Monday, August 24, 2009

Don't Get Fleeced at the Flea Market...


Yesterday, we went to a weekend flea market hosted by the Rotary Club held in the grounds of the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children at North Rock.We prefer going to the smaller suburban "bring and buy market" or "car booth sales market", where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered and the vendors are usually from a family that is renting a table or tent from the organiser for the first time to sell a few unwanted household items or selling homemade cakes and jams, plants and art and crafts. Of course, there are also some enterprising vendors who scout the region buying items for sale from garage sales and other flea markets, to sell them in the stalls.There are also food vendors who sell snacks and drinks, thus adding a carnival atmosphere to the market. It differs from the other bigger commercial operations like weekends markets in the city, which are similar to our pasar malam or street markets in Singapore. Like the pasar malam, these bigger weekends markets consist of rental stalls that usually sell goods such as fruit, vegetables, snacks, toys, clothes, movie discs and ornaments at cheap or at least reasonable prices compared with the shops. But, be warned! you may not get what you have paid ... Some have become infamous as outlets for pirated movies and musics and cheap imitations of brand-named clothing, accessories, or fragrances. Don't get fleeced!



Within five minutes of our arrival at the market, I had bought something that I didn't know I ever used again...I spotted this aluminium vessel for cooking steam boat aka Mongolian hot. It drew to me, past stalls and tables loaded with flea market treasures and trash, to itself like a magnet. It was love at first sight. Furthermore, it has never been used and the gentleman who sold it to me didn't know what is it for and was in his garage for years. I handed over $15 dollars without haggling and couldn't be more pleased. I have been looking for this traditional charcoal fired hot pot for a long while.This cooking vessel resembles a brass incense burner on a cone shaped base with a chimney at the centre.Today in many modern households, the traditional charcoal-heated steamboat or hot pot has been replaced by a gas or electrical hot pot, and uses a disposable gas cylinder or electricity as source of heat. All this bring to prove an often repeated axiom in my family : No matter what you want , if you wait , you'll eventually find it at a garage sale or flea market for a lot less money than would otherwise pay. (But my teen son won't buy into that. :) )

13 comments:

  1. Hi BY,
    You never know what is on offer in the flea market. I did well and quite happy with my latest find.
    Cheers,
    Phil

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Uncle Phil,

    We were just talking about this weeks back and you managed to get it here in OZ.

    Very lucky.

    Cheers,
    Lim

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Uncle Phil

    Answer to Ur Question: No, not in Melbourne yet.(Wish I am).

    That Charcoal Steamboat, my Aunt used to have 1 long ago. ANd she is used it From 1990 to 1997 (When my maternal grandma passed away). So cheap (It was about S$8.00 back then & it is a big deal) & really durable.

    The soup stockwas especially nice when U are using this charcoal steamboat.

    Cheers..........Notti Paw

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Notti,
    As a matter of fact, I do have my mother's recipe for making the stock to go with it. I'll post it soon.

    Cheers,
    Phil

    ReplyDelete
  5. Question - where can we get the charcoal, like those we use in Singapore for such steamboat?

    I just had the best steamboat fish head in Whampoa on Sunday... yummy~~~ but sigh... flying back to Sydney on Thursday~.. heheheh

    ReplyDelete
  6. Uncle Phil

    My Aunt, used Chicken Feet. U can get those chicken bone (About AU$1.00) at the Poultry outlet.

    Charcoal?? I think Garden Centre or bunning? Those place that sell plants & etc...Crabramatta (Vietnamess Town)

    Notti Paw

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nice find, Uncle Phil. Keep it a few more years and it might even turn into an antique. The older ones are made of brass.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi HW,
    Welcome back to Sydney. If I can't get the charcoal in Bunnings as suggested by Notti, I reckon I've to make them in my backyard. :)
    Have a good trip home.
    Cheers,
    Phil

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Notti,
    I hope Bunnings sells the charcoal we are looking for. I hope they are not the heat beads or reconstituted logs made from sawdust or old newspaper. Thanks for sharing your Aunt's recipe.

    Cheers.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Victor,
    You are right. I'll keep it as an heirloom. Haha

    Cheers,

    ReplyDelete
  11. Uncle Phil
    I found U a website that teach one how to make charcoal;http://www.velvitoil.com/Charmake.htm
    But as Uncle Phil the retired Forester, am sure U are already an expert in this area ^__^
    But easier to just Buy, (Just incase Bunning does not have any) I found 3 site as backup (LOL) for U to call & see where they distribute their product in Sydney:
    http://www.alsultan.com.au/index.asp
    Melbourne (Good product)
    http://www.redheads.com.au/fire.php
    http://gaganisbros.com.au/go/our-products/gaganis-charcoal-and-souvla/gaganis-charcoal-and-souvla
    Cheers........Notti Paw

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Notti,
    Thanks for the websites. Got a feeling it is going to be a hot long summer. Sure kenna whack with a fire ban. So charcoal making is out until autumn next year.
    Cheers.

    ReplyDelete