Famous flea market
$35 license irritates flea market vendors

Javy Yazzie, 8, helps his mom, Patsy Brown, search through turquoise and coral bead strands at the Big Bear Beads Stand at the Gallup Flea Market on Saturday afternoon. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

By Natasha Kaye Johnson
Diné Bureau

GALLUP — It's no secret that Gallup Flea Market is famous.

Vendors and customers at the Gallup Flea Market travel far and wide to be a part of the popular market, which has been served as a landmark for Gallup, been written about in magazines, was featured prominently in the New York Times, and has even been featured on television news show "60 Minutes."

"This is a world-famous market," said Earl Blevins, 52, who has been selling produce at the market for 10 years.

Blevins drives in every weekend from Cuba with his wife Sharlett, to sell produce items from green chile, watermelon, pions, beans, and cherries.

Although Albuquerque's Flea Market is much closer and is a bigger market, it has never crossed their minds to sell there.

"They're bigger flea markets," Earl Blevins said.

"But not better," quickly added Sharlett, as she packaged produce for customers.

But while the market is considered the best, the Blevins have noticed that the market has slowed down since last month, when the McKinley County attempted to charge all vendors with a $35 license fee.

"It has slowed down," Earl Blevins said. "It really did."

The county decided to do away with the fee, but because a majority of the vendors are not local, they have not come back to the flea market to sell.

"The word hasn't got around," Sharlett said.

Because their vending is their livelihood, the Blevins said they have a license, and said they weren't affected, but they defended those vendors who don't come frequently, like those trying to get rid of yard sale items.

"This is their yard sale because most of the area is so spread out," Sharlett said.

"It's like double taxation," Earl said. "They're not making a profit, because it's a lower price than they paid for, and they already paid taxes on it."

They also didn't think the fee was fair to the small food and craft vendors who are attempting to supplement their income. It was these vendors, they said, that this town was help built on.

"It's hurting their own community members," Sharlett said.

Cricket Prescott, 60, of Acoma Pueblo, drives from Grants every weekend to sell in Gallup. For the last 12 years, she has sold arts and crafts, like blankets and purses. She used to sell fair foods at the Albuquerque Flea Market for 18 years, but stopped after her close friend she vended with died.

Several years ago, after her husband died, is when she began sewing her crafts. She said it helped her cope with her grief.

"After I lost my husband, I'd rather be doing this than staying at home making myself sick," she said. "I enjoy it. I've made a lot of friends here."

Prescott, like a majority of vendors, was annoyed when the $35 fee was first instated.

"I didn't appreciate it," she said. "I was ready to quit and go somewhere else."

Prescott said she already pays taxes on her material, like her yarn, and was angry when they attempted to collect the fee.

The fee didn't bother some vendors, though.

"I paid mine," said Roy McMahon, 85, a saddle and tack vendor.

He has been making the 153-mile drive from his home in Corrales every weekend for the past 30 years.

"As long as that freeway is clear, I come," he said, as he passed out free Tootsie Roll suckers to children who waited as their parents looked at his items. "I come in the rain and snow."

McMahon used to travel the markets throughout the Navajo Nation, but 10 years ago he stopped, and now only sells at the Gallup market.

Stella Jose, 41, of Ramah, has also been doing to the market to sell her one-of-a-kind handmade Navajo dolls and magnets. She has been making crafts for the past 12 years, and has been selling at the Gallup for the past four, and said she depends on the market to sell her items.

And while most vendors noticed that the number of people selling have dwindled down, most flea market goers didn't notice a difference.

"I go to see other people I haven't seen in a while," Bertha Begay, 40, of Sanders. Randy Charles, 38, of Gallup, goes to the market with his family, but would find it more ideal if it was paved.

Adela Bob, 24, from Yatahey, comes to the flea market when is visiting from her home in Farmington. She didn't notice and change, and was more occupied with looking at the variety of Native American jewelry with her family.

One thing that vendors and consumers agreed was that items at the flea market are reasonably priced.

"You can get anything cheap all in one area," Blevins said.