Live From the Market #2 (Pendergrass)

Every market is different.

It's a simple statement, but it is remarkably true.

I am sitting in the food court of the Pendergrass Flea Market in the city of Pendergrass in the County of Jackson, Georgia and it is packed. I am tucked into a corner, which is anything but quiet. Getting to an open table took some good navigating skills, there are people everywhere.

I got here 3 hours ago with the intention to see a few vendors I know and get there take on the state of business, but at 3pm, I'm just now getting a chance to sit down.

I should have known it was going to be like this because when I pulled off of exit 137 on I-85, there was a line of cars waiting to get into the market and the parking lot was full. I only saw one coach bus, but was not able to find out where they came from. However, that one bus is just a drop in the bucket of the number of people here today. If I had to guess, I'd say there are at least 18,000 people here today.
Last time I actually sold here was February 2008 and did well, but there was nowhere as near this many people here.

Yesterday I was in Englishtown Flea Market in New Jersey and I doubt there were 5,000 people all day. In Englishtown I could have walk through the entire market in 15 minutes, here, I haven't even began to walk and I'm tired.

I don't know if all the vendors here are doing good business, but anyone selling food is doing great. From Mama King's Pizza to The Chicken Ranch to Jugos Naturales and all the Nacho vendors, and the lady selling cotton candy, and the boiled peanuts guy, they seem to be doing well.

I spoke with David, who sells Hip-Hop inspired t-shirts and designer jeans, and he confirms that today is especially busy. However, not for the items he carries. His business has been on the decline since last year, so he's considering changing what he carries. He's leaning towards food. Despite what the economy is doing, people eat, and here in particular, people are eating foods that are native to them.

The Mexican family sitting beside me is having Jarritos (soda - Guayabana), nachos, and some sort of puffy chips. The father (Luis), is having a sandwich of pulled pork, beef, ham, & wieners, on a bun with lettuce tomatoes, sauce, and jalapeños. That's a little too much meat for my pallet, but to each is own. Maybe I'll try the Chicarrones con cueritos......maybe not, Luis just told me what it was. Fried pigskin dressed with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, salsa, and queso (cheese). Yeah, I'll pass.

According to David, most of the people here on the weekends are Mexicans who work at farms, factories, and chicken processing plants in the area. Saturday and/or Sunday is the one day they get off, so coming to Pendergrass is a way to spend time with the family and get some authentic food from back home.

Sergio, from outside Mexico City, and his wife Sandra are here for the first time as spice vendors. Sergio has sold other products before, but has ventured into the chili business. If you are looking for dried Mexican Ancho chilies, Guajillo chilies, fragrant Chipotles, Pasillas, or hot red chilis, he has them in stock. Check them out at booth #18 on Ave 7 West.

Yared, of Ethiopia, said that today would be his last day at Pendergrass because the items he carries, jeans and designer t-shirts are not selling well here. He has tried other markets in Georgia, but does better near downtown Atlanta where more African Americans and Caribbean buyers are available.

Flea markets are funny places. On the left you could have a vendor with lines in front of his booth, on the right you could have a vendor who packs up early because there are no takers for what he's selling.

Every market is different.

Each has its own character, its own feels, and its own main attraction. Here at Pendergrass it's definitely the food..........and the live entertainment, never mind that I don't understand the tongue in which it is being sung.

Come out for yourself and see what's going on at Pendergrass Flea Market, "Georgia's Largest."

For vendors, booth rental is expensive, but for shoppers, it's paradise.

-FMN

Updated Flea Market Openings 2009

Below you will find a list of scheduled flea market openings this Spring. Please check back often and feel free to send us any information on flea markets in your area. Our email here is: flmktnws@gmail.com.

