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People go to the flea market for a variety of reasons: to snag a bargain, add to a collection, sustainably source unique clothing or home decor, or simply because they enjoy the thrill of the hunt. For my mother, it was all of the above. As a child, my weekends often included trips to a thrift store, garage sale, or flea market, where she taught me how to sift through bins overflowing with books, clothing, and housewares, and emerge with (heavily discounted) buried treasure. While those early lessons from our Saturday and Sunday outings have served me well, there are other skills, like haggling, that I didn’t pick until adulthood.
While shopping at flea markets and antique shows is an art—complete with unofficial rules of etiquette and insider strategies—don’t let that intimidate you. You’re about to learn some of the top tricks of the trade from six industry experts who revealed how to avoid some of the most common flea market mistakes and score the best deals. Here’s how to make the most of your shopping excursion.
Flea Markets 101
Before getting into the mistakes, let’s start with the basics.
When we think of flea markets, we tend to picture sprawling open-air events where a variety of vendors hawk a mélange of secondhand wares—ranging from vintage clothing, housewares, and collectibles, to seemingly worthless junk—all at rock-bottom prices. But according to Rick Landis, the president of the National Flea Market Association, that’s only one of several types of markets that fall under the flea market umbrella.
“There are vintage flea markets, antique shows, and specialty markets—like automotive or craft markets,” Rick explains, “but there are also markets that sell new, everyday items like paper towels and socks to customers primarily from within a 10-mile radius.” In fact, no two flea markets are the same, he says, with some offering a carnival-like atmosphere with live music and a food court, while others focus more on being a one-stop-shop for the community, and can include farmers markets with fresh produce, meat, and dairy products.
Flea markets—also known as “swap meets” on the west coast—set their own rules and guidelines, including what vendors can and can’t sell. For example, an antique show might stipulate that all merchandise must be at least 30-years-old and no longer in current production, while an artisan market may only accept local vendors selling handmade items.
Market owners and operators also make decisions regarding locations and fees; for instance, whether the entire event will be held outdoors, or will also include indoor shopping—which would allow the market to remain open year-round. Similarly, while many flea markets and antique shows offer free admission, some have modest entrance fees which typically range from $2 to $12 for general admission, and slightly more to gain early access to the event and first pick of the merchandise.
Part of what sets flea markets apart from traditional retail spaces is their accessibility for vendors, Rick says—especially those first starting out. “If you find a good product, you could sell it at markets this weekend,” he notes. “You don't have the overhead and other costs of having a brick and mortar store, or a big commitment of inventory—you can just start selling. It’s pure capitalism.” Shoppers benefit from this, too, as the arrival of new vendors means a wider selection of merchandise.
Why is it called a flea market?
“There are many stories about why they're called flea markets,” says Rick, “but my favorite one is that back in the old days, if you bought something at a flea market, like bedding or upholstered chairs, you might get fleas with them.”
“Flea markets have been around since the medieval times,” says. “That was the way people used to buy and sell things: out in the open-air marketplaces.”
Regardless of where the name originates, Rick says that fleas are no longer a problem, and shouldn’t be a concern for modern market-goers.
Before you get there
Taking a little time to plan ahead goes a long way when making a trip to a flea market or antique show, says Jon Jenkins, owner and promoter of the Springfield Antique Show and Flea Market, which has been drawing antique and vintage lovers from all parts of the world to central Ohio since 1969.
“You have people who’ll drive five hours to get to a show, but won’t think to check the weather or do a bit of legwork before coming,” he explains. “Shows like Springfield typically happen rain or shine—so bring sunscreen, wear clothing appropriate for the weather, bring layers, and wear comfortable shoes.” In addition to not checking the weather forecast when attending an outdoor market, other common mistakes include:
Missing out on local markets
A handful of flea markets and antique shows—including Springfield, and others in Brimfield, Mass., Round Top, Texas, and the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena Calif.—enjoy national recognition, thanks to their TV appearances and massive size. But these enormous events are only the beginning: with more than 1,100 flea markets across the United States, there’s bound to be at least one in your area.
