I love all the local designers and handmade work! Keep that up! I would also love to see the Flea open later? Maybe Noon - 6 or 7pm?

Posted by: guest at April 22, 2008 12:20 PM

Hmmm. Opening later? Maybe STAYING open later as the weather gets warmer and the light lasts longer....

Posted by: guest at April 22, 2008 12:48 PM

perhaps more food vendors (incl beer?) and a DJ booth.

Posted by: guest at April 22, 2008 3:23 PM

As a vendor, I have to say, some people have unrealistic expectations of the word "bargain" or even "flea market". When someone tries to aggressively hondel you down on an item that is already marked at five bucks, come on. You may be there to get something for next to nothing, but we need to meet expenses, not to mention, make a profit. A lot of us are finding the attitude that this is a large bargain basement garage sale to be unrealistic on both sides.

Prices have to reflect what we paid for the items, transportation which is rising daily, booth expenses, expertise in picking merch, and yes, some profit. Craftspeople selling at the market have to factor in their costs, time and talent as well. Just because you are buying something outside under a tent does not mean it will be, or should be, dirt cheap.

A happy medium needs to be reached. I'm not there to rip you off, I want you to buy my stuff, and come back time and again because I have good quality merchandise at a fair price. On the other hand, I'm not going to continue to operate at a loss, which I have been, just to be considered a good bargain. I am in this to make a living, and cannot be a charity.

Posted by: guest at April 22, 2008 3:28 PM

how about "Repop" the great vintage/thrift store in Wallabout. they would be a great vendor.

Posted by: guest at April 22, 2008 3:49 PM

I find it interesting that you want people who are so local you can almost walk to their business to be in the flea market. If you can get it locally 6 days a week, with a greater inventory, what's the point? Chelsea had vendors come from as far as Watertown, NY every week. Of course with fuel prices and expectations people are going to give the stuff away, that isn't likely to happen. I had a guy hang around and came back a few times and all over a $2.00 difference. I don't know about you, but I don't work for $2.00 an hour. For the 20 hours we put in start to finish, it has to be worth it. What would you expect to make in that time for two people? We have to find it, buy it, sometimes fix it, move it clean it, move it, move it and yes move it. If you are selling jewelry it's easy, but antique and vintage furniture! Movers make more than we do and all they do is move it once. Fortunately, my stuff rarely lasts more than two months and you will rarely see the same thing down there twice. We will be there this Sunday and 1/3 of what we anticipated bringing down has sold up here, so I'm out getting more stuff. Anyone need some 9 1/2 foot Church stained glass? Yes that will be there too. Fred from Silver Fox

Posted by: guest at April 22, 2008 4:43 PM

Getting up at 5:30. loading up the car to get to the market by 7, unloading and setting up for 10am, dealing with people all day to 5, packing it all up, loading it back into the car and then getting home around 6 to then unload it all again, is a long enough day for me. And I live pretty close. Staying open to 7pm sounds lovely if you are a shopper/stroller. Not if you are a vendor. Have some pity on the people who have to shlepp from out of town.

Posted by: guest at April 22, 2008 7:20 PM

We got back to Albany at 10:00pm after packing, etc. We left at 2am to get down there. Making it later wouldn't work for us. One of the problems was getting our truck out front to load up again. I think beyond 6pm is way too late. It turns out that most early birds are dealers. So only the antique dealers would probably benefit (or not). I think it's too early to consider longer hours. Don't forget, Brownstoner has to clean up after everyone is gone. Fred from Silver Fox

Posted by: guest at April 22, 2008 7:46 PM

It's great that vendors are starting to post more. I think it would be helpful to identify yourself as it adds some credibility to your comments. I think the vendor who mentioned that customers should list their requests is a great idea and I'm wondering if a page devoted to Vendors and Customers would be helpful, but there has to be a way to delete all the unrelated BS that floats on Brownstoner. I know it's the age of the digital soapbox, but for most of us it's a waste. Overall, I think Eric has been extremely responsive and keep in mind he has to juggle the school, the neighborhood, the vendors and the customers. We have our own market and we know on a smaller scale that it is one big PITA. Fred from Silver Fox

Posted by: guest at April 22, 2008 7:57 PM

antique, vintage lights, more fabrics - like upholstery fabrics, someone who has just old picture frames...

