Flea Market Vintage Shopping Tips for Buyers

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I’ve been going to flea markets with my Mom since I was a little kid. It’s a totally different type of shopping experience and a rite of passage for vintage shoppers. If you’re looking to buy retro items you have to put flea markets on your list.

Flea Market Meaning

What is the meaning of a flea market? Typically a flea market is an outdoor market selling a mix of new, used, vintage and antique items. Sometimes you’ll find food trucks and concession stands along with booths selling plants and produce. We’ll be focusing on flea markets that sell vintage items in this blog post.

Where does the term Flea Market come from?

“Flea Market” is translated from the French marche aux puces, which means “outdoor bazaar”.

What type of flea markets are there?

Every flea market is different but there’s certain types that guarantee cheap or expensive vintage prices. There’s well curated, high end vintage flea markets that will charge higher prices. These flea markets are great if you like to be inspired by seeing how the items are all put together. An example of this kind of flea market is the Liz Marie Found Cottage Mercantile Market in Michigan. The items are also pretty clean and ready to go.

Then there’s junker flea markets which are my favorite kind. These flea markets have lots of booths where they sell new items and the vintage items aren’t necessarily the main point of the flea market. But vintage is mixed in and is a lot cheaper than a fancy vintage flea market. An example of this type of flea market is Wolff’s in Chicago (Pictured above). Items might not be very clean, could be covered in dust and cobwebs, but for the right price I’ll clean it up!

Lastly, there’s antique malls or stores that call themselves indoor flea markets. I’m not going to be talking about those in my blog because I don’t consider them flea markets.

How do I find flea markets near me?

Google and Pinterest are how I normally search for flea markets. I’ll search “Flea markets in Michigan” and find an article like this Only in Your State article on 10 Best Flea Markets in Michigan. Or you can subscribe to Flea Market Magazine (Which I will be featured in in August!) they always have a list of flea markets by state in the back of their magazine every issue.

Also, ask your fellow vintage shoppers on Instagram! I’ve asked quite a few people on my Instagram where they visit to find their goodies and most people are willing to share. Some of my favorite flea markets are from word of mouth.

Should I go when there’s bad weather?

YES you should absolutely go when it’s raining, snowing, too hot or too cold! I get the very best deals when the weather is terrible. There are a lot less buyers when the weather is bad. There might be less vendors too but a lot of them set up overnight and are there no matter what.

When items get wet it means you can use that to your advantage and haggle the price down. I got my favorite light blue shelf in my dining room (Pictured above) on a cold rainy April flea market day. I paid only $25 because it was out in the rain. I dried it off and it’s good as new!

Know before you go

Most flea markets charge an entrance or parking fee, generally $2-$5 depending on the market. Be sure to bring cash because most vendors do not accept credit cards. A lot of the flea markets I visit have ATMs but don’t count on it.

I always bring a backpack with my favorite reusable bags to hold what I buy. I also pack a lightweight tape measure and a water bottle.

What time should I get to the flea market?

I always get to flea markets first thing in the morning. I want to get first look at as many items as possible so I always head to the back of the flea market first. The first few rows always get crowded and picked over so I avoid those.

Haggling

I’ll walk through a booth and if I find an item I want I’ll then walk through the entire booth to see if there’s more stuff I want. That way I can try to do a bundle deal with haggling. I always try to haggle if an item is $10 or more. If I have two $3 items (Like the vintage ice cream boxes pictured below) then I’ll ask if I can have both for $5.

My biggest tip for haggling is to not offer a price right away. I always say “What’s the lowest you can do on this?” sometimes I’ve been really surprised at home low they’ve gone. A vintage furniture piece I wanted was $125 and I was hoping they’d go down to $100. I was surprised when the vendor offered $85! Try to avoid throwing out the first number and if they don’t go down far enough, then you can start the haggling process.

If an item isn’t priced… Ask!

Don’t be deterred if something doesn’t have a price. I know it’s easy to assume that an item will be overpriced if it’s really good. But sometimes you’ll get lucky and get something for really cheap. Like my vintage Santa head blow mold (Pictured above) didn’t have a price and blow molds are very expensive. When I asked the vender said $10!

Have a list for what vintage items you’re looking for

It’s easy to forget the items you’re looking for in the rush of flea market shopping. So if you’re objective is to find a vintage crewel pillow, be sure to write that on the Notes app on your phone.

Know your measurements

If you’re shopping for a furniture item be sure to measure the space you’d put it in your home. There’s nothing worse then seeing the perfect furniture piece and you’re not sure if it’ll fit in your house!

Also measure your car’s trunk ahead of time too. That’ll save you a headache later. If you do buy a larger piece you can ask the vendor if they’ll hold onto it for you to get later. Then you can keep shopping and not waste time bringing something to your car.

If you’re shopping for vintage clothing you won’t be able to try things on at flea markets. So measure your body ahead of time or measure your clothing so you’ll be able to make a decision on an item.

Talk with the vendors

I’m a relatively introverted person so I’m not becoming best friends with vendors. But if I’m asking about an item I like to let them know how much I love it and that I want it for personal use. Sometimes vendors will warm up to you knowing that you’re not trying to resell what they’re selling (Unless you are and there’s nothing wrong with that either, this just works for me).

That’s concludes my complete guide to flea markets! I hope you found this helpful. Now that you’re in the mood to go vintage hunting, check out my blog post on How to Take a Thrift Store Road Trip.