Hunting for secondhand bargains
Brush up on your negotiating skills before hitting flea markets and antique shops
In this economy, one market that remains jam-packed with shoppers is the flea market. And there is no shortage of vendors and hagglers in Massachusetts.
The Globe did some shopping recently, making trips to Rowley; a drive along Route 20 to Charlton, Sturbridge, and Palmer; and then heading south to Raynham to check out the wares and bargains of some of the state’s top flea markets and antiques centers. We found specific trends in each region - north, south, and west of Boston - and different ways to haggle for the best price.
Thirty-three miles north of Boston, we visited Todd Farm Antiques and Flea Market, where vendors and customers often meet before dawn. This is a face-to-face type of place. There are no computerized cash registers or inventoried pricing like we saw at other marketplaces. People bring their treasures, they know about how much money they want for the stuff, and you offer what you think is fair. The place has a bit of everything, especially tools, automotive items, and furniture/woodwork.
West of Boston, we found a string of shops loaded with antiques called Charlton Flea Market and Antiques. A word of caution, however: Make sure you go on a Sunday instead of Saturday, when only about half of the place is open and there aren’t many vendors. At the Charlton Flea Market, the stalls were packed with old toys, pop culture items, kitchen gadgets, clothes, and books, but we were there on a Saturday and few of the vendors were around. At the nearby Palmer Co-op Center, we found some neat firefighter merchandise that we paid full price for because the vendor wasn’t there - even though the cashier tried to call.
South of Boston, at the Raynham Flea Market, we found more electronics, movies, and video games - modern stuff, if by modern you mean 1987. A lot of the items had prices marked on them. We talked to a few vendors who said they expect to get 80 to 90 percent of their sticker price, so strategize accordingly. We recommend offering about 75 percent of the asking price. Just don’t seem too eager.
Here are a few other tips on getting the best price:
Never offer the asking price. Offering two-thirds to three-quarters of the asking price will get you where you want to be.
Try offering lower prices for multiple items, or asking for something free of charge if you buy something else.
Don’t be impulsive. You might buy something at the first stand you see, only to find it half price just a few steps away.
Attend flea markets on Sundays. Most flea markets are only open Sundays anyway. Antique shops are fine any day of the week.
Indoor flea markets tend to have more electronics and gizmos.
For music and movies, especially if you’re still buying VHS tapes, don’t be afraid to offer to buy two or even three tapes for the price of one.
Baseball cards from the ’80s and ’90s are worthless, and the vendors know it. If you collect, offer a lowball bid. We saw a guy walk away with a box of about 100 individually priced cards for $5.
If you’re into video games as much as we are, Mr. 80s in Raynham offers a fully restored Nintendo Entertainment System with games and a controller for $50. See if you can get a couple extra games with your purchase.
John Guilfoil can be reached at jguilfoil@globe.com. 