Posted by: guest at April 23, 2008 9:32 AM

I have a few issues with 3:28pm's post, and I am not the person who tried to aggressively hondel you down on the five dollar item.

"As a vendor, I have to say, some people have unrealistic expectations of the word "bargain" or even "flea market"."

usually these two terms go together. I don't think it is unrealistic to expect a bargain when entering something labeled simply as a flea market. Especially one that's free admission and is held in a school yard. (No matter how fast the area has gentrified). That's the label this event was given and promoted as, so it's not unreasonable for people to expect what they have come to know and love about something called a flea market over the years.

"When someone tries to aggressively hondel you down on an item that is already marked at five bucks, come on. You may be there to get something for next to nothing, but we need to meet expenses, not to mention, make a profit. A lot of us are finding the attitude that this is a large bargain basement garage sale to be unrealistic on both sides."

You failed to mention one VERY important fact in this argument... what was the item that was marked at five dollars? Maybe this item was not worth five dollars. What was it? You can't go on a blog and complain that someone didn't want to pay five dollars for something without mentioning what the thing was. Possibly you were trying to sell something worth a dollar fifty for five bucks?

Also, is five dollars automatically the minimum price that can be spent here without someone being labeled as cheap or an aggressive hondler? I didn't know there was an minimum spending rule at the flea.

"Prices have to reflect what we paid for the items, transportation which is rising daily, booth expenses, expertise in picking merch, and yes, some profit. Craftspeople selling at the market have to factor in their costs, time and talent as well. Just because you are buying something outside under a tent does not mean it will be, or should be, dirt cheap."

No. Prices do not have to reflect what you paid for an item. Ultimately it really doesn't matter to the consumer what the reseller paid for the item. No one cares. The only thing that matters is what the item is selling for at the flea market. A customer should not and does not have to take into consideration what the reseller paid before deciding if the price is fair. If a dealer overpaid for an item, does that mean that a customer should then take that into consideration and pay more to make up the difference to the dealer?

Interestingly, dealers use this excuse only when it benefits them, not when it beneifits the customer. If a dealer paid thirty bucks for a twenty five dollar item , they somehow feel justified in charging $35 or more. However, if the same dealer paid ten cents for the twenty foive dollar item, they aren't likely to sell it for fifteen cents. They will still mark it at twenty five bucks.

Further, why should we the customer have to take into consideration the seller's travel expenses, booth expenses, time and talent when looking at a price. Does the seller take into consideration the customer's time and travel expenses in getting to the flea market? Does the seller take into consideration the customers disposable income in the current economy before deciding on a price for an item? It does indeed go both ways, which is why all the other stuff is meaningless to both parties. The only thing that matters is the item and what it costs and if the customer wants it for that price. All the other crap that each had to go through before the dealer and the customer are standing on opposite sides of an item are irrelevent.

"A happy medium needs to be reached. I'm not there to rip you off, I want you to buy my stuff, and come back time and again because I have good quality merchandise at a fair price. On the other hand, I'm not going to continue to operate at a loss, which I have been, just to be considered a good bargain. I am in this to make a living, and cannot be a charity."

The funniest thing here is that for a while it just seemed to be only hipster customers who were complaining about the dealers and their wares and prices on this blog, now that a few vendors have apparently chimed in and joined the blog, it appears that they are just as whiney.

Posted by: guest at April 23, 2008 3:01 PM

To Jerri Blank, some of your points are valid; however, we (as vendors) do have to consider travel time and expense. We are in business to make money. It's not unrealistic to add that to the cost. UPS charges a fuel surcharge. Personally I don't raise prices because I come to Brooklyn -- I just rely on volume. 1/2 the stuff I had earmarked for this coming weekend we already sold (shelf life of 1 week). I also don't care how much someone tries to knock down the price. I don't get offended no matter how stupid the offer. I, and all dealers, have a bottom price. I don't go below that. I know every trick: the walk away and come back later approach, the "it's damaged" approach, the "I've seen it for much less approach". 95% of people who say "let me think about it" are really no. You may not have much sympathy for vendors, but it's a lot tougher and pays less than most jobs. Fred from Silver Fox Architectural Salvage

Posted by: guest at April 23, 2008 5:05 PM

I assume that if the hours were extended that just because the hours were extended, the vendors wouldn't be FORCED to stay past 5pm if they didn't want to. I'm assuming that currently if a vendor wants to go home before 5, they can do that right? So what's the harm in extending the hours then? Vendors who want to stay can, and the ones that don't can wrap it up.