March/April/May 2009 Flea Market Openings:

Yonkers Murray Rink Flea Market
March 22
www.yonkers.gov

Brownstoner's Brooklyn Flea
Saturday, April 18
Currently indoors at 76 and 81 Front St. in Dumbo Brooklyn.
www.brownstoner.com

Stormville Airport Flea Market
Sunday, April 26
Monthly dates available on website:
www.stormvilleairportfleamarket.com

Festival By The Sea (formerly Flea By The Sea)
Friday, May 1
Website goes live this month. Please see previous post for details.
www.festivalbythesea.com

Richmond County Flea Market
Saturday, May 2
www.richmondcountyfleamarket.com

On-Going Markets:

Boulevard Flea Market
*Open every Saturday and Sunday
www.fleact.com

Columbus Farmers Market
*Open every Thursday, Saturday, & Sunday
www.columbusfarmersmarket.com/flea_market.com

Cowtown Flea Market
*Open every Tuesday and Saturday
No website

Englishtown Auction Sales
*Open every Saturday and Sunday
www.englishtownauction.com

Meadowlands Flea Market
*Open every Saturday, but we feel it's worth mentioning.
www.meadowlandsfleamarket.com

Rice's Sale & Country Market
*Open every Tuesday & Saturday
www.ricesmarket.com

Vendors at Columbus Martket Escape Rain

Hello All,

Sorry for the late report, but my trusted vendor friends just called with updates from Columbus Flea Market in New Jersey.

As outdoor vendors, we are completely dependent on favorable weather conditions to have a good day, so we celebrate when the skies give us enough time to make some money.

According to Mark (the spice guru) there was an overcast in Columbus all day, but the rain didn't fall until long after the crowds and vendors had gone home. As always he had a decent day, considering the economy, but he did note that there seemed to be a lot of people in the market today. Maybe people are starting to spend their tax returns, or doing research on what they will buy.

Jimmy (the plant guy) mentioned that business has been getting better over the past couple of weekends and on Thursdays at Columbus. He too kept a watchful eye on the elements today and was glad to get out of there with some money in his pockets.

Columbus Farmer's Market is one of the few markets open on Thursdays so if you're a shopper and die-hard flea marketer in southern Jersey you might want to stop by. If you are a vendor looking for a busy mid-week market, Columbus is one of your best bets.

As you know, this blog is dedicated to bringing you the most up-to-date and up-to-the-minute Flea Market News, for vendors and shoppers, so we gladly welcome your input. Please drop us a line at: flmktnws@gmail.com.

While your at it, please help us keep the lights on.

With Spring just one day away and good weather on the map for this weekend, it should be a good one for vendors and shoppers alike. Please let us know what you see.

Lastly please check in soon as we will be updating our Spring Flea Market Opening list which will include the Richmond County Flea Market on Staten Island Richmond County Flea Market and tell you what's going on with Flea By The Sea.

With Spring just one day away and good weather on the map for this weekend, it should be a good one for vendors and shoppers alike.

Live From the Market #1

Where are the customers?

That seems to be the question vendors are asking each other here at Englishtown Auction this Sunday morning. It's 10:30am already, where are they? It's not a new question, but yesterday was great, so where are they today?

Despite many empty spaces, most of the regular vendors are here. There are some people walking around, but not much buying going on. I haven't done a sale in the last 20 minutes.

Maybe everyone went out last night and decided to sleep in to catch that hour they lost spring forward to eastern standard time? Maybe they are in church and will show up later? Maybe the overcast weather has them scared to come out? It's not supposed to rain until after 3pm. It is supposed to be 62 degrees later, maybe they'll come out then? Maybe the economy is worst than we think, now that February's unemployment data has been released?

Whatever the case, we need customers.

Of all the problems with being a flea market vendor, the unpredictability of the market is the worst. Never mind braving the elements,paying rent, our nosey neighbors.

Gotta run........there's a customer at my booth.....WOO HOOO!!!!

-FMN

Rice's Saturday Market to Re-Open March 7

Rice's Flea Market is set to re-open their Saturday market on March 7th.

Located in New Hope, Pa., Rice's is almost 2 hours from New York, but it is known amongst vendors as a generally good market. Rice's is primarily an outdoor market which
operates every Tuesday all year round, but also hosts a Saturday market running from early spring to early winter.

For vendors, Rice's is ideal - particularly on Tuesday - because most of the shoppers in the area are a little more affluent than at many other markets. According to county statistics, the average median income in New Hope is in the mid $80K. However, a glance at th parking lot at Rice's will give you a better indication of the shoppers inside.

Rice's is not a market I visit often, but if you are a vendor living in South Jersey,
and are available on Tuesday and/or Saturday, it might be worth your while. Rental spaces range from $20 - $30 per day.

