Tips on Finding Flea Market Bargains

Back in the late 80's my family and I lived in a small town in NJ called Woodstown. Woodstown was just your average small town except, there was just down the road a bit a place call Cow Town. Cow Town is the biggest permanent flea market I have ever known. We loved spending hours every Tuesday and Saturday looking at different items on display. Some were very unique and others were just average flea market fair, but the draw was that there was always good value to be found if you were willing to spend the time to look.

A flea market is sometimes called a swap meet and you never know what treasures you might find there. One thing is for sure though and that is there are tons of new and used things as well as homemade crafts. If your lucky enough to be able to visit a flea market the size of Cow Town you will find a food court that is incredible.

Lets spend a day at the flea market together and I'll give you a few tips on getting the best out of your experience. Start by planning your day. Sense most flea markets are outdoors you will want to have some sunscreen and a good hat for shade. Most people with booths at flea markets are just normal homeowners so you will want to take along some bags to carry your treasures in. Or you may want to purchase an inexpensive cart at your local department store, you know the kind I mean, they fold up and will fit nicely in the trunk of your car.

You'll be on your feet most of the day so you'll want to ware some comfortable walking shoes. What I do is walk to the very back of the flea market and work my way back towards the entrance. That way I don't have to carry the bulk of the items I purchased as far because I'm closer to my car that way. Another advantage is that most people will start at the entrance of the flea market and work their way back, by doing the opposite you are able to see a lot of items in that area before most of the other people do.

The flea market we would go to in NJ was open every Tuesday and Saturday. The number of people that where there on a Tuesday was about half that as on a Saturday. Also the number of venders was also much less. Just something to keep in mind if your area has a mid week market.

Flea markets are a great place for the person who loves to haggle over prices. In fact it is one of the reasons to go for me. I enjoy watching others haggle their way to a good price on the item they want. It's kind of one of those bragging rights we like so much. So don't be afraid to wheel and deal when you go because you will be surprised at how often you can get the price lowered if you just ask for it.

It is kind of true that it's harder to get a vender to lower their price early in the morning because they are waiting for the bigger crowd to show. But don't let that stop you from getting there as early as the market opens. By getting there early you will have first crack at the selection of items before most others will. If you are looking for a specific item you will have a much better chance of finding it in the early morning.

Most venders will be more than willing to lower their prices as the end of the day draws closer. They are wanting to sell as many of the items as they can so they have less to pack up when they leave. And they know they can sell more if they are flexible with the prices. So if you are wanting a certain item and you can wait till later in the day you have a good chance of getting a better price. Keep in mind though that you also risk someone else grabbing the item before you. This can be even more of a chance if it is a unique item or a one of a kind.

You don't like haggling you say. Think about this, by just asking the vender questions you can sometimes get a lower price. Try asking a question like, "What is the lowest price that you will take for this?". See how easy that was? Or you could ask, "Would you take $10 for this (or what ever you want to offer) item?" One of the tricks is to have the exact amount of money in your hand that you are offering when you make the offer, and make sure that they see it when you make the offer. When a vender sees the money they are more inclined to accept your price if it is reasonable.

It always amazes me that after I buy a certain item for a price, I'll go along and lo and behold a few aisles down I see the exact same item for less than what I paid for mine. Always keep a note pad with you and write down the item, price and the vendor's location. This way you can continue to look and you may get lucky and find the same item for a less price somewhere else. If not you can go back to the place you saw the item first and negotiate a price you want with the first vender.

Flea Markets are fun and I have personally gotten many good and valuable things there at a reasonable price. I hope you will have the same fun when you go and visit your next one.