Ode to the Pennsauken Mart

I used to go there all the time. There was this great store "MART TRADING POST" where when I started DJing and making music I would purchase all kinds of used DJ equipment, drum machines, keyboards, etc. THey also had a good car stereo department with some knowledgeable installers who help me get a good system in one of my old cars when I was in high school. THe trading post does have another store in the BERLIN FARMERS MARKET but its not the same. There also used to be a great place for buying DJ mixed tapes. I used to get all kinds of mixed tapes from DJing the NJ and philly area as well as trade them ones I made. There was also this great italian market although it moved down the street on rt 73 so I am happy its still there. One of the places I will miss is the seafood market.. it was not inside the mart but a little building outside. they had some of the best fresh seafood. last time I was there I asked them where they planned to move to but they didnt know.

Channel 6 had a nice story on the market yesterday.

Question: did people move through the market at a snail's pace? There is a really great market less than 5 minutes from my house, and I call it the Land Of Slow-Moving People. I dart around people like a pinball! The Greek stand is my favorite.

jk -- YES. To make a full circuit around the mart took a *long* time.

Man-o-man, I thought the ol' Mart would live forever. I moved out of South Jersey in 1982, but the Mart has many memories, especially the time my grandparents ought me my first set of drums from the music store there in 1980.
They say it isn't sight or sound that really sticks in your memory, but ODOR, and the Mart did have an odor to it, somewhere between B.O. and a burnt pepperoni pizza. Unfortunately, that's my most vivid memory of "the Wonderful World of Marty".
What saddens me, tho, is it was truly a cultural icon for typical blue-collar slobs like us, who could haggle, trade, and swap for just about anything. I loved the awesome arcade me and my little sis would play in while our grandparents shopped, then we'd all grab a cheesesteak and/or a soft pretzel, then head home, sometimes taking in a movie at the adjacent Eric theatre.
And now Marty's gone so politicians could pander to Yuppies who care more about image over substance. True, I haven't been there for over 23 years, and I heard it has hit the skids some time ago, but it is my understanding that it was largely due to scared merchants trying to escape the falling axe. One blogger was so correct when she stated that Camden County should've spent some money trying to spruce it up and renovate it instead of plotting its demise.
I have lived in Tennessee since 1982, and we do indeed have a few wonderful indoor flea markets, but ther'll NEVER BE ANOTHER PENNSAUKEN MART!
G'Bye, Marty. Smell ya Later!

OMG

Im living in the UK now but am originally from Philly - damn I cant believe the Mart is gone! Some of my most treasured posessions are the records by 1980's British 'New Wave' groups like Classix Nouveau still locked in my mother's garage that I got in Pennsauken. There were even Candadian groups like Platinum Blonde, Strange Advance and the Boogie Boys that I couldnt find ANYWHERE but the Mart. I am a music freak and a huge part of my vinyl stash at Mom's is from the Mart. Couldnt be beat for the price - and I was lucky to have friends from Jersey who could check things out and hook me up. I am realising that I have got stuff to be shipped here still that is totally out of print now.

Time to lower the flag over Buckingham Palace...

Baltimore, Md. has a number of municipally owned markets. Their history goes way back. You got some money, business ability, and want to work for yourself? You go to the city and they will set you up. The best is Lexington Market. It is mostly food. You can get stuff to eat that you can't anywhere else. If you go to the western part and there is a stand where one can get a huge breakfast that is made in front of you for under two bucks. Saturdays has entertainment like jugglers for free. I have been to cities in other countries. When I was a kid my father was sent to Germany. I remember the smell of goat cheese in Frankfurt's market. In the early 70's I was in Belgrade and saw buckets of goat cheese. The best was Kathmandu in l973. The country is Hindu so no cows are slaughtered, Water buffalo is considered to be antelopes so one guy would butcher a water buffalo in the middle of the market. I was there when marijuana became illegal. Farmers sold what looked like an ear of corn but was really a large leaf wrapped around pot. Goat cheese stinks but I love the smell of it.