Shop Flea Markets Like a Pro

The thrill of the hunt – foraging among bins, baskets and barrels in search of treasure – draws us to these places.

Story by Linda Kast
Photos by Ray Kast

You might call it junk. Someone else might call it vintage. Another might call it repurposed. Some may even call it antique. I just call it cool. I love to scavenge amongst a trove of old, repurposed, recycled, dated or patina-covered stuff. What am I looking for? It could be a specific item such as another green glass jar to store cotton balls in the bathroom, or it could be a fun find that jumps out at me. How do I know when I find it? It’s more about the unpredictable nature of flea markets and junking that make the search an all-day adventure. So come along as I share with you my junk market journey.

Bonanza!

My husband and I have been hitting antique stores, flea markets and salvage yards for years. But when we went to the Junk Bonanza in Shakopee, Minn., I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. “What junk! What fabulous junk,” I thought. And then we met the junk lady to beat them all – Ki Nassauer, one of the original JunkMarket Girls. Ki started the Bonanza in 2006 as a way to more efficiently bring junk collectors and junk buyers together in one place. Since 2006, the Junk Bonanza has grown from an annual event in Minnesota to twice a year in Shakopee, along with stand-alone shows in Portland, Ore., and San Diego, Calif.

Ki knows her audience, too. “People are becoming more conscious of recycling, mixing and creating a home with personality and character,” she says. “Because retailers are now reproducing vintage items, I say, ‘Why not get it firsthand?’” Once the introductions were made, we could see Ki had plenty of work to do coordinating the show, the vendors, show floor activities and more. So we said our good-byes and went in search of treasure. Aisle after aisle, we were impressed with the way each vendor set out to differentiate their booth from the one next door.

Something for everyone

Old plumbing fixtures rewired as lighting fixtures; architectural columns, capitals and newel posts used as candleholders; sap buckets, minnow buckets, signs and tools – all awaited discovery in their respective corner, pile or display. My go-to items are picnic baskets, green glass and slide rules. My husband tends to look for fishing gear and old tools. But I’m always on the hunt for something to hang, stack or arrange on my fireplace mantel.

It took a couple of trips around the event to visit all of the 152 vendors’ displays, but in time, both of us had our arms filled with great buys. Then, we came across one of those serendipitous items. While it was never on my radar, turns out, one of the vendors refurbishes wood boxes and turns them into strum sticks. A strum stick is a three-string instrument with guitar frets on an attached wooden neck. Since music in the cabin is a necessity, we purchased one of the strum sticks for our guitar-playing son for Christmas. Everyone loved to hear us retell the story of finding the strum stick, and even better, to hear my son adding Christmas melodies to his rock-and-roll repertoire.

Junker's Guide to Shopping

Now that shopping at events such as the Junk Bonanza has become more mainstream, junk expert Ki Nassauer has some tips for making the most of your treasure-hunting experience:

Come prepared. If you’re looking to fill a space in your cabin with something specific, perhaps an end table or a book-shelf, take measurements of your space and keep them handy. Also, bring a tape measure so you’ll be able to check if an item will fit its intended location.
Bring color samples, swatches or photos if you’re trying to match specific décor items at the cabin.
Don’t second-guess yourself if you see something you just love. Buy it then, because it may not be there when you go back later.
Do an initial walk through of the show, and then go back and do a second time around. You’ll definitely see things you hadn’t noticed the first time through.
Go with a friend you can trust. That way you’ll have someone to weigh in on any big purchases you want to make.
Set your crowd strategy. Determine when you want to go based on the kind of crowds you’ll meet. Go early to rub elbows with the hardcore crowd and for a chance to see all the most unusual stuff. If you don’t like crowds, go later in the afternoon to shop at a much quieter pace (knowing that some booths may be picked through).
Bring cash – singles, $5s, $10s. Not every vendor will be equipped to process credit cards or accept checks.
Haggle over price, it’s part of the game. But remember to be courteous and treat the vendors with respect.