Items new and “historic” could be found on a recent Saturday morning at the new Murfreesboro Indoor Flea Market located in the former Samsonite/White Stag warehouse, 1209 Park Ave.

More about that history: Judging from the number of deal seekers at the vending booth, a set of China dishes that belonged to the Grand Old Opry’s legendary Mother Maybelle Carter proved to be a hit.

Being the sister of country music super star Marty Stuart, vendor Jennifer Stuart, of Smyrna, knows something about history within Nashville’s country music family.

“It came to us through longtime friends of the Carter Family, while they were touring Japan, where the China was cast and made shortly after World War II, when Japan was still an occupied nation,” Stuart assessed. “The set of China is attracting a lot of attention.”

Mother Maybelle (1909-1978) and the Carter Family were among the first commercially successful groups in America’s music history.

“Jennifer put a modest $350 on that beautiful set of China that belonged to Mother Maybelle, so I think it’s a little under-priced,” co-vendor Larry Martin noted. “When you have a good story to go along with an item, it helps make it more attractive to sell, and since that China belonged to beloved Mother Maybelle, it’s an item drawing a lot of interest.”

Less than three months in operation, the market has obviously gained momentum in popularity.

“We’ve got more than 65 vendors here today from multiple states with really top-grade quality items for sale,” Stuart said. “When we first opened our booth, we just had a few vendors…as you can tell this morning, we’re not only over-run with vendors, but with people looking for just the right bargain.”

By Dan Whittle