signs.  Since I had to take an early retirement due to back problems, I pretty much got to talk to customers.  Bob S. wouldn't really let me do much.

One of my favorite things to do is displays.  I was quite known for it at Radio Shack while we could still come up with ideas on our own.  This is a pre-Christmas display on the concession trailer. The display was nice, but the economy in 2005 really stopped people from buying the stuff like they did the year prior.  We ended up selling all of the wall-hangings and many of the dragons, but there were still some left after the Holiday Season.  Luckily, we had a good backup plan. Wish I could remember what it was! But we sold them all except for regular stock.