Flea Market Marvel

My parents always taught me to donate things we no longer want or need to people who will benefit from them. However, about four years ago I had done some Spring cleaning and decided that I wanted to try to sell some of my stuff because a lot of my clothes still had tags on them.

A family member told me about a flea market that wasn’t far from where I lived so I started a pile in my bedroom that soon that overflowed into the basement. On the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, I woke up at 5:00am to drive to the flea market and get a vendor table. It was very exciting and I didn’t know what to expect. I had a car full from top to bottom or clothes, shoes, houseware, makeup, jewelry, games and more. I made about $450 that day - all profit!!

Because it was my first time, I didn’t fully understand the seller/customer dynamic. I let them bully me about the prices and I gave away far too many items for a lot less that they were worth. I sold almost everything I brought with me for $1! This frustrated me but didn’t discourage me from going back that Fall.

When I returned a few months later, I brought even more items to sell. This time I was more confident in my prices and left room for them to negotiate. Instead of starting at $1 I would say $2, $3 or even $5 for certain items. This allowed them to offer a lower price and feel like they got a bargain, while also putting more money in my pocket.

This time I also focused more on presentation, instead of just throwing everything on the table at once. I used a trifold board with pushpins and hung the jewelry on it, I used drawer organizer trays to organize the makeup and I went out and bought a clothes rack to hang up the nicer clothes. This allowed me to distinguish the clothes on the table are $1 each and the clothes on the rack were $3-$5 each because they were the clothes with tags or in new condition.

The following year I went four times and each time I collected different items from family and friends. I would get books, shoes, pocketbooks, clothes, fancy dinner platters and mugs, you name it - I sold it! And I would make an average of $250-$300 per day that I went, minus the $13 I paid per table.

Last year, I decided to change it up again. I began buying things to sell there instead of just selling used items from family and friends. I started with two packs of 30 rings I bought on Amazon for $8 per pack. So I paid $0.26 per ring and I sold them for $1 each, making a profit of $44. From there I bought a pack of 105 rings for $16. These rings were a little bigger and had pretty stones. I paid $0.15 each ring and sold them for $1-$2 each! I made over $100 profit! At this time I also decided that I wasn’t going to take everything to the flea market and start selling the better stuff online, which worked really well for me once I got the hang of it. Instead of $3 a shirt I could get $6 or even $14 a shirt depending on the brand and condition. So I limited what I brought and started buying items specifically to sell there. Those were two new strategies that I’m happy I started last year.

The strategy that I continuously used throughout my four years at the flea market is the presentation! Make sure everything can be seen with a quick glance because they walk by fast and if they don’t see something that catches their eye, they’ll pass your table right up. Many times I’ll move an item from the back to the front and within minutes it gets sold. I use different baskets for different items like jewelry and makeup and I use a bin for my $1 clothes to keep them separate. I really love the display trays I use for the rings - one of them is bright red so it catches a lot of attention.

The last thing I learned and that I hope anyone interested in selling items at a flea market learns as well - the shoppers are there for all different reasons. You can’t assume that because someone is shopping at a flea market, they are cheap or earn a low income. There are people that go just for something to do for the day or to find an antique piece of furniture or collectible item. So, don’t judge your customers. Be nice and welcoming and treat them all the way you would want to be treated - and that is how you will have the most successful flea market experience.