Many flea markets in the suburbs start really really early say at 8am, and end at 4 pm, however many if not most vendors start packing up by 3 some even by two.

Is there something written into the vendor contract that says that the vendor has to stay set up until closing time?

Posted by: guest at April 23, 2008 5:32 PM

Right now I believe vendors have to stay till 5pm.

Posted by: guest at April 23, 2008 6:05 PM

I am the poster/vendor who complained about being hondeled down on a five dollar item.
3:01, you get very self righteous about someone trying to make a legit living. Like rh, I wonder if you practice what you preach. Seems to me, countless conversations on this blog revolve around selling real estate in the same way you decry someone marking up a flea market object, and those who do are seen as canny players of the marketplace.

I'm sure if you sell anything for a living, including your expertise in a profession, you factor in what you paid, as well as an undefinable charge for your special expertise. If you are a lawyer, I'm sure you charge your client for every photocopy, every cup of coffee bought, every travel expense, and every minute thinking about that client, and the clock is ticking on every phone call. So how is that different?

Long story short, I like buying cool stuff that I think other people will want, and reselling it. I enjoy talking to people who like what I'm selling, or are just out enjoying the day. I don't have a problem with bargaining, it's part of the game, and I actually sell most of my stuff at less than the marked price. But my prices have to reflect what went into getting that item, as do the prices anywhere, for anything else in the world. Just because I'm selling outdoors doesn't change that one bit. Asking for a little respect is hardly whining.

Posted by: guest at April 24, 2008 12:36 AM

Interesting that after you again bring up being hondeled down on a five dollar item you still refuse to mention the item. Very telling.

"But my prices have to reflect what went into getting that item"

That's your problem. In the world of second hand merchandise, the real market will reflect what people are willing to pay for items not how expensive or how hard it was for the seller to offer the item.

Yes, the seller needs to factor in what they paid, but the buyer does not. And after factoring in what you paid, if the end result is a price that's too high at your table, well then it's simply too high. end of story.

"an undefinable charge for your special expertise." ah, c'mon.

"If you are a lawyer, I'm sure you charge your client for every photocopy, every cup of coffee bought, every travel expense, and every minute thinking about that client, and the clock is ticking on every phone call. So how is that different?"

Ah HA HA HA HA.

If you don't know the difference between a lawyer and a flea market vendor, then it's a darn good thing your not a lawyer.

If you think your time, costs and expertise as a second hand vendor in a schoolyard is equal to or comparitable to those of a lawyer, then you are easily one of the most self important flea market dealers I have ever heard of.

The cost of every photo copy every travel expense and every phone call can in most cases be the reward for a very expensive run through law school.

I'm sorry, but did you go to Flea Market School in order to prepare for your special expertise? How much did Flea Market school cost?

And for full disclosure, I happen NOT to be a lawyer.

Posted by: guest at April 24, 2008 11:14 AM

11:14: figure out the difference between your and you're. As a (semi) self-respecting lawyer, I thank god you aren't one.

Posted by: guest at April 24, 2008 12:10 PM

11:14, I never said you were a lawyer, I just used that as an example. See 12:10 for a lawyer's perspective. I don't have to tell you anything about what I sell, why should I? So you can pass judgement on its worth with your all so informed opinions?

For your condescending information, EVERYONE, no matter what they do, wants to be paid for their "expertise". No matter what anyone does, they are the sum of their formal education, job experiences and the knowledge that comes from everyday hands on learning and self education. If I have to explain that any further, you are as clueless as you are arrogant. I may actually be a lawyer, for all you know, I know several vendors who are, and do markets for fun. Assumptions make an ass out of you, as the saying goes.

I don't need Flea Market School to know a jerk when one appears.

Posted by: guest at April 24, 2008 3:02 PM

"Further, why should we the customer have to take into consideration the seller's travel expenses, booth expenses, time and talent when looking at a price. Does the seller take into consideration the customer's time and travel expenses in getting to the flea market? Does the seller take into consideration the customers disposable income in the current economy before deciding on a price for an item?"

