Canton First Monday Trade Days

I grew up less than an hour away from Canton, Texas and had NEVER been to First Monday Trade Days until last month.



What are Canton First Monday Trade Days, you ask? Well, Canton is the "Grand Daddy" of all flea markets and is supposedly one of the largest outdoor markets in the world. It's located about an hour east of Dallas, Texas and is home to THOUSANDS of vendos selling home furnishings, art, clothes, crafts, collectibles, antiques and more. Some things cost a pretty penny. Other things are dirt cheap. The place is so big, you can really find anything you want. The place is also so big that you can easily get lost (and tired). To help ourselves navigate and shop, we brought along a couple wagons for the kiddos and our purchases. The wagons were saviors.

I was warned that Canton is massive and overwhelming, but I had no idea the extent of it until I went. Well, actually, I had no idea until we spent the first hour walking around an area that was not even connected to the main grounds. We literally had to drive down the road and re-pay to park. (Whoops, should have researched.)

Our mistake did get us to puppy alley (where animals are sold), and I did really want to see it... until I was actually there. The place made me very uncomfortable due to many reasons. The only positive thing I walked away with was a picture of a chicken coop that I'd like to have one day.

The main grounds had the fun, where you could practically buy anything under the sun. I was all grins and ready to shop. The main item I was looking for was metal yard art, particularly a flying pig. I was one happy camper to land myself in metal yard art heaven.

They had metal animals of all kinds, including 5 foot Beyonce chickens.

Have you read the blog story about Beyonce the chicken? If not, do me a favor and read it NOW - article here at the Bloggess. I want one, seriously. No, I won't grow up to be a cat lady. I'll just be that weirdo with yard art everywhere.

This visit to Canton I snagged a baby Longhorn and flying pig, and Jeff's mom purchased a chicken and weenie dog (as a gift).

Not only was I obsessed with the metal yard art, but I was obsessed with the oversized assortment of metal letters.

I don't have any need for them now, so I didn't buy any, but you better believe I will be back when the right room project comes along. These letters make awesome decor.

I also loved the multitude of fun signs available. They would accent a game room, bar or hip business perfectly.

In regard to themed decorating, or maybe antique collecting, antique vendors were pretty popular. Some of the antiques were dingy, but some were really cool, like these pop culture items.

I of course didn't check out any of the price tags, nor would I have known if the antique prices were reasonable. I was more interested in the $2 dollar price tags, like $2 for a burlap sack.

The burlap sacks caught my eye from the moment we entered Canton, but I had no idea what I could do with them... until I saw them framed and immediately wanted one on my wall.

$35 for the framed version. $2 unframed. Uh, I can make the frame myself. $2, check, please!

I also found another decor item that I am totally going to DIY, these numbered burlap pillows.

I have a how-to pinned for painting numbers on burlap, so I am pretty sure I can make a dang-near close replica. (Project to be continued.)

And lastly, but not least, I finally purchased a cow skin rug for my bedroom, a Brazilian cow hide rug to be exact. I made the vendor lay out 5 or 6 for me, and after 30 minutes of debating which exact color/pattern/size I wanted, I think I found the perfect one.

Out of all the rugs I've looked at in the last year, including the ones on sale at World Market, these were the cheapest I've seen. It was quite the deal.

So, a flying pig, baby longhorn, burlap sack and cow hide rug, I'd say I won on that Canton trip.

This round we spent our time in mainly the outdoor/antiques area. Next time I want to tackle more art and home decor and will be more prepared to do so. Guess I better start saving!