So how do you find a flea market, swap meet, or antique show near you? Landis suggests starting by doing an online search for “flea market [insert your city/town]” to get a few names, and then doing a deeper dive into each. It can also be helpful to check listings for upcoming events in local publications, nearby fairgrounds, your regional or state tourism website, and directories like Flea Market Zone, Antique Trader, and The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles.
Coming without cash
Though some vendors accept credit cards, checks, or apps like Venmo or PayPal, “cash is still king” according to Jon, who has owned the Springfield show since 1999. “Vendors love cash because it’s immediate gratification: They don’t have to wait for a check to clear, or for [money from] credit cards to hit their account,” he adds.
Even if you know a particular flea market typically has ATMs available, that’s not a guarantee that they’ll all be working or have money left when you need it. Lastly, cash can help you stay on budget. If you can only afford to spend a certain amount, bringing it all in cash will force you to pay attention to where your money is going, and when it’s gone, it’s gone.
Wearing the wrong outfit
Along with dressing for the weather, if you plan to shop for vintage clothing at a flea market, Jamil owner Neko Jamilla recommends wearing something “comfortable but tight” so you’re able to try items on before purchasing them.
“With vintage clothing, fit is everything, and it’s better to throw a dress on over your outfit rather than just eyeing it,” she says. “Most flea markets don’t have fitting rooms available, which means you risk buying something you won’t be able to fit in or return.”
Forgetting to take measurements
Whether you’re shopping for a specific piece of furniture on a deadline or have a list of items that you would eventually like to add to your home (but are holding out for the perfect ones), take any measurements you need before going to a flea market or antique show. Jot down both the maximum and minimum dimensions for each potential purchase, so you don’t fall in love with something only to bring it home to find that it doesn’t fit.
Along the same lines, if there’s any possibility that you’ll purchase larger items, measure your vehicle’s trunk or cargo space before you start shopping. This way you’ll know what you will (and won’t) be able to fit inside and bring home. But don’t put that tape measure away: Toss it in your bag so you’re able to take measurements before getting serious about buying any bigger pieces.
Bringing people who aren’t into flea markets
As much as you might want to spend your Saturday with your friend or significant other, if they’re not going to enjoy the experience, Neko thinks you’re better off leaving them at home. “It’s so important that you have someone as excited and interested as you are,” she says. “If [you don’t], you end up feeling rushed, discouraged, or drained by the end of the day. Have a supportive shopper on your side!”
Going in without basic information on the event
There’s no need to do extensive research on a show before you go, but take at least a few minutes to source basic information (like the market hours and whether there’s free parking) so you don’t make the trip only to arrive as vendors are packing up for the day. This is also the time to check on the accessibility of the flea market if you or a shopping companion live with a physical disability or reduced mobility.
In most cases, bringing a dog to a flea market isn’t a great idea (unless it’s a service animal), but if you must, check the show’s pet policy first, to ensure they’re permitted on the grounds, and so you’re aware of any leash or size rules.
While you’re on the website, take a screenshot of the map of the event, if one is provided. This way you’ll know where the various entrances and exits—and perhaps more importantly, the restrooms—are located.
Not taking timing into consideration
For some flea market and antique show attendees, it makes sense to base their arrival time on their shopping goals for the day. If you’re on the hunt for a specific item—especially if it’s something that’s currently on-trend or perennially popular and will likely sell quickly—getting there early gives you the best chance of snagging it.
But if your priority is getting the deepest discounts possible, you may be better off waiting until the tail end of the day, says Mel Studach, associate editor at AD PRO and a frequent flea market shopper, who also sells her vintage finds through her online shop, The Collected Goods. “Some of my best deals have come from shopping sales that are near closing time, when the dealer is ready to lighten their loads before it’s time to pack up,” she notes.
At the same time, every flea market and antique show is different, and Jon says that there are no hard-and-fast rules about the best and worst times to shop. “Go when it’s convenient for you,” he advises.
