How To Make Money At Your Local Flea Markets

Flea markets can hold the key to making a part or full time income if you have the determination to make the most of it. You can sell all kinds of things but most people tend to specialize in something in particular – either because they have a natural interest in that subject or because it holds the potential to make a lot of money.
The basic idea is to source your products elsewhere and then flip them for a profit at the local flea markets – but you can work it the other way as well, as the full article reveals.
Most people love flea markets because they are a huge hive of activity; you can buy practically anything you like at one of these events if the price is right.
The key to selling successfully is to find out what people want and then get it from somewhere else to sell at a profit. Check your local papers in the items for sale section; people are often so eager to get rid of stuff they don’t want you can pick up a lot of stuff at dirt cheap prices and then sell it on for a handsome profit.
Books are a great seller, and they are often something that people will clear out at very low prices just to get rid of the ones they no longer want. EBay is another possibility; job lots of books are usually too heavy to mail out so you’ll need to collect them, but this reduces your competition when it comes to other bids. Many people start the bidding at less than a dollar and you can often win the auction for dozens of books at this low price.
You can also buy stock from wholesalers. There are plenty of these that sell brand new goods that will sell well at flea markets, but order minimum quantities to begin with until you know a certain item sells well. Do your research by wandering round a flea market as a potential customer; this will help you to identify the busiest stalls and the expert sellers who are making the most money. Presentation counts for a lot as well. A messy stall won’t attract as much attention as one that is well ordered and laid out.
Alternatively you can search for products at the flea markets by getting them as cheaply as you can, and then turning round and selling them on a website such as eBay. This takes a lot of knowledge since not all products will fetch a profit. Look out for people selling job lots of items to get rid of them, which you could then break up to sell individually.
Most people are becoming aware of what their items are worth now though, so your best chance of getting the most out of a flea market will be as a seller, not a buyer.
If you like the idea of doing this, make sure you visit the very next flea market in your local area. It will give you a chance to take a look round in order to see what the busiest sellers are selling to their customers. Check out how they work and what kind of goods interest you. You can then start looking for your stock elsewhere – and who knows, you might even have a stall of your own at the next flea market to hit town.
Be sure to leave us a comment below before you start sourcing your stock though!