You are kidding, right? I, as a vendor, am supposed to worry about you and your inconvenience? Ha ha ha ha ha ha- 'scuse- i have to wipe my eyes. And while I am doing that, perhaps, 3:01 you might want to go back to school and take a basic course in ecomomics and a sub course in how not to feel entitled in life. vendors based their prices on a lot of factors, including what they paid for an item, and it is a choice to decide if the price you buy at will make an item saleable in your market.

Most of the flea market vendors happen to be expert in what they sell, and put in a great deal of time and effort into the market. Many of them went to college for degrees in art and design, history or even law. You may think the vendors are people who can't get jobs anywhere else- you would be very wrong. Most of them are business people who ahve probably invested more time, effort and money into what they do than you. And for that they deserve respect, not a whine from you that they don't appreciate the effort you took to come to the flea market. so my suggestion is if you feel your awesome presence is not fully appreciated by those of us who sell at the flea market, if you feel we are not sufficiently respectful of the fact you are willing to give us a dollar for a 20$ dollar item, well, you have the freedom to simply not show up. Do yourself a favor, preserve your dignity.

Posted by: guest at April 24, 2008 3:43 PM

further- vendors do know the difference between a cheap hondeler and someone to bargain with. when someone comes into your booth, piles a bunch of stuff on a chair and TELLS you they will give you such and such a laughably low amount, that's my defintion of a cheapskate. when someone really loves something I have and I have wiggle room, I will bargain. But to give me grief over a 5$ item- you can go blow.

My feeling is that pushing the Flea as a cheap flea market does no one any favors. There is great stuff there, and at great prices- but vendors should have to feel that they can only sell 50 cent items because that's what customers come there expecting. In that case you can get the street fair vendors with socks from China.

Posted by: guest at April 24, 2008 3:50 PM

To this Fool Who Wrote this:
Further, why should we the customer have to take into consideration the seller's travel expenses, booth expenses, time and talent when looking at a price. Does the seller take into consideration the customer's time and travel expenses in getting to the flea market?

WHY?
Because when you go to a restaurant, you pay. When you go to the Gap, you pay. When you go to the deli. you pay.
You think things fall from the sky, and you take no consideration as to how the world works. What do you do for a living? Do you get paid for it? Is all that put into a consideration? Your point makes absolutely no sense. The point, and excellent point that vendor is making is that we are not there as a charity, and to have no understanding of the work that goes into everything on the planet, is childish. How many customers do you know that get paid to shop? Dumb point. Start going into every store where you spend your money, and ask them why they charge why they charge. I dare you! Why, because everything takes, people, materials, time, movement, expenses. The vendor is merely trying to help empty heads like yours understand that things do not fall from the sky. Clearly he overestimated your intelligence!

Your sneakers, your, glasses, your underwear, your pen, your computer for that matter. Do you whine to the place where you go that? No...

Posted by: guest at April 25, 2008 8:59 AM

3:01 needs a diagram on the production cycle of goods, and the chain of work involved in the creation of goods.

One can only assume you walk around naked and use no products while draped in ignorance.

Posted by: guest at April 25, 2008 9:03 AM

Satisfied customer speaking: this is pathetic. Nobody gets into the business of selling crafts or antiques to get rich. It's not a profitable field. So you're just spewing some Econ 101 (you can always tell the level at which they stopped,) and it just don't apply here. If you want to buy stuff for cheaper elsewhere go there and buy it. Flea market's a flexible term, some people may bargain, some may not- I got a great piece of art for less because the seller knew I loved it and didn't have enough cash immediately on me. She also knew that if I liked it, I would display it and my friends would see it and ask where I got it. That's business sense being followed. Bargaining is a knit of intuitively calculated equations about which what the market may or may not bear is only a part. In the free market, if the vendor is charging too much to sell merchandise, they'll go out of business. They aren't worth a second of your thought, certainly not a series of posts. But what irritates you is that they won't bow down and grovel to make a sale to you. They'll charge what they charge, and they'll look you in the eye when they do it.

Posted by: guest at April 25, 2008 9:58 AM

As a vendor, I think it's important to respond to critics intelligently (as has been done); however, ganging up on one is not in our or the market's best interest. If this market succeeds it is because the vendors that survive long term have the products people want and they make money at it. I am not one who believes the customer is always right; however, we do need a forum for customers and vendors to express their thoughts and opinions. Just a word of caution about letting a thread drag on too long -- it can get angry and ugly. Fred from Silver Fox.

