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Friday, June 21, 2013

Bring Variety and Spice to Your Saturday Morning at the Flea Market

If you like going to yard sales, consignment shops, or secondhand stores, you will absolutely love going to a flea market. While the name “flea market” may not sound too enticing, a flea market is a thrift shop, a yard sale, and a consignment store all rolled into one big, glorious ball of great finds, unique merchandise, and fabulous deals. Check your paper or the Internet for listings of a local Sarasota flea market or flea markets that are happening in your area this weekend.
What’s The Plan?
The most important thing about shopping at a flea market is to have a plan. It will be too easy to lounge in your bed on Saturday morning when you should be up early and on your way to the market to get the best deals and have access to the best merchandise if you do not have a set plan. Invite a friend so the incentive is a little greater at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning. Although, once you score a few fabulous finds, you could easily become a flea market addict and will no longer need incentive to get out of bed early on Saturday; the find of the century will be incentive enough.

Cash and a Smartphone
Bring cash. Most flea market vendors are not able or willing to take checks of credit cards. Another great thing to bring is your Smartphone. With your phone you can easily authenticate anything labeled “antique” as well as making sure that you are getting a great deal.

Hold and Haggle
Don’t be afraid to ask a vendor to hold something for you for an hour. This way you can be sure that you don’t find a chair or a picture that you like better or that is a better deal than the first one that you come upon.  If you conclude that the price may be a bit steep for that one thing that you really want, don’t hesitate to offer a lower price. Try not to offend the seller by asking a large amount under the asking price, but most vendors will be willing to negotiate to some degree. A little haggling and horse-trading is half of the fun of venturing into a Sarasota flea market.


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