First Monday Trade Days in Canton, Texas, is the mother of all flea markets. The event resembles a cross between an antiques store, your neighbor's yard sale, a crafts show, and a state fair.

Shortly after I learned to walk, my mother began taking me to Canton for First Monday. Starting early in the morning, we'd make the hour drive from Dallas. Usually we'd have something specific in mind for our search.

As a kid, I wanted Cabbage Patch Kids clothes and accessories. By my teenage years, the quest was for vintage Levi's. Mom scanned for silver lighters one year. Then there was the year of oil lamps--any size and color. Another time we came home with antique birdcages. (My stepfather found this odd because we had no birds at home.)

Today I struggle to carry an antique Royal typewriter ($23), two Limoges plates ($20), a red coral-beaded necklace ($15), a wooden sugar mold ($10), a dozen bayberry-scented candles ($14), one bottle of Avon bath oil ($2), a purple chenille throw pillow ($3), and a pair of opera glasses ($2). Although my arms tremble from the weight of my loot, I fight the urge to rest under the shade of an East Texas live oak. Sure, it's hot here in August, but that rising mercury makes dealers more anxious to sell--and at a cheap price. So with $11 left of my $100 shopping budget, this bargain junkie still has deals to discover.