Vendors unsure what’s next at flea market

Webb Road Flea Market vendors eye the scene Saturday. Sarah Campbell / Salisbury Post

Firefighters responded to a 3-alarm-fire at the Webb Road Flea Market on Friday morning. Faith Firefighters wait to set up a drop tank for water supply on the northbound off-ramp to Webb Road. Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post.

The northbound I-85 ramp at Webb Road was closed due to the fire at the Webb Road Flea Market. Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post.

Firefighters responded to a 3-alarm-fire at the Webb Road Flea Market on Friday morning. Faith and Mount Mitchell Firefighters at a drop tank for water supply on the northbound off-ramp to Webb Road.Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post.

Firefighters responded to a 3-alarm-fire at the Webb Road Flea Market on Friday morning. Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post.

By Sarah Campbell

scampbell@salisburypost.com

Nearly every weekend for the past 25 years, Pauline Rigsby has traveled to Salisbury from her home in Concord to sell silk flowers, antique glass and a variety of knick-knacks at the Webb Road Flea Market.

On Saturday, as she stood outside the chain-link fence that separated her from the rubble left after the fire that destroyed the 15-acre complex the day before, she wondered what’s next.

“As of right now, I don’t know what to do,” she said. “I just can’t believe it.”

Rigsby said she isn’t sure how much merchandise she lost in the blaze.

Although it wasn’t her sole source of income, she said the money she made each week helped supplement her retirement and disability.

“A lot of this stuff is hard to find and costs more and more,” she said. “People think we just get this stuff for free, but that’s not the case.”

Robin Jordan of Salisbury said she rents 10 double-space units and lost everything in the fire. Her shop, called Miller’s Treasures, sold toys, baby clothing, antiques and collectibles.

“They called me and I got up here just in time to see my spot burn down,” she said. “I only see one thing still standing, and that’s my clothes rack.”

Jordan, who has operated a booth at the flea market with her mother for the past 20 years, also runs a cleaning business and plans to reopen shop in a building on her property in a few months. She said she hopes the owners decide to rebuild the flea market.

“A lot of people depend on this,” she said. “Nobody had insurance because they couldn’t afford $500 to $1,000 a month for insurance, if you could even get it.”

Julia Daniels of Cooleemee depended on the flea market. “It’s going to hurt bad. I have no income besides this,” she said. “Without this, I have nothing.”

Daniels stood at the fence Saturday with teary eyes, looking through binoculars to see if any of her merchandise survived the blaze. Nothing did. She estimates her loss at about $10,000.

Daniels said the only thing left is the Halloween costumes she has at her home.

Don Wrobel’s merchandise was spared. As an outside vendor at the market, he packs up every weekend.

Although Wrobel didn’t lose his goods, he said he was sympathetic to those who did.

“I feel for them,” he said. “I’d like to see them get set back up.”

Libby Stephens of Morganton, who owns the flea market with her husband Christopher, said she isn’t sure if the market will reopen outside next week.

“It depends on whether they’ll allow us to or not,” she said by cell phone Saturday.

Stephens declined to comment further.

Wrobel hopes the market will be back up and running next week.

The building was gone, but the sense of camaraderie remained strong, as Wrobel offered to lend his fellow vendors and friends a set of shelves and a helping hand to get set back up.

“People watch out for everyone and take care of each other,” he said.

Vendors weren’t the only ones in dismay over the loss of the flea market. Regular customers gathered Saturday to show support.

“I’ve made friends with the vendors. I probably know at least 10 of them,” Al Worthington of Concord said. “I know this has hurt their pocketbook.”

Worthington visits the flea market almost every Saturday with his friend Tim Hairston of Winston-Salem.

“This was our hangout. This is where we come to people watch,” Worthington said.

Gary and Debbie Kinley of Salisbury said they visited the flea market about once a month.

“I hate it, I really do,” Gary Kinley said. “A lot of money went up in smoke, a lot of people’s livelihoods.”

No details on the cause of the fire have been released. Investigators expect to announce their findings Tuesday.

Sarah Campbell can be reached at 704-797-7683.