Tips for Flea Market Domination
Psssst… this post *might* contain affiliate links: see my disclosureĀ here.
I go to the flea market a lot. Like ALOT a lot. It’s a nice chance to get away for a couple of hours or visit with my bestie, but… it also provides a ton of the unique and whimsical decor that I have scattered around the house. And did I mention it’s usually pretty inexpensive? Problem is… walking down the aisles of a flea market can be complete sensory overload. It definitely takes some practice to look past the junk to that one amazing *thing*. I try to share my ideas when I stumble across them on Sunday mornings, but I also wanted to put some of my strategies in tips right here in one post for you! (And in case you’re too impatient to read down to the bottom… I also made a new page on the blog of all the flea market items I’ve been able to repurpose and decorate with!)
1. Bring Inspiration
Do your homeworkā¦ I have a running list of potential makeovers that Iāve found and loved. Pinterest is great for this. Sometimes these items are specific (i.e. gumball machine) and sometimes theyāre much more general (fabric, storage). The hardest part of wandering a flea market is noticing all the wonderful goodies and ALSO keeping in mind your To Do list. Having something in writing to refer back to is really helpful for me.
Shop my favorites!
2. Ignore the Color
In MOST cases, color can be changed. For exampleā¦ pepto pink might not fit your dĆ©cor, but shiny white probably would! For $7 (which really means $5 once youāve done your bartering) plus another $3.50 for spray paintā¦ this could be a chic and functional little bowl for you!
3. Know the Easy Fixes
Color, rewiring, missing knobs, dirt, scratches, missing piece of glassā¦ those are pretty simple to repair and change. More difficult fixes? Fabric you donāt likeā¦ upholstery is do-able but itās not a quick-fix by any means, wobbly furniture can be a whole rabbit hole to go downā¦ sturdy is better. Broken legs and arms. Nopeā¦ donāt do it. Warped wood. Nope.
4. Groupings and Collections
Sometimes ONE of something is lame, but a GROUP could be really interesting and fun.
5. Think Big
Train your brain to consider alternate purposes for thingsā¦ this just takes time. If you see something coolā¦ stop and think on it for a moment. I have ZERO need for a faucet. But, I have A MILLION need for hooks and storage. See where I’m going with this?
6. Look for Themes
The best thing about the flea market is your access to lots and lots of quirky unique items, so EMBRACE this. Start thinking in themesā¦ what do I mean by this? Do you have a young boy who loves all things transportation? Then keep an eye out for this category. A vintage fire truck could look amazing on a bookshelf. Sports lover? Why not hang a wall of old tennis rackets or attach them to the front of a dresser’s drawers ? Christmas dĆ©cor? Look for anything winter-y or red/ greenā¦ how cute would these snow shoes look leaning up against a wall with LED lights wrapped around them?
7. Graphics and Signs
This may not be for everyone, but I love love love, anything graphic. Letters and words are my total jam. This is another situation where sometimes a group could look better. One little 8 x 10 number might not do much for you, but a whole gallery wall would look amazing! Maybe you can find a number for each of your kidās birthday. Maybe you can find a number for the year you were married. Thereās usually a way to take these seemingly random āthingsā and make them personal and unique to YOU.
8. Containers and Storage
8. Containers and StorageWith 5 kids running around, we have containers EVERYwhere. Sometimes the Land of Nod baskets (affiliate) are exactly what we need. But lots of times, thereās some room to be a little more interesting. So I keep any eye out for any and all containers. Boxes, trays, bowls, jars, you name it. Maybe they will sit on a table to corral the crap, maybe they can go on a bookshelf to hide the clutter, or maybe theyāre something I can hang on a wall to be a storage piece in and of itself.
9. Piece it Together
Donāt be afraid to bring together items from around the flea market. If you see an amazing piece of art, but you hate the frame? Guess what you might find somewhere else at the flea market? Yeah… the perfect frame. Perhaps you see a group of tchotchkes at one booth that seem kind of fussy, but then 2 aisles over you see an amazing bread bowl in which to display them! Or maybe one of those wooden crates would seem much more unique with a set of vintage casters screwed into the bottom.
10. Sometimes you just like it
I have lots of these things. Typically my frivolity is under $40 so I donāt feel too guilty. Andā¦ 9 times out of 10, if I love it, Iāll find a way to make it work somewhere eventually. This basket was just sitting there begging for a purpose. A year later… we moved and I found a place for it!
General Tips
– have lots of cashā¦ small bills are appreciated
– wear comfortable shoes and leave behind your Louis Vuittonā¦ youāll have more luck haggling over a $12 vase if you donāt look like a socialite
(Affiliate links included for your convenience)
– bring your own bags. I also have a cart like thisĀ for the larger items. Most flea markets wonāt help you load things into your car, so be prepared to move anything you buy
– I have a bag similar to thisĀ designated for flea market shopping… I throw in a small tape measure, any color swatches I know I’d like to match, an energy bar, and some collapsible shopping bags.
– BARGAIN! Vendors are EXPECTING you to give them a lower offer and they’ve priced their items accordingly. Hereās the formula I typically follow: If an item is $20, Iāll offer something slightly higher than 50% offā¦ $12. In most cases, the vendor will offer back and āmeet me in the middle’ā¦ which would be $16. If I LOVE the item, then great, but I might go back one more time with $14 in order to pay $15. If youāre not comfortable with this, I get it. I LOVE the haggling. Obviously be kind and let the vendors know how much you love their itemsā¦ you get a lot more bees with honey!
