15 Tips for First Time Flea Vendors

Steve Rush owns and operates the vintage clothing business 5 Star Vintage. He started selling at flea markets in 2019, and now he primarily sells at the Rose Bowl Flea Market and the Long Beach Antique Market in Los Angeles area.

Here are his best tips for the first-time flea market vendors.

1. If you’re considering selling at flea markets, start by visiting a few markets to get a feel for the crowd and vendors. After that it is easier to make the decision where to sell.

2. Look for markets with easy load-in and load-out, like those where you can park your car behind your booth. Carrying stuff from a parking lot is annoying.

3. I always prepare the day before. Most markets are in the morning. Usually, the day before I’ll see what everything looks like on my racks and get an idea of what I’m not bringing and what I am bringing. It takes 1-3 hours.

4. Less is more, especially for a smaller 10 x 10 booth. Avoid clutter. I bring more items than I need and keep the extra in my car as backstock.

5. Bring a mirror and let nearby vendors know their customers can use it. It attracts more people to your booth.

6. Also, bring weights or sandbags, water, snacks, a foldable chair, and for summer I bring an umbrella. I’m fair skinned and I will turn into a crispy red ball if I don’t.

7. I recommend doing 2-3 markets a month. If you are new I would say get your feet wet and do 1 a month. Get the hang of it. Try 2, then 3. I’ve done 8 in one month and I was burned out. Avoid burnout!

8. Regarding pricing and whether all items should be priced or not: I price about half my inventory. Not pricing some items can lead to conversations, but it might also deter some buyers. Having a mix helps people gauge your pricing. Some vendors say not pricing is bad, but I haven’t seen that to be the case.

9. Be consistent. Regarding local markets, you should focus on bringing good products, being consistent with the market (doing it weekly or monthly), and people will come back to the booth over time. If there is a way to lock in the exact spot for whatever market you are doing, do it. People like knowing you’re always in the same spot.

10. People can haggle so hard. Veteran buyers can smell the newbies. Stand your ground and do not underprice your items.

11. People can be mean — don’t let them ruin your day.

12. The social part of flea markets throws vendors through a loop. Speaking for myself – I was never really a social person but doing markets has helped me a lot socially and not being such a hermit.

13. To start a conversation with a customer, you can compliment something they are wearing if you genuinely like it. I usually say, “Let me know if you have questions. Feel free to try stuff on, and there’s a mirror right there.” This invites them to engage without pressure. I like to call it “Let the customer breathe.”

14. Regarding new events, let other vendors be the test dummies. Ask them how it went. Ask them how the load in/load out worked. Was it busy? Visit the market yourself. Word gets out quickly. Also, you may like a certain market and all your friends hate it. More for you!

15. You can only gain experience by doing it. Start with smaller markets if the big ones seem overwhelming. It’s hard work, but try to make friends and have fun.

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