Like learning to ride a bicycle, shopping at flea and antiques markets is a skill that improves with practice. If you want to speed up your flea-market savvy, here are recommendations distilled from my own experiences and occasional mistakes. But rest assured that even newbies can’t go far wrong. For those of you who are seasoned at the “art of the hunt,” is there anything key that I’ve missed? Let me know. I’m always on the search for uncommon finds as well as nuggets of insider knowledge. Thanks! ~Marjorie
Related Posts:
An Insider’s Guide to the Brimfield Antique Show
5 Tips for Negotiating at French Flea Markets
Tip #6 for Shopping French Flea Markets
How to Prepare for Any Flea Market Like a Pro
Picking a Paris Flea Market: Clignancourt or Porte de Vanves?
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Great tips. I am all set to venture out into the markets. Thanks Marjorie!!
My pleasure 🙂
This is really helpful, Marjorie! Thank you so much for the useful tips.
I’m glad that you find this so helpful. Thanks for letting me know!
As veteran flea-market shoppers, we agree with all of your tips. Here are a couple more: (1) If you are buying several items, pile them up and ask for a bulk rate. Vendors are almost always happy then to offer discounts. (2) If you don’t want to make several trips back to your car, bring a cart along as well as your own bags.
Wonderful suggestions. Absolutely right on. Thanks for these pro tips!
Excellent tips that I, too, have learned over the years!
Another tip: If you want to bargain, don’t suggest an insultingly low amount. That kills any chances that the goodwill of the seller will be on your side.
That’s a terrific tip. Thanks, Kathi. Your point is very well taken for many places worldwide. It can vary by culture, which is why it’s good to learn about the local cultural norms around negotiating. But your tip should always be the default and will, in most cases, be exactly the right advice. Thanks again.
Loved the video! In June, I treated my 15 year old granddaughter to her first trip to Paris. Every morning when we reviewed our adventure de jour, we’d pull out “Markets of Paris” and add a market to our itinerary. Our goal was to buy a little something at every market. Instead of just strolling through the market we were always on the look-out for the perfect basket of strawberries, an unusual bouquet, a special cheese. Our French is limited to bonjour, merci, and si vous plait so it was daunting at first but definitely worth the risk! Merci!
I’m so happy to hear about your market adventures! I’m glad that my book was an inspiring resource for your itinerary planning. Kudos to you for trotting out a few key French words to make the experience go more smoothly and enjoyably. And what a special way to deepen the bond with your granddaughter. A trip of a lifetime for both of you! Thanks, Marian.