Flea market kicks out casket seller

FORT MILL, S.C., Aug. 26 (UPI) -- A South Carolina man who builds discount wooden caskets in his backyard says a flea market wouldn't let him sell his wares.

Merritt Eggleston of Rock Hill said many potential customers had expressed interest in his caskets Saturday at Trader Marc's flea market in Fort Mill, S.C., before market owner J.R. Pettus told him to leave, WCNC-TV, Charlotte, N.C., reported Wednesday.

"This guy comes up to me and says, 'You're not supposed to be here,'" Eggleston said. "He says, 'I can't have you selling this here.'"

Eggleston, who said his caskets cost thousands of dollars less than the cheapest available at funeral homes, had rented two booths from an employee of the market, Pettus said.

But Pettus said when he saw the casket display, he had the booths shut down.

"We studied a lot of flea markets before we opened this one, and we didn't see anyone selling caskets at any other flea market," he said.

Pettus said he gave Eggleston $100 -- twice what he paid for the two booths -- for his trouble.