the art of haggling.

"The Art of the Bargain" - NY Times Local

This is a great video that provides a neat insight into the art of haggling. Some great tips on what to ask, how to ask, and what not to say. Also, the video helps to understand the vendor point of view in relation to asking for a cheaper price.

Now, let me state - I rarely, if ever, haggle. Why don't I? I can't say for sure. Sometimes it is intimidation. While turning 30 soon, I still look like I could be in high school. This tends to hinder the flea market process at times, especially when I have people explain to me what an item is (when I am fully aware of what it is and its' purpose) or when they explain a historical event to me... why yes, I know why WWII was fought.. I have an MA in Holocaust studies, so I'm sure of this. But, I can rant about this in another post. My point being - vendors think I am a 19 year old that is interested in buying a WWII photograph and because they think I'm young, they deem me not knowledgeable about the item and therefore  set a price that is no where near what the item is valued for. With their mindset, the haggle will not work.

Another reason why I do not haggle is because I just do not want the item that much that I'll bother to ask for a lower price. This can work in your favor though too. Often times I'll ask what the price is for an item, receive a number, and then politely say no thanks. As I put the item back or start walking away, sometimes vendors shout out a lower price - and that's when your golden. 

Other times I don't haggle because I do not feel it is necessary A fair price is a fair price. I know that when I sell items at a garage/community sale and even though not in a flea setting, at times I do get offended when people ask for a lower price. This usually happens when my asking price is low to begin with, say $2, and the person asks if I will take $.50. That's a big jump there.

Haggling Tips:

1. Ask the right way - "Would you take..." not "I'll give you...". The difference is the first is open to negotiation while the other seems set from the get-go.

2. If you are looking at more than one item, go for the bundle. Often times you will get a cheaper price when you are buying a few things. The seller gets to go home with a lighter load and you keep more cash in your pocket.

3. Be nice. Don't offer rude comments about the condition of the item. While haggling because of a chip/crack is acceptable, don't go overboard. You are interested in the item after all. 

4. Listen to others. If I am interested in something and the seller is bargaining with another customer, I will casually listen to how their conversation goes. You will be able to have a better judgement if the haggle will go in your favor by listening to other hagglers do the same.

~ Flea Fact ~

If you don't ask, you'll never know. Even I manage to haggle when I want an item bad enough. So, go ahead and try. You'll either come home with a piece that you got at a great price or come home with a few extra dollars in your pocket, ready to be used at the next flea!

a free friend, courtesy of Craigslist

One should never argue with the word "free". As the couponers of this world say, "If it's free, it's for me!" Lately, I've taken to exploring the world of Craigslist, mostly via the antiques, garage sales, and free section. You would be amazed at what people give away for free on this site. Yes, taker beware: there have been instances when people list items for free, to have it be an address of a neighbor's house giving away their front yard bird bath or some other hoax. Some people list food for free, boxes of cereal or bad meat. Yes, bad meat - listed as perfect for feeding wildlife... um... no thanks. Occasionally, I have come across some free items that I wish I could take. Old tables/hutches that just need a little elbow grease to look beautiful once again, antique chairs that need new upholstery, and collections of vintage holiday ceramics/decorations that people just don't want anymore. Unfortunately, I like to look at Craigslist free ads for everywhere in the US, not just local. I've missed out on many good things!

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While perusing the free ads on Craigslist this past Sunday, I came across a local ad for garage sale leftovers. There was the usual tv with the vhs player in it that no one ever wants, a kids' slide, a plastic hamper, and other uninteresting items. But, there was one item that did catch my eye. I quickly sent an email to the Craigslist poster, asking if the item was still available. The next day, I received a reply email that the item was indeed still there, waiting by the mailbox for someone to pick it up. Having read the email 4 hours after it was sent, I quickly got into my car and made my way over to the listed address, hoping that it was still there.

As I drove down the road, looking at the different mailboxes, I saw it. No one had picked it up! This beauty was now all mine - and for FREE!

Meet Hattie. Hattie the mannequin torso. I somewhat regret leaving the legs there, but they were broken, no standing rod, and I don't think they were a match anyway (they were missing the connector). Plus, I will have to figure out where to put a torso... I can't picture where I would put a whole mannequin. 

Mannequins have been around for quite some time. They didn't become prevalent in store displays until the late 1800s, when store window panes and street lighting became popular. An array of materials was used for initial production, from wood, sawdust, paper-mache, and then eventually changing to fiberglass and plastic. The mannequin itself changed as the times changed, moving with the whims of society and what was fashionable at the time. For a quick history of mannequins, check out http://www.displayarama.com/mannequin.htm. 

Hattie appears to be a vintage mannequin. She is a wooden form base, with plaster applied followed by paint. She has flat metal attached to her limb area, along with a hollowed out circular cut to fit her arms. The bottom of her torso also had the cut-out to fit her legs. She also has earring holes - exciting!

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I've been interested in acquiring a vintage sewing dress form for some time, but most are out of my price range. When I saw the mannequin - for FREE - I knew I had the next best thing. She has a few paint chips, a scruff here & there, and needs a cleaning. Pair some tlc with a wig, shirt, and accessories and she is as good as new.

~ Flea Fact~

Take a peek at Craigslist. You would be surprised at some of the finds you can acquire. Often people are moving, have inherited a home full of stuff, or just have an abundance of items left over from a yard sale that they want to get rid of. There are times when people do not know the value of the item they are selling for $10 or $20. Be on the look-out! And while many of the Free items can more or less be destined for the trash can, occasionally there are some treasures amidst the trash.

published advice.

