Best Flea Markets in New York City

Bargain hunters, collectors and lovers of antiques head to New York City to find some amazing treasures and rarely are disappointed. You can find everything and anything, from cameos and vintage dresses to gorgeous purses and antique artwork. You happen to be in luck considering that these three places are fairly close to each other. If you are looking for a place to pick up some fabulous finds, here are the three best flea markets to visit in New York City.

The Annex/ Hell's Kitchen Flea Market:
This was the first flea market that I ever went to in New York City and it was probably the best flea market I could have chosen to go to first. The Annex/ Hell's Kitchen Flea Market has quite a section of items for such a small area. It's not overwhelming and its neatly organized. It's mere blocks away from Port Authority so it's incredibly accessible, especially when you're going to be carrying quite a few bags. The vendors are friendly, non-harassing and willing to take the time to pack your items well for you when you buy from them. When I was there, they had a relatively good choice of items to look through, from comics and records to coins and beautiful antique furniture. The vendors are willing to make reasonable deals and have no problems answering your questions. As of now, the The Annex/ Hell's Kitchen Flea Market is open Saturday and Sunday year round.

Tidbit of information: Should you get hungry, Cupcake Café is nearby.
Location: West 39th Street between 9th & 10th

The West 25th Street Flea Market:
To be honest, I wasn't quite pleased with this flea market, but it was okay. The West 25th Street Flea Market is a little disorganized and kind of hard to maneuver. The choices were quite limited, but if you found something you got it for a good price. The vendors were willing to answer any questions I had and were more then willing to dig through their items to help me look for something specific. This is one of the flea markets where you have to work for what you find, you'll rarely walk right up to a table and see it right in front of you. I ended up getting a gorgeous black purse and a larger deep red purse for $15 total. I used them a really long time and I was surprised that they lasted as long as they did. They took a beating the entire time and still looked like I had purchased them yesterday. As of now, the West 25th Street Flea Market is open sunrise to sunset on Saturdays and Sundays.

Tidbit of information: Avoid carrying too many bags around here. Since it's quite crowded and a bit hard to maneuver around, you have a big chance of getting your bags a bit beaten up by the time you leave.

Location: West 25th Street between Sixth Avenue and Fifth Avenue

The Antiques Garage:
If you are a bargain hunter, collector or lover of antiques that I mentioned earlier, you've reached a place to fall in love with. This is actually steps away from the West 25th Street Flea Market. The first time I went, I was absolutely taken aback. It's a two story parking garage stuffed wall to wall with collectibles and antiques. I actually spent hours walking around here, sore feet and all and still didn't want to leave. The choices are ridiculous. You can buy everything from beautiful vintage handbags and stunning artwork to Polish Christmas ornaments and Pez. It gets very crowded so be prepared to go early. However, if you go too early, the vendors aren't completely set up and you'll miss out on some of the greatest items. It's currently open from 6:30am to 5pm. I got there at 8am and the vendor's were set up, but not completely. They have some vendors there that I could have done without. The vendors that were sitting reading magazines and had no interest in helping me whatsoever did not get my business. Nor did the vendors that sat there with their arms folded and gave me yes or no answers to my questions with no interest in giving me any additional explanations. However, overall the vendors were helpful and willing to work out a reasonable price. I got some really great deals when I went and actually enjoyed the experience.

Tidbit of information: Since the items are in beautiful condition and you want to keep them that way, bring a nice sturdy bag to carry them home in instead of plastic shopping bags.

Location: 112 West 25th Street between 6th and 7th Avenue. Currently open Saturday and Sunday.

When planning to go to these flea markets, plan your time accordingly and make sure to get there early.