When You’re Hot You’re Hot
by Jami and Bob Zimmerman - view the full online magazine at SouthlakeStyle Magazine, June 2010

With Spring in full-throttle, the hankering to press the refresh button on your home can strike too.  I love to hit the flea markets in May and June.  It’s like a suburban version of Girl’s Gone Wild with ladies wearing cowboy hats, toting blinged-out pull carts, and sampling the fried Twinkies.  They are all prowling for those perfect “found” pieces that give their homes character and of course at a steal. 

I’m a flea market fanatic. I really get in to my shopping groove in a wide-open field filled with junk. Recycling is a good thing, especially coupled with fresh air, friendly vendors, and rare finds. We get asked all the time, “Can we just follow you around at the flea market?”  They want to see our mission impossible-esque shopping strategies.  It’s great that they picture us, professional stylists and all, with a grand master plan. But, they would be truly unimpressed with the reality of our plan of attack. 

We have code words like, “I hate this color.” Which really means “YES!!  I love it, get it for sure.” We don’t like to appear too interested because it drives up the prices.  We carry our cells or walkie talkies and split up for more coverage.  We are willing to take someone down for the perfect buy. Sometimes we debate over one item that you know would be great if you could just figure out what to use it for. And, then of course, it’s what to have for lunch. Oh, the dilemmas! At the end of a buying trip, we are left we with amazing loot, loads of new friends and racked up countless crazy flea marketing war-stories.

It has taken many years to perfect our buying tactics. Here are a few of our hard-learned tips to make your trip an untamed success and get the most bangs for your buck!

Make a Flea Market Bag of Tricks Carry a large tote or that blinged-out roller cart filled with sunscreen, bottled water, snacks, sunglasses, and a hat. A tiny notebook is a must-have to write down where you bought your loot. We hear stories from vendors all the time about customers forgetting their purchases. After searching out that perfect piece, don’t go home empty handed.  I have been driving home from the Warrenton flea market outside of Austin and said, “Oh great googly moogly, we forgot the lockers!!” Write it all down and get phone numbers from vendors to guide you in if you forget.

A measuring tape is also a requirement so that you can confirm the cool new pieces will fit in your home or even in your car to haul home. I have seen many a snaggle tooth vendor cracking up watching our crew try to maneuver an extra large item in to our car. It can be a life-size game of Tetris. Several times I have had to return to the scene of the crime with a larger truck to haul my purchases home (or begged my hubby to go).  Do as I say and not as I do – bring a tape measure!

Take your flea market visual aids. Carry a binder or a folder with your fabric swatches, paint swatches, floor plans, measurements, and magazine pictures you have been lusting after. Have a starting game plan to get the ball rolling. What are your top three things to look for?  Know what you’re looking for so that you can keep your eye on the prize. A flea market can start to feel like a giant game of I Spy without an approach. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, confused or a bit ADD at flea markets. Even as an experienced flea marketeer (it’s like a Mouseketeer only with dirt on our faces), we can be strayed by a vintage ambulance stretcher, Volkswagen Beetle fender, or even just the latest funky Yellow Box shoes (Flea Markets have great clothes!!).

Never take the first deal.  The most thrilling part of the flea market adventure is closing your deal.  Never let them see you sweat!!  Inspect items closely for small flaws which will give you another good reason to ask for a lower price (despite the fact that the damages may even add to the vintage hip factor). Don’t be discouraged by a dirty or worn out looking artifact. Soap and paint can change the world.
If you find a piece you love and the price is in your ballpark, just ask if they will take less.  Most vendors are used to playing Let’s Make a Deal and have negotiation room built in to the bottom line. They can usually give you their best price if you’re willing to buy more than one item. Make a pile and make a deal. Haggle a bit but have a price in mind, and be willing to walk away. Remember cash is king in the field.  Most vendors don’t take checks or credit cards. The whole process is so addictive.  My mom once found a lamp for a dollar and asked if they would take 99 cents.  Although I pretended to be embarrassed, I was secretly proud – You go girl!

Among my biggest weaknesses are flea markets. Having a special spot in my heart reserved for all things antique, flea markets are a perfect and oftentimes underrated place to find awesome diamonds in the rough. They’re an incredible resource for unique, on-of-a kind, knock-your-socks-off items. But they are so much more! Flea markets allow us to recycle the past and put a little history in to our homes.  Seeing these pieces in your home will make you beam recalling the thrill of the hunt and the call of the wild. ROAR! It’s all about the experience baby!

Home Style article for Southlake Style Magazine by Cheap Thrills Décor, Bob & Jami Zimmerman.
© 2010 Cheap Thrills Decor. All Rights Reserved.

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