Posted by: guest at April 25, 2008 9:25 PM

Welcome to brownstoner, long or short the posts always get angry and turn into frightening, nonsense.

But I like Fred's style.

Posted by: guest at April 26, 2008 12:24 AM

Responding to Mr. B's question of what do you want:

(vintage) textiles and linens, inexpensive furniture. That's what I bought last week, plus a mirror. I had to hunt (which is part of the fun), but I'd love to see more.

I also like to look at vintage dishware/glassware, although I already have a lot so may not buy. Thanks.

Posted by: guest at April 26, 2008 9:41 AM

"Start going into every store where you spend your money, and ask them why they charge why they charge. I dare you! Why, because everything takes, people, materials, time, movement, expenses."

Sorry. this comparison does not hold up. There is a HUGE difference between paying $75 to $100 to set up a booth for one day only in the middle of a residential neighborhood, compared to paying thousands of dollars a month rent/insurance/etc. with a long term commitment on a shop in a commercial strip.

Once again. the schoolyard flea market vendors like to think of themselves as equals to someone who runs a real antique store. The overhead is WAY different between a store and a booth in a schoolyard and yet the booth merchant feels it is their right to charge the same. Hows that for a sense of entitlement?

My suggestion to you would be to open a store so you can actually have a valid argument like the one you are presenting.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 10:50 AM

".... I don't have to tell you anything about what I sell, why should I? So you can pass judgement on its worth with your all so informed opinions?"

You wouldn't have to say anything about what you sell at all if YOU HADN"T BROUGHT UP THE FACT TWICE that someone was hondling you down on a five dollar item without mentioning the item.

You can't hope to make a case against someone or a type of person for doing something if you leave out the most important fact. Why are you so afraid of mentioning it, because possibly you know you were charging too much?

So, yes if you are going to try and get sympathy from anonymous people on a blog that someone was being cheap, you DO have to tell us the rest of the information. Otherwise you come across as someone that just wants to get their side of the story expressed without disclosing the important info that can either make or break their case.

"I may actually be a lawyer, for all you know,"

Well then you would be the worst lawyer known to man, as refusing to disclose the evidence to plead your case would mean you would lose lose lose immediately.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 10:57 AM

Hey, bitter jerk at 10:57, the second time I mentioned the $5 hondel was to identify myself as the poster, not bring it up again. If you had an iota of reading comprehension ability, you'd understand that, everyone else did. But since you don't understand commerce at all, I'm not surprized. You make constant generalizations not knowing jack about who or what you are talking about. I HAVE had a bricks and morter store, and many other vendors have or had stores as well, so we DO know what we are talking about regarding overhead, and more importantly, pricing. And as someone like Fred of Silver Fox said, he prices the same whether he is in his store or at the Flea, as do most people. If a store owner has to pay overhead in a store and charges $100 for an object there, he/she is supposed to sell it at a flea market for $25 because there is no roof? You must not be in a money making profession, but professional gripers rarely get paid.

Your obsession over a $5 purchase leads me to believe you have deep issues beyond a purchase. Who the hell cares what or who it was? It's totally irrelevant to anything besides your obsession. If you hate flea markets and vendors so much, don't go to them. If I said it was a vase, which it wasn't, who are you to tell me what a vase is worth? On the internet. Pluleeze.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 1:45 PM

"Start going into every store where you spend your money, and ask them why they charge why they charge. I dare you! Why, because everything takes, people, materials, time, movement, expenses. "

Why do stores charge what they do? Because they have overhead.

There is a huge difference between paying $75 to $100 for a temporary booth set up in a residential neighborhood for one day as compared to paying thousands ad thousands of dollars for rent and insurance, heat, electricity, etc, not to mention a long term commitment to these things that a store must do.

A Sunday flea market vendor does not have these massive above costs and yet seems to feel completely justified in charging the same amount of money for goods. Hows that for a sense of entitlement?

Once again, this is another example of a flea market vendor comparing themselves to the owner of a real store. Not a valid or fair comparison.

Why don't you open a real shop and then you can have a valid claim to your argument. I dare you!

again....

"WHY?
Because when you go to a restaurant, you pay. When you go to the Gap, you pay. When you go to the deli. you pay.
You think things fall from the sky, and you take no consideration as to how the world works."