Published in 1997, Flea: The Definitive Guide to Hunting, Gathering, and Flaunting Superior Vintage Wares by Sheila Zubrod & David Stern, provides its' readers with great tips and advice on how to approach a flea market. While a bit outdated in regards to the state by state listing of markets, the book is filled with tidbits of useful information when visiting a flea market. 

Chapter 4 - "Basic Survival Skills 101" offers just what the title states. The authors provide some hints that will make you able to sift through the rummage of the flea with easier tactics. Here are just a few of the skills that are listed to bring to the market.

1. Act Nonchalant - Don't make yourself seem needy or desperate for an item.If you do, it's unlikely that the seller will be willing to haggle/give you a cheap price when they know that you really want an item.
2. Bring a Magnet & Magnifying Glass - To tell the cheap metal/iron from the real, use a magnet. A magnet will stick to the cheap stuff but will not stick to bronze, copper, brass, silver, or steel. A magnifying glass can help identify trademarks, dates, names, etc. 
3. Blankets, Bubble Wrap, & Newspaper - These items are good to keep in your car in case you need something to wrap delicate items in. Most sellers do wrap items in newspaper, but some do not. So, you can have your bases covered by bringing your own.
4. "A strategy worth trying if you're even slightly ambivalent about the object in question is to arrive early, find a find, decide if you can live without it although you'd really rather not abandon it, and then return at the end of the day to see if it is still there. If it is, your odds of acquiring the piece for a song greatly increases." (pg.47) 
5. Slow or Busy? - See if it is a slow day at the flea or a busy day. If it's slow, you might have a better chance of getting an item for less than the sticker price. If it's a busy day, the seller might not take your low offer thinking that he/she can get the sticker price from someone else. 

My pieces of advice?

•  Arrive early, but not too early- I've gone to the market earlier than normal one time, only to be walking around while sellers were still setting up. After a few visits to the same market, you'll get the feel of what time is best to arrive in the morning.  
•  Have an idea of what you are willing to pay for an item- If I find an item that I like that is not priced, I set in my mind a certain price that I'm willing to pay & what I won't pay. If the initial price they offer is much higher than what I would pay, I politely decline. I still have to learn the art of the haggle!
• Do your research - For non-serious collectors that have a few favorite items they like to purchase, try and do some research as to determine price points and in some cases, determining age/detecting fakes. If you don't feel like carrying around a book about antique pricing, write hints on notecards or a small piece of paper and carry it in your wallet. Indicate trademarks, what to look for, colors, dates, etc. It will give you some piece of mind that you are getting what you pay for.
• Pack snacks/water bottle - Often markets will have vendors or a central eating place, which can be crowded and even overpriced at times. Bringing a bottle of water and a granola bar makes for more money to spend on finds and less time waiting in line to purchase a can of soda. 
• More to follow...

~Flea Fact~

Be prepared. It is easy to get overwhelmed once you are amongst boxes of unknown possibilities.

from the trash ~ turned into treasure

The lure of sleeping in on a summer Sunday morning cannot keep some from the thrill of the hunt.

Half-asleep, one dresses making sure to wear comfortable shoes, never donning flip-flops for days like these, bringing along a trusty backpack, and making one's way out of the house. A stop at one's favorite coffee shop is usually the norm before hitting the road by 6:30am.

It's always a good sign when you drive around that one bend in the road and see the cars and trucks already on the hill, with a glimpse through the trees granting a small view of the wares spread out on old blankets and blue tarps. When the sellers are that far up on the hill, you know that the rest of the land is filled and you know that it's going to be a good day.. a good day for the flea market.

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I've been going to flea markets since I was little. I'm turning the big 3-0 this year, if that provides any kind of perspective for the readers. My family's flea market of choice had a variety of names - Saylorsburg, Blue Ridge, and "The one where the old drive-in used to be", just to name a few. We only sold there a handful of times, largely because of the unwritten but followed rule of having dibbs on a selling spot. Long gone now, I remember that in between selling spots, there still stood the old speakers for the drive-in that once graced the land. The billboard-type movie screen, also gone, used to sit at the top of the hill. What was the projector/snack building is now a grill that provides food fuel for those at the flea. It was fun to sell, but we always found ourselves taking turns watching our stand so we could walk up and down the aisles, seeing if anything caught our eye. We decided that it was more fun to wander the flea market than sell there, and that's how it has remained.

I still go to Saylorsburg. I wake up early, have my change & dollar bills tucked in my bag (never go to a flea market without quarters!), and make my usual stop at Dunkin Donuts to get tea. I never take the highway to Saylorsburg. For those familiar, Rt. 33 North can be a hit or miss, even on an early Sunday morning, so I stick with the backroads. This gives me time to think about what I'm on the search for at the flea. I've come to the market before with a list of items to be on the look-out for, but this list usually falls by the wayside once I make my way through the boxes of attic goodies.

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It's always a thrill to find that item that you have been searching for for what seems like forever... to find the knick knack that completes your collection... stumble upon a vintage something-or-other that you aren't sure what it is, but you know that if you leave without it, you'll regret it for years... Whether you're a haggler or a pay the sticker price person, finding that one item can make or break your flea experience. 

I've found treasure over the years amidst boxes of trash. I've come to realize the tricks and trade of the flea market experience. I've gone abroad the flea area to fields of thrift stores, barn/estate sales, Ebay, and even good ol' Craigslist.

I hope to fill this blog with the treasures I've found and the stories of the find, tips & advice about practical flea market-going, and just tales of the vintage and almost-forgetten bric-a-brac that finds its' home amidst boxes and moth-eaten blankets.

Onto the hunt...