Assuming you’ll be able to carry all your purchases
Unlike big box stores and supermarkets, flea markets and antique shows typically don’t provide customers with free carts or baskets to help tote around their purchases as they shop. That’s why Kenneth Henry and Dee Leger—cohosts of the Antiques Freaks podcast, who, between them, have several decades of experience in the antiques industry—recommend bringing a folding wagon, cart with wheels, or even a backpack to make your shopping experience easier.
“I think a lot of people underestimate the physical toll that walking around these huge shows will take on their body,” Kenneth explains. “Even if you only plan on buying smaller items, you’re still going to be carrying them around for a while.” He also stresses the importance of paying attention while wearing a backpack or rolling a cart around. “You don’t want to run over anyone’s foot or a Victorian table or take a quick turn that ends up smashing a display of teacups,” he adds.
You may also want to bring a few disposable plastic bags, pieces of newspaper, or other packing materials so you can wrap up any fragile (or dirty) items before putting them in with the rest of your haul. In some cases, vendors may have these supplies on hand, but it’s not unusual for them to run out.
Coming without water and snacks
While many flea markets have food vendors, if you’re planning on putting in a full day of shopping, you’re better off coming prepared with a refillable water bottle (most have free water fountains) and snacks to sustain you. You’ll avoid long lines, vendors selling out, and any situations where you’re really hungry or thirsty and nowhere near the food court.
“Larger antique shows and markets can be daunting when you realize you’re teetering on being hangry,” Neko adds. “Having water and some protein on hand helps me take a moment to ground myself rather than get overwhelmed and risk getting sensory overload from low blood sugar.”
But just because you’ve come prepared, there’s no harm in bringing along some extra cash in case a snack bar delicacy (think: fair food) catches your eye.
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When you arrive
These are a few common mistakes to avoid after you’ve made your way through the gates and into the flea market:
Expecting an experience like the ones you’ve seen on TV
If your only flea market experience comes from watching TV shows like Flea Market Flip and Market Warriors, you’re probably in for a rude awakening the first time you attend one in person. “The TV shows that exist are good for the business and good for people who are interested from an exposure and education standpoint, but they’re not based in reality,” Jon says. “There are elements of truth, but, at the end of the day, they’re making television shows, so the average person’s experience looking for things at a market is going to look completely different.”
For example, people watching Flea Market Flip may assume that the type of haggling seen on the show—where a contestant convinces a vendor to accept $15 for an item marked $100—is the norm, when in fact, it’s the rare exception. “And the sensationalism of those exceptions dominate the way that the business is portrayed,” Jon adds.
Going without a goal
One flea market mistake that Neko admits to making herself is going in without a game plan. “If you’re shopping for something specific, know how much you want to spend and what compromises you’ll make in terms of quality and price, then stick to that,” she advises. “Budgeting in advance will help you stay on track.”
Having a singular focus
At the same time, while going in with a mission can be helpful, Jon stresses the importance of approaching a flea market or antique show with an open mind. “If you go in with the preconceived notion that you’re only going to buy a set of chairs or only want a cool vintage T-shirt, it’s so limiting, because the whole point of the show is that you don’t know what you’re going to see and have the possibility of falling in love with something that you probably didn’t know existed,” he says.
Expecting to see everything
Whether you’re on a specific mission, or are in it more for the adventure and the excitement of the unexpected, don’t put pressure on yourself to hit up every stall in the market. It’ll be harder to enjoy yourself if you treat what should be a fun and relaxing day of shopping like an episode of Supermarket Sweep.
Getting the best price
Like other shopping venues, the prices at flea markets and antique shows can vary greatly depending on factors like their geographic location, clientele, and the merchandise they sell. For instance, don’t assume that all flea market prices are great deals, or that, because your local antique store is prohibitively expensive, everything at an antique show is going to be out of your price range as well. Here are some other mistakes to avoid when attempting to score the best deals—including what not to do when haggling.
Being rude
Sometimes people who aren’t comfortable or lack experience haggling may resort to aggressive and offensive negotiating tactics, not unlike those associated with used car dealerships. This is 100% the wrong move to make. “There’s a certain kind of haggling that works at flea markets and antique shows, and it’s not kicking the tires,” Kenneth adds.