See above. A restaurant, the Gap and a Deli are not comparable in their operational costs to a one day schoolyard flea market vendor of used merchandise. The world is not as simple economically as you state. Different situations and different businesses require different operational costs/overhead.

get a grip.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 2:10 PM

"It's totally irrelevant to anything besides your obsession."

uh, sorry. You started the whole thing by griping over someone hondling you down over a five dollar item. You were clearly annoyed by this. Most people other than the person who was engaging you at the time would be curious what you were talking about, and if you wanted to be taken seriously then you would have mentioned the item, not just in your initial post but once it was brought up by a curious poster reading your gripe. You seem much more intent and justified in defending your right not to mention what it was, then to back up your initial gripe. That's just silliness. So yes, it is entirely relevant to your gripe and to your entire initial posting.

To call someone out on something and then defend your right to not disclose any further extremely relevant info about the the situation is bull.

Me thinks you protest too much for a five dollar item.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 2:18 PM

"You are kidding, right? I, as a vendor, am supposed to worry about you and your inconvenience?"

no, your not. But I as the customer am not supposed to worry about yours either.

and yet, it seems that the vendor who made the initial post about how much consideration the customer has to put into the vendors inconvenience thinks the customer should.

It's not a one way street here. Neither party should be concerned with what it took to get them both into that schoolyard for the purpose of potentially buying an item.

It seems that there are some vendors, or one vendor on this thread that thinks that the customers should be very understanding of that vendors hardships in presenting merchandise. But not the other way around.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 2:26 PM

Why do flea market vendors suddenly feel the need to be "respected"?

I know this is an upscale market. and it's great, but why all the self esteem and defense issues on the part of the vendor?

Is there one person/vendor posting here who has major self worth issues and is very touchy about being a flea market vendor?

Just seems a silly thing to be concerned about.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 2:31 PM

Vendor here: this is a classic case of trying to prove a negative, ie: "and how long have you been a member of the Communist Party?" No matter what you say, it is impossible to prove you are not what you never claimed to be.

I enjoy selling at the flea. If I didn't, I wouldn't. It is a chance to make some extra income, meet new people, and make some room in my home. I neither need validation or justification for doing so.

Everyone wants and needs a little respect. While I don't expect to be treated like Phillipe de Montebello, neither do I expect to be treated like a junkie selling cast offs on a curb. One poster has issues, not me. I'm done.

See you at the flea.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 2:50 PM

"Once again. the schoolyard flea market vendors like to think of themselves as equals to someone who runs a real antique store. The overhead is WAY different between a store and a booth in a schoolyard and yet the booth merchant feels it is their right to charge the same. Hows that for a sense of entitlement?"

everyone wants customers to buy their goods- that's a given. And a good vendor is respectful of his customer's needs and wants because it makes for good business,. But to undercut one's price to the point of making no money is bad business. And yes it's true a vendor at a flea market doesn't have the same "overhead" a store does- but they do have overhead- mortgage, food, stock, car and gas, etc. whether you are bricks and mortar, internet or flea, there is overhead and the real point is that the prices at the Flea are very low compared to antique stores as it is. I've seen silverplate for 5 dollars that cost 40 in an antiques store- none of the vendors are gouging anyone or making that much money.

And so what if they did make some real money? If they have an item and you want it enough, you pay for it. Most vendors will bargain, I believe, but the poster who complained about the person who was too cheap to buy a 5 dollar item made the point about how much of a bargain people are supposed to expect. Since the prices are already low, at some point it is almost insulting to keep trying to squeeze a vendor down.

As for the very insulting comment about flea market vendors thinking themselves the equals of those who have "real antique stores"- I have never read anything more ridiculous. A real antiques vendor is determined by the merchandise they sell, not the bricks or plate glass window. My feeling is that since you have such feelings of contempt for the vendors, don't bother coming to the flea market. We'll only disappoint you and you, most assuredly will disappoint us. (FYI- I was next to the vendor of the infamous 5 dollar item and it happened to have been a very nice piece of silverplate, and the customer was totally obnoxious about it).

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 4:05 PM

"but the poster who complained about the person who was too cheap to buy a 5 dollar item made the point about how much of a bargain people are supposed to expect."

And I as a customer (not the five dollar one) make a point that that poster was rather insulting to suggest that a person is too cheap to spend less than five dollars on anything.

Way to go to alienate a certain segment of the flea market buying public to suggest that there is a minimum price to spend here once you walk through the gate.

