8 Tips for Shopping at Flea Markets
Twice a year I meet up with some fellow instagrammers/bloggers at the Nashville flea market. Some of us are from Alabama, Tennessee and even Georgia. It’s always so much fun to shop and visit with these friends!
The Majority of our Crew From Left to Right: Lindsey @lindseystewart89, Patsy @blessedmommatobabygirls, Stephanie @monarchcottage, Lauren @mrslaurenash, ME, Wendy @lifeontheshadygrove and Diann @clearlysmitten
What I love about flea markets is the unique items you can find! In the blogging world, you start seeing a lot of people having the exact same items. I do love shopping at retail stores but I also love finding unique pieces that I can incorporate and that will help make our home unique.
Before we started these trips a couple years ago, I really didn’t have a lot of shopping flea market experience. I was a little overwhelmed by it all and made some rookie mistakes. I figured I would share some tips I’ve learned over the years for flea marketing shopping more successful and more enjoyable!
- Definitely bring cash and a tape measure! A wagon is another great thing worth bringing, especially if you’re with friends and will have a lot of stuff collectively.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for their “best price”. Some booths will negotiate and some won’t. I like this tactic more than asking for a discounted price, this is a respectful way to ask if they will come down on the price. If it’s still a little high, I will occasionally make a lower offer.
- If you see something you just absolutely LOVE, get it! Most booths won’t have duplicates and you don’t want to walk away regretting missing out on an item.
- On the other hand, make sure to pace yourself. You don’t want to spend all your money too soon! If you see something you like, take a picture of it and think on it. You can always go back for it!
- If you can’t think of exactly where to use it, walk away and think on it while you shop. 9 times out of 10, you’ll realize you don’t really LOVE the item or don’t need it. I’ve bought items on impulse because they were a great buy and then didn’t have a place to use it and it just added to my items to store.
- Come with a wishlist but don’t limit yourself to that list.
- Come with measurements and pictures of places in your home you are shopping for to help envision the space.
- Don’t forget to look through the chaos. I don’t always do this but it has paid off! If you love brass and see a table of brass, take a minute to search through the chaos of items because you can find some great treasures. I found a small rusty scale for $5 hidden in a table of chaos and it was my favorite find of the day!
Here are several of my favorite flea market finds over the years!
My Blanket Ladder! I had wanted one for a while and just had put off making one. I found this on our first flea market trip for not much more than it would have cost me to make it! If you don’t want to wait for a flea market, I’ve rounded up some awesome blanket ladders you can order online HERE.
Vintage Sugar Mold – I absolutely love using my sugar mold. I actually bought a smaller one on our last trip. I shared a roundup of several ways to use them HERE.
I found an awesome vintage dough bowl for only $60 that was probably one of my best flea market finds ever! It’s currently sitting on top of my hutch since it’s so large!
I love buying chippy or rustic metal baskets to use around the house like this one I got for $4.
I got this crocheted little runner and a set of these small chippy corbels that I use as book ends from the Nashville Flea Market.
And my most recent find was these thinner style corbels to go with my Fruits of the Spirit Gallery Wall.
I hope you find these tips helpful if you find yourself heading to a flea market!