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COLORADO FLEA MARKET DIRECTORY

Flea Market Bargains Make Decorative Sense

By Beryn Hammil

Looking for silver candlesticks, exotic fabrics, an old steamer trunk, a brass bed? An iron gate to turn into a headboard? Old buttons, Wellerware pottery, Superman comic books? If you can imagine it, you can undoubtedly find it at a flea market.

The list of worthwhile "finds" is long at these emporiums of the unusual, the vintage and the uncommon. Even if you have to shop for a finicky, hard-to- please uncle, cousin or sibling during the holidays, the flea market is a perfect place to find something different -- and that can't be returned.

There is no official history of the flea market or of how it got its name, though several theories exist. The first references to "flea market" appear in two stories set in Paris in the 1860s. One theory contends that the name comes from the fleas infesting the upholstered furniture sold at open-air markets. The other has to do with the redesigning of Paris streets, when merchants were forced to "flee" elsewhere to continue their trade.

Whatever the origins, flea markets exist around the world, and the shopping method is universal: The vendor brings merchandise to sell, you see it and want it, and the two of you bargain until striking a price that makes you both happy.

Then you pay for your found treasure and take it away. It's that simple.

Because everyone has their own taste, the flea market appeals to many different shoppers. There's a fine line between treasure and junk, but it's barely perceptible since what one person considers junk, another person treasures.

A single silver candlestick may not mean much to someone who wants a pair, but for the person who wants a more eclectic look and is willing to have five mismatched candles sticks to create an interesting effect, that single candlestick may be the perfect one.

Vintage clothing can be very expensive if all the buttons are properly in place and the item is nicely pressed. But for someone who's handy with a needle and thread, the flea market offers a plethora of opportunities to find just the right piece to complement their wardrobe.

Some people shop the flea markets looking for items to add to their collections, like silver or china with specific patterns or a decorative style that goes with their furniture.

When graphic designer and artist Kelly Cazzaniga of Novato shops at flea markets, she hunts for specific things for her clients. "I'm looking for pieces that I can apply my artwork to," she says. "My clients make special requests, so that's my challenge -- to find what they want."

On the other hand, San Francisco faux artist Peggy Del Rosario shops for herself. "When I'm at flea markets, I don't look for anything specific," she says. "Whatever I do find has to have good 'bones' so I can enhance it and make it truly mine."

There are well-known stories in the flea market world of invaluable antiques sold for the price of junk, but these are few and far between. So don't expect to fund your retirement on what you find in the heaps of art and hotel silver.

Instead, if you have an eye for the unusual, interesting or fanciful, the flea market is the perfect place to unleash your imagination and risk a few dollars. Skip the vendors selling new household products, toiletries, socks and T-shirts, and head to those selling one-of-a-kind finds.

Typically, these vendors scour garage, yard, and estate sales as well as the classifieds looking for older, more interesting and collectible items, things they think they can sell to people who want a variety of interesting selections in one place and don't have the time to make the garage sale circuit.

It's important to inspect an item you're interested in very carefully, as there usually is a "no return" policy on everything sold at a flea market. And because some merchants sell only when they have enough to make the effort worthwhile, you may not be able to find that vendor to make a complaint the next time the flea market is held. The shopping rule truly is caveat emptor -- buyer beware.

Bargaining is a given at flea markets. When you bargain, consider that the merchant priced the item high with the expectation that it would sell for less.

But he or she still has in mind a price that they will not go below; otherwise they won't make a profit. Keep this in mind when you make an offer that's below their asking price. Be flexible and be as willing to come up in your price as the merchant is willing to come down in theirs.

Cash and carry used to be the only means by which transactions took place, but now, in addition to cash, checks and even credit cards are accepted by some vendors.

Remember, if you don't like something you buy at the flea market, you can always sell it at a garage sale. Just don't be surprised to see it turn up at another flea market if you do.

Copyright Beryn Hammil

If you have any interesting stories or tips about shopping at flea markets or setting up a table at a flea market please e-mail us at CBHcontact@gmail.com.