Sorry if it isn't worth your while to sell anything marked less than five bucks to a potential customer. What is this an auction with a mimimum bid?

Weather the item was worth less or more than five bucks is beside the point. The point here is that this poster seems to think that five bucks is a baseline amount to spend for ANYTHING and that someone who wants to spend less is cheap. Now THAT'S pretty insulting.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 5:12 PM

"And yes it's true a vendor at a flea market doesn't have the same "overhead" a store does- but they do have overhead- mortgage, food, stock, car and gas, etc."

ok, you had me with the car and gas and stock, and some other things maybe, but MORTGAGE? FOOD?

Um, those are things that everyone has to deal with. Everyone has to eat, not just the flea market vendor. And not just the flea market customer. Everyone. Even people that don't go to Flea markets or post on flea market blogs.

And if you have a home and you can't afford to buy it outright you have a mortgage no matter what you do for a living.

Kind of meaningless to add those things into the defense of the pricing structure of the flea market's vendor's goods. What's next, vendor's mark up their prices because they have cable tv bills?

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 5:17 PM

"A real antiques vendor is determined by the merchandise they sell, not the bricks or plate glass window"

Not so simple. Yes, most of what makes a vendor is their merchandise. However, you underestimate the importance of the bricks and the plate glass window.

The physical storefront with regular hours and a specific tangible location serves many purposes beyond the actual merchandise itself.

There is a convenience that's built in to the fact that you know that a store will be open at a certain time in a certain location with a certain stock of merchandise at a certain price range. Rain or shine, if you need or want to get something you know where to go.

And you pay for that convenience/access.

A customer may not know that a certain vendor will certainly be at a flea market on a specific day, especially one like this one which rotates vendors. Also, someone may not want to wait an entire week (or more) if they need to shop for a gift, etc. If it is pouring rain, the vendor may not show up. What about the Winter when it is freezing and snowing?

Outdoor markets are seasonal. Stores are year round. This flea market is once a week, stores are open throughout the week/weekend and have regular hours.

You are paying for the convenience and access of the store.
How many times have you bought something at the local bodega for more than you could have gotten it elsewhere? All the time. Because you know they will have it and that at a certain time you can get it. You don't go into the small shop on your corner when you need something immediately and expect the prices to be cheaper than your supermarket, nor do you go into an Antique store in a blizzard and expect the prices to be as affordable as a summer flea market. The opposite also holds true. You don't expect the supermarket to be as expensive as your local convenience store, and you don't expect your Sunday afternoon flea market to be as expensive as your brick and glass Antique Store.

A seasonal outdoor market dependent on the weather with rotating vendors means that you might not see a certain vendor for who knows how long? It also means that most shoppers/potential customers who enter are not necessarily looking for a specific thing and/or necessarily prepared to buy a specific item at a specific price. There is a natural looseness to the customers intentions when coming to a flea market.

Bricks and windows offer much more than just shelter from the storm.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 5:41 PM

"Once again. the schoolyard flea market vendors like to think of themselves as equals to someone who runs a real antique store. The overhead is WAY different between a store and a booth in a schoolyard and yet the booth merchant feels it is their right to charge the same. Hows that for a sense of entitlement?"

So is this like a real problem in the world? "Once again those crazy liberal anitque vendors"
Really? I mean there HAS to be something much more important to discuss.

They are just people trying to make a living, so just shut up already.

Storage, travel, vending fees, sales tax etc. its a business store or no store. Guess what Atlantic Ave used to be full of affordable antiques, now it is full of organic ice cream and over priced shoes. Where were you then?

Shut up already!!!!!!

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 7:33 PM

My suggestion to you would be to open a store so you can actually have a valid argument like the one you are presenting.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 10:50 AM

You are just a idiot, clearly. I'll open a store, so you can then bitch about that.
Right.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 7:35 PM

"And I as a customer (not the five dollar one) make a point that that poster was rather insulting to suggest that a person is too cheap to spend less than five dollars on anything.... Weather the item was worth less or more than five bucks is beside the point. The point here is that this poster seems to think that five bucks is a baseline amount to spend for ANYTHING and that someone who wants to spend less is cheap. Now THAT'S pretty insulting."

First of all, it's "whether", not weather. A sunny day is weather. Only one of many errors. Obviously, you were grousing about the price of your school lunch when the English grammar lessons were taking place.

