Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Before anyone says it let me just fill you in on what I know...YES I've been to the short list of flea markets on the TIME-OUT list..been to fort green, hells kitchen, and a couple "artsy flea markets in Brooklyn- but the flea markets I'm talking about are the ones where people actually clear out their attic when their grandma dies and try to get rid of everything. If anyone has been to the bay area and heard of markets like laney-college flea or the big whopper called Alameda point antiques and flea markets where you have THOUSANDS of buyers & sellers then you'll know what a proper flea market really is.
Even while searching on craigslist for used furniture its pathetic to see only a handful of ad's with ridiculously over inflated prices to match. Places like fort green is a waste of time as the same DEALERS are there week in and week out so you never see different sellers or one-time non professional sellers so its not even worth returning to that place.....unless FOOD is your idea of finding hidden gems.
Ofcourse a lot of the other unmentioned markets are nothing more than food safari's or Disneyland themed affairs, they have nothing to do with mom-n-pop sellers.
Who would have thought that such a colossal city like NYC would have such disappointing and limited choice when it comes to flea market hunting.
OK so if this city has been mined-to-death, what are some of the outlying areas I should consider to find a "proper" mom and pop flea market you've got more than 3-4 sellers slinging their made-in-china trinkets.
A great thing about NYC is its proximity to New England. Go there, its worth the trip. They love that stuff. Its a shorter trip than to the Bay area from much of the rest of California. And I'll bet the selection is far superior to that in the Bay area.
I guess very few people in NYC have the storage, time, and vehicle requirements that you need to bring this kind of stuff to market, unless they are dealers. Anyway, great question, following this thread.
edit to add: I've been relying on local Facebook "Swap & Shop" groups to get my flea market fix.
impressed with lightning fast response- and great responses. i'll be looking into those areas mentioned, if anyone knows a "biggie" coming up in the not to distant future, please let me know.
many thanks
PS- are there any "regular weekly/monthly markets in places like new England, and also where about in new England- if anyone knows.
granted every market has its fair share of those made-in-china garbage but for the record I am an avid vintage clothing and accessories collector so flea markets that deal heavily in the "made-in-china" garbage, I really wont be interested in.
I quickly googled "Englishtown flea market on Wilson ave" and it looks to be more "made in china & newer" stuff...not much "from the attic or basement", don't look too promising but i'll keep digging for more markets.
check the alameda antiques fair to give you an idea of what I am talking about- btw forget the Englishtown market, horrible reviews, its mainly garbage gear from china- apparently Englishtown has lost its appeal a long time ago. Anyway, going back to the bay area market...
What you're looking for is a gathering of garage sales. Head to the island, although they are cracking down on them.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
