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  1. #1
    Unadjusted Human on CBR SUPERECWFAN1's Avatar
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    Default The Rise & Fall of ...the Flea Market.





    Back in the mid/late 1990's I became addicted to going to the local Flea Market. The markets itself varied in size but you could find almost ANYTHING there at times. There was toys , games , comics and more at these. People were selling furniture as well as things you would never imagine honestly. As a buyer it was fun to walk through and find things for my comics collection .

    Me and my folks would go most weekends I could. Traveling to my local one in the next town. Then there was ones in my town as well we could take in. Almost anyone was going to these Flea Markets to look and buy things. You rarely saw "resellers" who would frequent them. The people selling either were private owners who just wanted to unload their kids junk they viewed or basically owners who had shops who wanted to sell things by traveling there.

    For a number of years Flea Markets helped folks build video game collections as well. While I'm not a big video game collector (have some games...nothing major) a lot of the collectors would take these in and build their collection. The "Game Chasers" brought up that earlier in their youtube episode run they could go to them and find things. So did Pat the NES Punk who does his Flea Market Madness series.






    But along the way things happened that hit the Flea Markets. Almost everyone saw them as a GOLD MINE of potential and started to hit them. There was people who started hitting them who owned stores who started raiding them to resell later. In some cases it became more silly to see them buy like 1990's comics for nothing and decide to mark them up beyond what anyone would care to buy. And I'm sure it holds true to video games for example.

    Pat and Game Chasers I believe discussed this growing trend that people believe if they resell things they have gold and its often **** they are trying to sell at dumb prices.


    The funniest example is a guy was selling a PS3 game system last year at a local flea market. I walked up and saw it and some games which I thought , hey that is a 500GB system and its a gamble it works. But who knows , I asked how much and the guy wanted $150 bucks for it. And the games were sold together and they were another $50. The PS3 games weren't anything special except maybe 2 I would have wanted and tried to buy. I never asked about PS3 since well , he was so outta my price range I let it go.

    He refused and comically told me , "I'll just wait on the local reseller , he will pay me my price. You guys won't..."

    Which is fine and dandy , all power to him. But its silly to see this weird effect its had on things. Because buying game systems is a bit of a risk to see if they work gamble wise. I mean if its a risk buying solo games alone (I've been lucky thus far) imagine buying a whole game system and someone demanding way above market value for it and not even gonna listen to an offer regardless telling you , I'll wait on the local reseller for top $$$.

    Its gotten worse with comics as well as I pointed out. Its rare to find any good comics anymore at these flea markets. I find some things that are unique that I get for my collection but its rare I hit on anything BIG at these. Since well by the time I go the locals are done picked clean or usually some lady believes her copies of Mad Magazine #180-250 is worth $20 bucks a pop because she saw some Flea Market TV show or a reseller marked his up somewhere she saw it lol.


    I still frequent Flea Markets , just waiting on the day when things go back to normal in a way. I know that is doubtful. But hey I can remember the good times at Flea Markets.
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  2. #2
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    I haven't been to a flea market since the 80's. But during the summer, one opens up close to where I work.

  3. #3
    Loony Scott Taylor's Avatar
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    Its truly amazing how many times I see a bunch of complete 1990s crapola comics for sale at outrageous prices. Maybe people pay for nostalgia?
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  4. #4
    Latverian ambassador Iron Maiden's Avatar
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    Not the many around any more in my area. They come during the summer months to this one vacant lot that used to be a National grocery story where my Mom would get those Green stamps. It's outdoors and looks pretty messy so I never bother to stop

  5. #5
    MXAAGVNIEETRO IS RIGHT MyriVerse's Avatar
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    We have several in New Orleans. Plus the big one that all the tourists go to: The French Market in the French Quarter.

    My wife's eyeglasses came from a flea market booth. Not the cheap drug store type, but custom lenses and frames. I generally just go for cool looking nerdy t-shirts.
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  6. #6
    Latverian ambassador Iron Maiden's Avatar
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    I'm about a 90 minute drive from the biggest one in the Midwest, the Shipshwena Flea Market but never have been there. A couple of my relatives have been there, mostly just to say they've been there. I may try them out one day. They have livestock, horse, and antique auctions. They sometimes have Shipesehwana on the Road events at local venues too. So this one is pretty successful.

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