Rice's is a good alternative for vendors who are looking to expand or unload extra merchandise and for those who are tired of Cowtown, Englishtown, Collingswood, and Columbus.

For shoppers, Rice's offers just about everything under the sun.....at discount.

Check out their website: www.ricesmarket.com for more details.

So if you don't have plans and are in Bucks County next Saturday or any Saturday there-after, your might want to check out Rice's Flea Market.

Budget for Advertising

Whether you are in the Flea Market just to make a couple of bucks for the weekend or if it is your primary means of earning an income, you might want to consider allotting some time and money to advertising.


I walk around the market every weekend, but I rarely see any vendors taking advantage of all the eyes and foot traffic that might come across their booth. How is someone going to know what you are selling if you don't put up a sign?

Advertising does not have to be some Super-Bowl type of production. It can be as simple as a piece of cardboard with your price on it. I can also be just a vinyl banner with the name of your company or what you are selling. Flea Market advertising does not have to be complicated, just honest. As a vendor, you have to bare in mind that shoppers are in the market looking for something. It is your job to make sure they know you are there. So as you go about planning how to maintain your ground in this sliding economy, please remember to budget for advertising.

Approach advertising as part of the costs of doing business. Sure it is not on the scale of what you see in the magazines or on television, but letting you potential customers know you exist is just as important. You do not need to employ some 5th avenue calculation in to figuring out how much to spend on advertising. Just figure out what you can honestly afford.

Here are five cost effective ways to advertise in the flea market.

1) Print business cards (about $30 for 1000) and hand them to potential customers.
- Be sure to include the name of your business, what you sell, location in the market, and contact information

2) Make a sign that is visible from at least 8 feet so potential customers know what you have without having to come all the way to your booth or table.
- A sheet of oak tag and some permanent makers should do the trick. Get it laminated or encase the edges in clear tape so it
lasts longer.

3) If the market offers some kind of public announcement system, try to get into the rotation of ads, by offering a weekly special.

4) Make a simple flyer listing what you sell, your location in the market, and contact information that you can hand out to potential customers and past customers alike.

5) Use any or all of the free online advertising sites to let potential customers know what you sell and what market to find you.
- Try www.craigslist.com or www.kijiji.com

Again, advertising doesn't have to be overly complex, just budget it into your other expense and use the most cost effective choice for your particular item.

Happy vending.

-FMN

Real Weekend Warriors

It's about 11:40am on Saturday morning and I can easily think of a dozen places I'd rather be, but instead I'm here at Englishtown Auction sales grinding it out.

Never mind the fact that it is 28 degrees out side, even though the sun is shining bright. Never mind that my alarm clock went off at 5:45am. Never mind that my wife is home sleeping. Never mind the hour plus drive it took to get here or the week-long preparation that goes into get ready. It's just part of the weekend warrior business.

Being a flea market vendor is often an exercise in futility. But, you never know what the weekend is going to bring. So you gather your wares during the week, show up, and hope for the best. Some us go home further in the hole and others of go home with more that what we earned all week. It is a complete crap shoot.

My hat goes off to my fellow weekend warriors. Surely we could sit around the house and work on the "Honey-do" list or play touch football, but we'd rather brave the elements and make a buck in the process. Men and women alike, old and young, some employed and other retired, foreigners and U.S. citizens, all trying to earn a little extra.

Kudos to those that work 40 hours (or more) then still make it to the market on the weekend. I applaud those who run small business and stores during the week then come to the market to haggle with bargain-seekers, after we're in a flea market.
I hold up my glass to those vendors who come out with only enough gas to get them to the market, your determination is unrivaled.

Being a real weekend warrior takes a lot of guts. Vending in a flea market is not like having a kiosk in a mall or a store front. The entire process or running a stand in any market is not easy.

So whether you are in the Aqueduct Flea Market, Englishtown Auction Sales, the Boulevard Flea Market, Cow Town, Collingswood, Green Dragon, Smiley's, Bill's, or Pendergrass, keep going hard.

And when you don't feel like getting out of bed on Saturday or Sunday morning to go the market, remember that Tommy Hilfiger started out selling his jeans at Columbus Flea Market in New Jersey. Not many of us will ever see Hilfiger's wealth, but the odds are definitely in your favor if you focus on your weekend warrior status.

Fight on my fellow weekend warriors, fight on.

-FMN