I have not attended many flea markets, but when a local one was available, I decided to explore it. It was more of a combination of older items from a flea market with new items from craft vendors. I had a lovely late morning and afternoon looking at merchandise and speaking with vendors. The day was a learning experience, so I am sharing my insights to prepare you for your flea market.
Money
The event was free to enter, but $5 was required to park. I was happy that for $5, I could have an afternoon of fun.
Tip: Take cash for parking and for vendors who only do cash sales.
Weather
It was a little rainy the day of the market. When I arrived, it was not raining or barely raining then, so my strategy was to visit the outdoor vendors before heavier rainfall began.
Tip: Know the general layout of the facility or grounds you visit. If the weather is very hot or cold or there is a chance it might rain or snow, plan how you will navigate the event if there are outdoor vendors.
Layout of Booths
It was overwhelming when I began walking around the indoor booths. It took a second to decide my strategy for seeing all the goods. In addition to outdoor vendors, there were two floors with vendors inside. Most of the vendors on the lower floor were in parallel rows, but booths on the edges of the facility were running perpendicular to the rows. The layout on the top floor was different from the lower floor as it was open in the center of the building from the first floor to the second floor's ceiling. Visiting the booths on the edges of the floors that were not a continuation of the parallel rows made it easy for me to deviate from the booth-visiting strategy.
Tip: Be strategic about visiting booths. Start at one end of the floor and go up and down every row. Do not randomly visit booths when you see interesting items at a nearby table. Be sure to check out the booths on the outlying edges; just be careful they do not cause you to miss seeing other booths.
Vendors are Salespeople
I read online that advice for vendors included being talkative with customers and engaging without being aggressive to make sales. I certainly encountered the full range of vendor interactions. One vendor was sitting down and did not seem enthused to be at the flea market. She yawned and did not care if anyone purchased anything from her. I asked if she sold items online, and she stated she sold a few pieces of jewelry online, but her sales mainly were through flea markets. She almost offended me with how she responded; it almost seemed as though I was annoying her being there. I visited her booth twice, and neither time made me want to purchase much from her. Moving on from this jewelry vendor, I decided to try my luck by asking another vendor about her cutting board product. She did answer my question, but it certainly felt like it was a short, rehearsed answer and that she was tired of providing it that day. She also did not go into detail about her artistic process of applying a very creative coating to the end of the cutting board, which is what I was curious about learning. Other vendors were more helpful. They highlighted special features of their products, such as wallets included with their purses or extra pockets that were part of their tote bags. The worst vendors for me were the ones attempting to get me to try personal care products. I found them to be the most difficult to get out of conversation with and to be the most aggressive when attempting to interact with me. I had a woman who really, really wanted me to put lotion on my hands, even as I was holding a camera. She would not let me walk away. Another vendor picked up a soap bar and shoved it near my face to smell.
Tip: Be assertive. If you want to know about a crafter’s process, ask questions. If you want to know if they have matching accessories or products in different patterns or sizes, do not be shy about engaging with the vendor. It is also acceptable to politely tell them you do not want to try a sample of their product. Simply stating, “No thank you” will probably work for most vendors. However, if handling more aggressive vendors gives you stress, you can have a response ready ahead of time to use so you can walk away quickly. Simply being aware that some vendors might be a little pushy so you are not caught off guard will help you handle the situation if it occurs.
Take it all in
I was not prepared for how visually stunning the flea market would be. There was an array of fabric patterns for purses, tie-dyed clothing, beautiful colored broomsticks, and artwork. When I think of a flea market, I picture a vast area of nondescript goods. This was not the case. It was bright and colorful.
Tip: Take time to appreciate all the details vendors add to their products, how visually appealing items are, and the craftsmanship required for making all the goods.
Estate Sales
I was surprised to learn that some estate sales were at the market. One vendor was there to declutter items from their home, much like having a garage sale.
Tip: If you are more interested in estate sales or garage sales rather than craft items, you might have luck finding desired items at a flea market, even if part of the market is craft vendors.
Do not have regrets later
I saw a large, old bell at one of the outside booths. I liked how it looked and took a picture of it. I did not think about it until days later when I looked at the picture and realized it had a rope attached to a metal piece resembling a handle. I sent the picture to my mother, who guessed it was probably once used as a dinner bell.
Tip: I have no place for a dinner bell in my home, but I realized that if something strikes me as quirky at a flea market, I might want to ask questions about the item. Refrain from returning home with regret that you did not learn more about an item or find out that something had a rich history that you would have appreciated displaying in your house. If it is neat enough to take a picture of, it is awesome enough to talk to the vendor about the object.
I had more fun than I thought I would have at the flea market. I also took away some knowledge on how to approach my next one. I came home with a pair of custom-made clay earrings and a newfound appreciation for the colorful world of the flea market. Next time, I will go to the flea market more confidently and hopefully come home with more earrings.