What to Sell at a Flea Market

antiques for sale at the Flea Market at Menge

We often get asked by people new to the world of flea markets and swap meets, "What to sell at a flea market?" The answer is - almost anything!

First off, here's a short list of what you can NOT sell at the Flea Market at Menge:

  • food items intended for immediate consumption (without prior market manager’s approval)
  • tires
  • used upholstered furniture or mattresses
  • firearms, guns of any type, cross bows, live ammunition, gun powder or fireworks
  • livestock, poultry, or dangerous animals. (Pet sales must receive written approval from market manager.)
  • drugs, paraphernalia, alcoholic beverages
  • illegal or offensive materials
  • you may not distribute political or religious solicitations

Now, on to the good stuff! Here are just a few of the things that people have sold over the years at the Flea Market at Menge:

Accessories

Sunglasses, eyeglasses, reading glasses. Jewelry, rosaries. Bags & purses. Hats, baseball caps, beanies, winter hats, knit hats, berets. Belts. Gloves and mittens. Neckties. Money clips. Scarves, shawls, legwarmers. Watches. Keychains.

Antiques & Collectibles

Vinyl records and record players. Porcelain dolls, china, silverware. Baseball cards. Coca-cola, Disney, Barbie, Nascar and other collectibles. Ceramics and pottery.

Beauty & Personal Care

Avon, Mary Kay. Perfumes, lotions, makeup, soap.

Books

New and used. Fiction, non-fiction. Magazines.

Clothing

Clothing for men, women and children. Nursing scrubs, uniform clothing, Army surplus. New, used and vintage clothing. Athletic clothing. T-shirts, dresses, skirts. Sports jerseys. Shoes, cowboy boots, sneakers.

Electronics

Cell phone accessories, iPhone cases and chargers. CDs, DVDs, MP3 players and accessories. Computers, laptops.

Handmade Crafts

Jewelry, accessories. Wood-working. Candles, homemade soaps. Original artwork. Crochet and knitting. Glasswork. Paper goods and greeting cards. Quilts. Airbrush designs.

Housewares

Furniture, chairs, tables, bookshelves, curio cabinets. Incense, candles, essential oils. Tupperware, storage containers, home organization, baskets. Tools. Cleaning supplies. Clocks. Home decor and art. Picture frames. Rugs. Office supplies. Magnets. Light fixtures and lamps. Christmas and holiday decorations.

Toys & Games

Children's toys, stuffed animals, bicycles. Board games. Video games. Puzzles. Musical instruments, guitars, keyboards.

Yard & Garden

Plants, flowers, herbs, seeds. Yard ornaments and decorations, lawn furniture.

WHERE to find what to sell at a flea market?

For many people, getting started with selling at a flea market is as simple as cleaning out their unwanted stuff, garage sale style. With the popularity of television shows like Storage Wars, more people are also going that route, bidding on unclaimed storage locker auctions to find the goods to stock their flea market booths.

People who specialize in handmade crafts make everything themselves, while some folks prefer to sell new merchandise, which they typically buy and re-sell from various wholesale companies.

Mallory Whitfield