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Look through boxes, go to the back of the shop and look for good "bones" on furniture. A little digging paid off for Stephan when he found this antique street lamp, which he transformed into a fish bowl.
How can you tell if your piece is really an antique? Furniture guru Mark DeVito says if it was made before electricity, then it's an antique, and imperfections often mean handmade.
Also look for a maker's mark, a stamp or engraving on the bottom of the piece indicating the manufacturer, country of origin, manufactured date and even how many were created. Maker's marks help determine the value of the piece. Flea Market Flips ' David offers the following advice for fixing up antiques: Hide imperfections with paint or fabric, add heavy-duty hardware and take it slowly. Spray paint, block aging, a paint gun and mercury glass transformed this bookshelf from old to new. A bright new color made this kitchen cabinet look new and modern.
A new finish and hardware brought this old table back to life.
Don't miss out on the people-watching. You can definitely see some sights, and I love to see what others market goers are buying. Have fun and post your best flea market finds.
Nothing wrong with a little bragging! Cheap Summer Guide: Reach Ms. Cheap at or mscheap tennessean. Follow her on Facebook at facebook.
Share This Story! Cheap's 17 tips for shopping at flea markets Ms.
Post to Facebook. Check out this story on Tennessean. Cancel Send. While the selection of merchandise may be limited, vendors are often willing to go lower on price so they can avoid storing their wares in the off-season.
It never hurts to hit the flea market on the very last day! Hoping to score a real treasure? Hit the flea market as soon as it opens. You will get the first pick of the sale and find the biggest selection of truly unique items. Hoping to score the best price? Go late in the day when the vendors know they have two choices: Remind them of this fact while negotiating, especially when trying to buy heavy items like furniture.
Want a better price on that gizmo or gadget? Simply ask for it!
After you spy that treasure, take a deeper look at the vendor's merchandise and see if there's anything else you want or need. Also, don't ask for half price immediately, be open to negotiation. Unspoken rules of bargaining include if you break it, you buy it, and if you let go of something, it's fair game for another shopper. Pick up the item, note the price and then look at something else. When you do find a piece you can't live without, the seller assumes you're not serious, and he's tired of wasting his time.
Haggling is an accepted and expected practice at flea markets. Vendors will know that you're new to the flea market scene if you don't try to barter. Have fun with it and don't worry about offending anyone. Is the seller unwilling to budge on his price?
Ask him to throw in something extra--a lamp to go with that table or a pair of pants to go with that shirt. Do you see several items in a booth that you'd like to buy? Negotiate a price for the entire group because bulk sales deserve bulk prices.