Secondly, the vendor never said any of what you allege. You've taken one statement in their original post and have woven a vast cloak of indignation, covering an area totally beyond the scope or value of the original comment. Get over it, especially since it wasn't about you, or so you say. Why get so "insulted" over a simple comment by an anonymous person on a blog?

Talk about much ado about nothing. And frankly, if you can't get off $5 for almost anything in this city, you are cheap.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 8:06 PM

I am a vendor and I have more than a store. Camille and I have a 10,000 sq. ft architectural salvage warehouse and my own artisan and specialty food market with 20 vendors on the weekends. We come down to Brooklyn flea to explore a potential new area for our salvage and home decor business(where are those wholesale buyers anyway). Our own overhead is $62,000 a year not including labor and I employ 8 part time people. We have made two trips and did well opening day and OK on last Sunday (damn rain) but met our minimum. Every time we are there we learn more about what people are looking for. I've met quite a few vendors that have brick & mortar stores. They come down to Brooklyn Flea for similar reasons: to expand their customer base and make money for the day as well. Customers don't care if we have a store or not (that doesn't help make a sale), they do care about uniqueness and value. I thought the market had some great items on Sunday and think it will do well long term. Fred and Camille from Silver Fox

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 8:14 PM

mortagage is overhead, as is food- if you travel, food is an expense in business. And if you work from home, as i do, it's part of your overhead (Hey, if that's good enough for the feds, it should be good enough for you). As far as pricing goes, I'm with Fred and Camille- uniqueness and value make a sale. Vendors are allowed to decide their pricing based on any number of factors- they own the item, it's their decision to make. It's your decision to buy or not, but it is foolish of you to think a vendor should take into account your convenience and effort in coming to the flea market in their pricing. Vendors APPRECIATE you coming and will do their best for good and repeat customers, but to price an item based on your lifestyle is a stretch.

as for the now overwrought and infamous $5 item- the original poster never said this was a baseline and simply stated it as an illustration of what she or he had experienced. Be that as it may, vendors at the flea set lower prices in general, they pay the fees, they buy their stock or he supplies to make it, they put in the work, the money, and the time- all of that goes into setting a fair price for their goods.so if they want $5 and won't settle for 3,it's their right and not an insult to anyone. But it is not respectful of the vendor's time and work for a customer to give them a hard time over that $2.

Posted by: guest at April 29, 2008 1:37 AM

"but it is foolish of you to think a vendor should take into account your convenience and effort in coming to the flea market in their pricing."

I never suggested that they should on it's own. I said that if you are going to make the argument that a customer should take all these things into account when dealing with the vendor's pricing, then the vendor should take these things into account when dealing with the customer's wallet.

My point is that NEITHER side should be concerned with the other's efforts when arriving together at a flea market. A flea market is generally a place where people buy and sell non necessary items for whatever reason, or go to have fun looking and/or shopping. Issues such as mortgages, tolls, respect for the job at hand, etc. are meaningless when you see a couch marked $1200 but only want to offer $1000 or a table marked $225 that you only want to offer $200, or a fruit bowl that you like marked $12 but that you want to offer $10, or a mystery item that is marked $5 but you only want to offer $3.

Posted by: guest at April 29, 2008 11:10 AM

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, that's what this flea market means to me.

Posted by: guest at April 29, 2008 11:13 AM

This thread is overdone. Please don't roll me over on the barby one more time, either eat me whole or throw me in the trash. Let's move on to the next topic. How should vendors dress? Should women show more cleavage to increase sales? You may think it's sexist, but who seats you in any fine restaurant in New York -- model wanna bees with cleavage.

Posted by: guest at April 29, 2008 1:16 PM

"Should women show more cleavage to increase sales?"

Depends on the woman.

Posted by: guest at April 29, 2008 3:20 PM

Excellent point.

Posted by: guest at April 29, 2008 3:24 PM

Also depends on the weather. This is consumption weather, not cleavage weather. I'm not freezing for anyone.

Posted by: guest at April 29, 2008 3:35 PM

If you charge $5 for something, will you take $3 if I show you some cleavage while I ask?

Posted by: guest at April 29, 2008 3:46 PM

I'll take $4.00, I'll meet you in the middle (financially, not cleavagely). If you have great cleavage and let me look for a little bit, I'll go down to $3.00.

Posted by: guest at April 29, 2008 3:50 PM