With budgets tightening, consumers are turning to a new shopping venue: flea markets and swap meets.

The National Flea Market Association told the Los Angeles Times that attendance at flea markets and swap meets were up 10 percent to 15 percent compared to a year ago. Interest from vendors has increased so much that many flea markets are actually "sold out."

According to the article, several factors are causing the increased interest in flea markets and swap meets. Lower prices are one, of course, but people also are using flea markets as entertainment — for the price of entry, people can wander around all day.

Should you consider selling your wares at a flea market or swap meet? Some vendors cited in the article complain that customers are window-shopping but not buying. But my take is that in this economy, any new avenue is at least worth investigating.

My suggestion: Research the events in your area and scope out what type of people attend and what types of merchandise are most popular. Are collectibles, furnishings, hand-crafted items, or one-of-a-kind products hot? Swap meets can be a great place for food vendors to sell their wares — particularly if there’s some unique or "homemade" feel to the goods.

Talk to other vendors at the event and ask what kinds of sales they're seeing.

Setting up a booth at a flea market does require an investment of time and money, but it can be a good way of exposing your products to a new audience to drive to your website or retail store.

Be sure you use plenty of cross-marketing to drive this traffic; for instance, your booth should prominently feature your website URL, and you should have business cards with your URL and store's physical address readily available. If someone makes a purchase, make sure they get your card so they can send future business your way.

My first entrepreneurial venture (aside from babysitting) was selling denim vests at a flea market on Long Island. My brother and I made more than $1,500 in about a month. Not bad for a couple of teenagers in the 1970s.

What about you? Have you tried selling at swap meets or flea markets? How did it work out? I'd love to hear.

 

Rieva Lesonsky

Comments

v76nguyen wrote re: Flea markets are hot — should you be selling there?
on 07-08-2009 11:10 PM

Rieva, thank you for your posting.

My wife and I started flea market in 2007, the first is year i completely lost nobody is buying anything. only window shopping. Many customer told me that the like my products, they are very uniqued. we were frustrated, because we don't make enough to cover the lease. second year in busines, did a little better, make a few dollars for a hamburger for my wife and me. but we only work for 3 month because the our new born is way too young. no babysit no business, no money. business stop until now. we decided to try again at another flea market. we bought a business back from an vendor, this is a indoor outlet mall with an outdoor flea market in the weekend, that run 5 days  week. we start almost a month. still failed no business. we don't know what we did wrong. the only that i see is that everybody is selling very much the same items, but none are like us. we carry fashion jewlery handmade and imported from our country and hand crafted motocycle and bicycle.

This is my experience in flea market, i like to share it with you.

i do have a question to ask may be you could help me. How do you put price on a products? pricing to high then nobody buy it, and if it's too low then it will cost me an arm and a leg.

How do you price it right so people would buy it without negotiating?

thankyou so much!

Vinh

Rieva wrote re: Flea markets are hot — should you be selling there?
on 07-10-2009 9:40 PM

When it comes to pricing, there is no magic formula for selling at flea markets. You need to charge enough to make a profit. First ascertain if anyone else at the flea market is selling what you sell and how much are they charging. You need to be in the same ballpark, unless your products are far (and obviously) superior.

And please understand that one of the primary reasons people go to flea markets is for the thrill of bargaining, so very few customers are going to accept your suggested price. Keep this in mind when you determine your prices.

Fredh wrote re: Flea markets are hot — should you be selling there?
on 07-14-2009 7:20 AM

We started selling cosmetics in flea markets here in nj and are making selling over $500 a weekend at a 40% profit. It's a lot of work out there in the sun but it's cash and kinda fun. A couple of old timers taught me to get out there and pull the people in like a carnival and believe it or not I wouldnt sell paractically anything if I werent on my feet engaging the public.

a110 wrote re: Flea markets are hot — should you be selling there?
on 07-15-2009 11:04 AM

Seems my area has changed rules for building new structures.  They want to know if it's for commercial use or not.    So, if I started selling appliances from my garage, the city might not like it.  So, I was thinking of flea markets, only problem is, appliances aren't light.  There heavy and require at least 2 people to tote them.  Any ideas on this subject.

a110 wrote re: Flea markets are hot — should you be selling there?
on 07-15-2009 11:09 AM

I am looking at putting up a garage on my property, since my business is homebased.  I repair appliances, mobile service.  Only problem is, if I put up a new garage and use it for selling appliances, mainly used appliances, city may not approve it.  Then I couldn't sell my appliances from my home.  I was thinking of flea markets or something along this manner, but appliances are heavy and not easy to tote, usually takes two people.  So, transporting them to a market might be hard.  Any ideas on this selling delema.

tomrodgers723 wrote re: Flea markets are hot — should you be selling there?
on 07-15-2009 7:14 PM

I set up at a flea market several week ends each month to help generate revenue for my non profit organization. I do generate some revenue.

But you will not get rich at a flea market and it does require a good deal of work.

But I also pass out flyers and information about what I do in my agency. This allows for clients to contact me directly and it does generate some residual income.

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