Flea Markets...Does anyone sell at one?
 

DH and I are thinking about selling at a local flea market. Wondering if anyone here has experience that they can share.

What types of things sell best? Price ranges? Suggestions?

There are two local fleas, one of which is mid-range items (some "antiques", some collectibles, little junk. Other one is like a giant dollar store...basically low end merchandise. Both are on Sundays, so we have to choose which one to do. We have an abundance of items - mid-range and some "dollar" items (mostly box lot items from auctions), so we have to choose where to go.

Any and all suggestions welcome! Thanks in advance.

It's been decades since I tried selling crafty things at a flea market, so I don't know if this will be any help or not, but my experience was that the people wanting to buy my product wanted me to sell for less than what it cost me to make. I soon gave up the flea market idea.

Thanks.

We will probably not be selling crafty items (with the exception of some unfinished quilt tops). More likely we'll be selling collectibles, costume jewelry, vintage items, sports cards, LP albums/CDs. As I mentioned, we get 90% of the items at auction.

Anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks again.

I would choose to go to the higher end market to sell. The reason is if I were a buyer at the higher end market and came across an abundance of mid-range items I might think "finally something reasonable". Just a thought and depends on what the vintage items are. If Pyrex, fire king, pottery- you should have buyers. Collectibles are hit and miss. Costume jewelry seems to making a comeback with 35-40 yr olds who attach to corded necklace and wear as chunky necklaces. If you can create an idea of how to take your treasures and repurpose them as "Samples", you might have more luck. Check out refabdiaries.com about how to use old LPs- cut table with hairpin legs or make one of the tiered LP tray stands like hers to display your costume jewelry on. Good Luck!

If you have Unfinished quilt tops, is there a way to sell them on this site? I'd love to have a look at them.

I would definitely sell at the mid range market. Two reasons: First you are selling some antiques and collectibles which is already what is being sold there. Also your customers will have some money in their pocket whereas the other market is for those at the very bottom of the market and they are going to bargain hard. I think people want to see prices so you need to mark everything or if you put out a $1.00 table or box you have to know your merchandise well enough to know if the item was actually at $3.00 and the price tag has mysteriously disappeared. Pricing takes a lot of time. You will get more money if your goods are clean. I don't mean sparkling but if I have to wipe my fingers after picking something up I will probably not touch anything else. If people pick up an item they are more likely to buy it. If you have anything expensive take extra care with it. When I sold my engagement ring I put a sign on the table but the ring was on my finger. Do you need to take bags for peoples purchases? Things are more popular in some places than others I think it would be very hard to predict what would sell. I have sold in different locations in the same town and had items ignored in one place and sold out in the other. Good luck.

Here goes...Sunday will be our first try at the mid-range flea. We have been rained out for 3 of the past 4 weekends, so this is really the first time we will be selling. I have been busy cleaning and pricing items. DH is in charge of the LPs (he knows what he has, what condition they're in, and what the going prices are), I am in charge of the jewelry (yay! prom season and I have lots of bling!), quilt books and assorted collectibles. DH will handle the money and I will smooze the customers! I am planning on only taking one or two quilt tops, so I will see how they do. Wish us luck!

If you are near Hollis, NH...come visit on Sunday.

Well, did you have fun? Will you go again? How did you do? Enquiring minds want to know. Cheers, Kelsie

When I was about 9 or 19 my Aunt and Uncle would pick up my older brother and I when we had a three day weekend from school. We spent the day we arrived at their house picking walnuts in the orchard out behind the house. After supper we would weigh out the walnuts into plastic bags. Then the next day we went to the flea market and sold them along with other things like tools, kitchen stuff etc. My brother and I each made a dime off of each bag sold. Back in those days that was a fortune for us.