– Bring your smart phone if possible. This is helpful to look up items online to determine if 1. The vendor isnāt trying to up-sell you something āvintageā looking from Target or Homegoods or 2. Youāve stumbled across a score. In this situation, you may be less likely to bargain, ya know?!
– If you donāt love it, walk away. Sometimes an item sticks with me and after an hour, I know I need to go back and get it. Other times, I forget about it and donāt mind leaving it behind.
Happy Shopping!
Great post and tips!!
Thanks for keeping me company!
Love the tips about flea markets. Love those markets. Thanks
THanks so much for your kind comment!
Love the tips about flea markets. Love those markets. Thanks from Portugal
Charlotte I live in the same area as you but in the Town that begins with an F. My favorite Flea Market is Stormville NY but their last sale was last weekend. I would love a list of the Flea Markets that you go to if you would be kind enough to share. My husband and I are both retired and we actually look forward to going to Estate Sales on Friday and finding little treasures. Our children are grown (the last one closes on his house this month) and we just love spending time together going to sales. I love your Blog and I get so many great ideas from you. Thank you.
Hi Patty! It sounds heavenly! I dream of having some time to get into the yard sale/ estate sale circuit! For now, I just have my flea market. I’m afraid I’ve *only* been to Elephant’s Trunk in New Milford. It runs every Sunday morning and it’s my quiet time. I was fortunate enough to do an episode of Flea Market Flip and was hoping to head to Stormville… I’ve never been! We shopped at Brimfield which is up in MA and ENORMOUS, but only 3 weeks of the summer. So my list is short. š I hit up Goodwill whenever I can and also the Restore in Stratford has good options. Wish I knew of more flea markets! (Unless you want to head into NYC… the one on the Upper West Side on Sundays is fun too!) Thanks so much for the comment and for reading! xx Charlotte
This is a comprehensive list. I’m excited to do more restoring since we moved into our new house. Do you have any favorite green-eco/friendly, non-toxic paints to restore furniture?
Hi Caryn! SO exciting! For furniture, I’m not very adventurous… I love chalk paint and have used but Americana Decor chalk paint and Annie Sloan. Or… I just use regular ol’ latex from Home Depot (Behr). My great friend Lisa Teague has a line of paint: Quiet Home Paints that are amazing. I’ve also used General Finishes and Old Fashioned Milk Paint… both of those are pretty green but poke around on their websites to be certain! Happy repurposing! xx
This is great! I am definitely getting better at haggling and carrying around some kind of snack. Amateur hour when I go in for hours and start feeling light headed because I haven’t eaten and I get home cranky ( which the bf hates XD ). I try to do the “Do I REALLY love this?” test. It’s hard when in the OMG moment that you have never seen this before and have to have it! How could I possibly live without- oh hey look over there at the shiny thing! Walking away and coming back like you mentioned so helps!!! You have a lot of great tips I’d love to re-share this š
Haha! It takes endurance to flea market shop. š I’m still bad about the OMG moments and come home OFTEN with things that in hindsight I probably didn’t ‘need’… but I will say I find a use for 90% of the stuff I buy eventually! And feel free to reshare provided there’s a link to my site! Thanks for asking.
This is awesome!! I love flea market shopping and the tips and inspiration from this post is fabulous!!
I could shop the flea market every day! š Obsessed.
I like your site. Congratulations on getting on Flea market Flip. What is Laura Spencer like? Is the show rigged like people say, or as spontaneous as it looks????…just wondering. DID YOU WIN??? i enjoy flipping road-side finds, but I work full-time, have 2 children (Im adopting) and a spouse, so finding the time & money is very hard!!! But i soooo love it. When i retire, to part-time in 5 years, after working the same job for 30 years, i want to flip full-time. The enjoyment i get bringing back to life or repurposing a old item is so fulfilling!! Ill be following your site to learn more about this line of work/pleasure, & i thank you. Your down-to-earth approach & answer technique is welcoming. Keep flipping!!!!
Thanks, Julie! Lara is wonderful! She was super helpful with us and I loved meeting her! And yes… we won. š The show wasn’t rigged at all… it’s definitely the same for us as it appears on TV. Everyone we worked with couldn’t have been nicer and I keep begging to go back on! Good luck finding the time to flip… I love it too!!
I’ve been on the hunt for these Foley’s Dairy wooden crates that you have in your pictures. Could you tell me where you found them? Or if you still have them, would you be willing to sell them to me? Thanks for the post.
Hi there! I didn’t buy those but all of these photographs were taken at the Elephant’s Trunk flea market in New Milford, CT. Lots of wooden crates! Good luck!
I’m a flea market vendor and I think offering just over %50 is really low ball. There are customers I cringe every time I see because I know they will just keep haggling to wear me down. I probably shouldn’t admit it but sometimes I give in just to make them go away. These interactions feel almost violating and leave me with a bitter taste in my mouth. That said you will be much more likely to get a discount if you buy several things and are super NICE. Also, used merchandise can usually be discounted more than new. Vendors with new items run a lot tighter profit margins.
But seriously, don’t be so intent on getting a bargain that you are rude, especially if you plan on coming back to that market AGAIN, Vendors talk.
Totally agree! And it always depends on the starting price. For example… if something is $10, I’d ask if they’d accept $7. $100, I’d probably go $75… So maybe I’m more of a 75% gal.
Thank you for this helpful flea market advice. These pointers will really come in handy!! š