To be clear, the act of haggling itself isn’t rude. Jon clarifies that “it’s part of the business, but it has to be done respectfully.” In fact, Dee points out that many sellers set their prices for flea markets and antique shows with the understanding that haggling will take place, noting that the practice is “an agreed-upon and mutually satisfying game.”
So what, exactly, does polite haggling look like? When in doubt, Jon says that simply asking how much an item costs is a good way to get the ball rolling. If you’re really serious about it, he suggests following that up with, “What’s your best price?”
Another option is approaching a vendor with the item you’re interested in and asking, “Would you be insulted if I made you an offer?” According to Jon, if they say that the price is firm, then that’s it, and you shouldn’t push it. “If they say [that they're open to offers], you can go ahead and make them an offer while still being polite and respectful,” he says.
This brings up another huge mistake that Jon has frequently witnessed at flea markets and antique shows. “If you make an offer, and the vendor accepts it, you need to be prepared to buy the item,” he says. “Don’t talk them down to a price and then say that you have to think about it. It would be like asking somebody out on a date, they say yes, and then you saying, ‘Well, let me get back to you on that.’”
Expecting all merchandise to be a steal
Don’t assume that everything you find is a bargain. “[Products sold at] flea markets aren’t always the cheapest,” Rick says, noting that if you’re shopping for new items, it’s a good idea to look up what they're being sold for in stores before making a purchase.
Along the same lines, he cautions that “if the deal’s too good, sometimes it is,” explaining that as hard as event organizers work to keep counterfeit merchandise from being sold, it’s possible for it to slip through. The same is true of reproductions at antique shows.
Harassing a dealer for a lower price
Some people are so convinced that they can—and, for some reason, are entitled to—get an item at a deep discount, that they keep trying to push the seller to reduce the price even if they’ve already said that they can’t go any lower. In addition to being annoying, it also takes up the vendor’s time, and, potentially, their chance to make other sales.
“The best way to actually play hardball is to just leave,” Dee says. “If the vendor has already given you their best price, you can say, ‘Well, I can’t do that,’ which is a polite way to say ‘Your item is good, but I can’t pay that.’ If they’re willing to go lower, they’ll let you know.” Otherwise, move on.
Making an offensively low offer
One of the fastest ways to get on a vendor’s bad side is to make them an offer that’s so low, it’s offensive. “You’ve got to respect the fact that these people have put in a lot of time and energy and effort,” Jon emphasizes. “Merchandise isn’t free.”
As a general rule, never offer less than half the value of an item. “If you’re offering half, you’re already treading on very shaky territory,” Dee says. “When you go lower than that, that’s really insulting.” When making an offer, Neko urges shoppers to consider the amount of time and skill it takes to source a high-quality vintage item. (In addition to the countless hours flea market vendors put in “to clean it, price it, pack it up, set up at a booth, and then take it down” at the end of the day.)
“Scoffing at a price or speaking to a friend loudly enough for the vendor to hear isn’t going to get you the price you [want],” she says. “For a lot of us, this is our livelihood, and we’ve spent years honing the skill.” If you’d like to ask a seller for a discount, Neko suggests that you “start with how much you appreciate the piece, and then go from there.”
Pointing out an item’s flaws
Another haggling mistake that, according to Kenneth and Dee, is both offensive and far too common, is pointing out what you think is wrong with a piece of a vendor’s merchandise when trying to convince them to give it to you for a discounted price.
“When you do that, it’s in a weird way desperate, because you’re giving away that all you’re trying to do is drive down the price of something that they’ve already considered the quality of,” Dee says. And, as Kenneth points out, sellers typically put a lot of thought into hand-selecting their merchandise. “They’re probably objects that they care deeply about and want to pass on to the right person,” he says. “So telling them all the reasons you think their piece sucks won’t necessarily help.”
Because antiques and vintage items are almost always used goods, it’s also unrealistic to expect that they would be available at a reasonable price in pristine condition. “There are going to be scratches and chips,” Kenneth adds. “When you buy an antique, you know that you’re getting something that’s been around for a while.”
