HOLLYWOOD, Md. – Local flea markets are a great place to find deals on anything you will ever need for your home. In many cases, flea markets offer the opportunity to explore gently used goods that sellers have either acquired on their own for the intent of resale or they are selling used goods that they no longer care for. Our local markets are no different. Some of our local markets offer the same goods that you might find in say Richmond or Baltimore, but they are often less expensive. The markets in Southern Maryland also tend to not be as picked over as the ones in the larger cities, which can mean more selection.
Locally, my favorite market is the Essex Flea Market. The best part of this market is that it is for the most part indoors and virtually not visited by others outside the area. This is a huge plus when trying to compete against others for goods. In many of the larger markets surrounding our our area, you would need to arrive extremely early on the weekends to find the very best deals. When you arrive at flea markets remember these tips:
- Bring cash, very few vendors will accept checks or credit cards.
- You can negotiation any price. Most prices are considered just a starting point.
- Do not be afraid to shop around to find the best deals
- Remember that the goods are often used, which means there will be some wear on them, but the good news is that they can be fixed.
- Take a large vehicle if you plan on purchasing a few items. More than a few times I have been stranded with no truck to carry things home
I visited a market last weekend on the hunt for a new chair to place on my front porch. Usually this would be quite a task, but on this particular Saturday I was able to find a pretty decent selection of chairs to choose from. I really wanted to find something that would be a pop of color for me, since my porch is white otherwise. After looking around I settled on a bench that seemed perfect. I measured the dimensions to verify that it would fit in my vehicle then began negotiating with the vendor. It is important to bring up the flaws, but not to the point to insult the seller. In my case, the paint was well worn and a leg needed to be re-glued. After what seemed like forever we settled on a price to purchase the bench. I took the bench home and glued the leg to fix it, then quickly painted the item with furniture paint that I found online. After waiting about a day or so, I placed the new/old bench on my porch and could not be happier.
Flea markets also offer great opportunities to pick up antiques for your home. You can often find pieces that would otherwise only be at auctions, such as writing desks, nesting tables, and blanket ladders. These are items that are quickly coming back in style thanks to their use by national designers. Often the pieces just need a little TLC and cleaning to bring them back to life. If you are somebody that enjoys DIY projects and has a knack for bringing items back to life, it is a great option.