The one exception is if you think you spot some type of damage or flaw—like a crack in a plate—and don’t believe that it’s reflected in an item’s price. “A polite way to bring that up is to ask, ‘Are you aware of this crack?’ If they are, they’ll usually explain what it is that makes the piece valuable, like if it came from a certain maker or has a rare pattern,” Dee explains. “If they weren’t aware, which does happen, [because] even the best dealers can miss things, then they might lower the price for you.”
Coming without smaller bills (or cash in general)
There are also a few haggling-specific reasons why you should bring cash to a flea market or antique show. First, because vendors typically have to pay a processing fee on any credit card sales, you may have better luck negotiating the price on an item if you make it clear that you’re going to pay in cash, Dee notes. Similarly, by paying in cash, you may be helping out a seller who is short on change—especially if you ask whether they could use some smaller bills. “In the current monetary climate, change is greatly appreciated,” Dee tells Clever. “Smaller bills can be pretty hard to come by now.”
Both Kenneth and Dee recommend bringing a lot of one-dollar bills with you to a flea market or antique show. One reason for this, which they explained in a 2018 episode of their podcast about haggling, is that if you talk a vendor down to $3 on a $5 item—telling them that you only have $3 left—and then pay with a $20 bill, the dealer will notice, and probably be less likely to work with you on prices if you shop with them again.
Buying multiple items from the same vendor without “bundling”
If you’re going to try to haggle with a dealer, Mel says that it can help to group multiple items together and ask what they’d be willing to do for the set—a technique often referred to as bundling. This is a tactic she recommends at flea markets and antique shows, as well as estate sales, where the less product the sellers have to deal with at the end of the day, the better. “If I’m at the sale with a friend, I’ll also usually put our items together as one purchase in hopes of getting a larger discount that we can then divide amongst our items,” she explains.
Of course, not all vendors offer discounts on multiple items, so it’s better to ask than to assume that they do. A simple “Do you bundle items?” usually works, or you could go the flattery route by saying something like, “You have such amazing stuff and I’m having trouble narrowing down my purchases. If I buy several items, would you be open to negotiating the total price?”
Before you leave
And finally, here are some examples of mistakes to avoid at flea markets and antique shows before calling it a day:
Leaving something you love (and can afford) behind
Anyone who frequents flea markets and antique shows probably has a story about the “one that got away”—a one-of-a-kind item that they opted not to buy, only to regret it later. “If you’re still thinking about an item you passed a few booths ago, just buy it,” Neko says. “Nothing haunts you like the vintage [goods] you leave behind.”
If you’re on the fence about something, Neko recommends getting the vendor’s contact information. “I try to offer shoppers a chance to DM me if they’re still thinking of an item they’ve left behind, but there’s no guarantee that it won’t sell by the end of the day,” she adds.
Assuming vendors will deliver large items
Unlike brick-and-mortar antique stores where there’s a chance you can put large, unplanned purchases on hold for a few days while you figure out how to get it home, this is very rarely an option at flea markets and antique shows. “If you buy something large, have the means of taking it with you that day,” Dee warns. “At flea markets and other outdoor shows, people, for the most part, can’t hold or transport your items. They need them gone that day.”
Leaving without the story
Part of the appeal of vintage shopping is knowing that a piece had a previous life before you ever picked it up. In some cases, if a dealer sees that you’re interested in a particular item, they may offer some details on its backstory. If they don’t, and you’ve already committed to purchasing the piece, or are at least seriously considering it, it doesn’t hurt to ask.
“I always try to ask the dealer the history of the pieces I’m buying—when and where they originated, details about their maker or fabrication process, and any known facts about the previous owners,” Mel explains. “The information helps understand the value of the piece—not to mention [that it] makes for a great story to share with guests.”
But keep in mind that while some vendors genuinely love sharing the history of their carefully curated merchandise with shoppers, they don’t necessarily know the background of everything they sell or always have the time to answer questions—especially during busy periods. Like any other interactions with sellers, remember to be respectful of their time.
